the Pulpit doore Oecolamp and be fully of his minde who said I would not be found speaking or doing ought that I thought Christ would not approve of if he were corporally present And read in the book Giving the sense of that they read and applying it close to mens consciences This was preaching indeed for as every sound is not musick so neither is every Pulpit-discourse Preaching Cura Pastoralis est ars artium scientia scientiarum saith one It is a matter of great skill to divide the word aright See chap. 8.8 One fourth part of the day i. e. for three hours from nine a clock to twelve This warranteth our preaching Fast-Sermons though prayer be the chief businesse of such a day See Jer. 36.6 7. And another fourth part Sc. From twelve to three thus besides the ordinary morning and evening sacrifices they divided the day betwixt Preaching and Prayer as those did Acts 6.4 And as the Priests of old taught Jacob Gods judgements and put incense before the Lord Deut. 33.10 The Jewes at this day boast that they divide the day even the working-day into three parts the first ad Tephillah they spend in Prayer the second ad Torah in reading the Law the third ad Malachah in their worldly businesse But you are not bound herein to beleeve them They confessed Not without supplication for pardon and power to do better And worshipped the Lord their God Inwardly and outwardly giving him his due glory and resting upon him by a lively faith in the gracious promises being fully perswaded of this that together with the forgivenesse of sinne they should have those particular blessings which they sued for so farre as might stand with Gods glory and the good of their souls Verse 4. Then stood up Each of these eight in his turn or each in his own proper place the people being for more conveniency-sake divided into eight several Congregations And cried with a loud voyce Verbis non modò disertis sed exsertis that God might hear which yet he can do very well without any audible voice Exod. 14.15 1 Kings 22.32 and all the people might hear and joyn in prayer Vnto the Lord their God As being in Covenant with them This shewes their faith as the former their fervencie Faith is the foundation of Prayer and Prayer is the fervencie of Faith Verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.2 Then the Levites Jeshua c. said stand up Gird your selves and serve the Lord as Luke 17.8 Be instant or stand close to the work set sides and shoulders to it Rouse up your selves Neand. Chron pag. 74. and wrestle with God Hoc agite said the Romane Priest to the people at their sacrifices And Sacerdos parat fratrum mentes dicendo Sursum corda saith Cyprian In the Primitive times the Ministers prepared the people to serve God by saying Lift up your hearts De oratione And blesse the Lord your God for ever Give him immortal thanks all possible praise amore more ore glorifie him doingly 1 Cor. 10.30 31. Ephes 1.11 12. Think of the multitude seasonablenesse suitablenesse constancy c. of Gods favours and then give him the glory due unto his Name which yet we can never do because his Name is exalted above all blessing and praise as it followeth here so that if we should do nothing else all our dayes yea as long as the dayes of heaven shall last said that Martyr but kneele upon our knees and sing over Davids Psalmes to Gods praise yet should we fall farre short fo what we owe to the Lord who is most worthy to be praised And blessed be thy glorious name These holy Levites having called upon the people to blesse God break forth into the performance of this Divine duty themselves So Saint Paul often exhorting the Saints to pray falls a praying for them Which is exalted above all blessing and praise So that when we have done our utmost herein we can never over-do David is oft so transported that he seemes to forget himself as a bird that hath got note records it over and over as Psal 136. for his mercie endureth for ever And Psal 150. in six verses are twelve Halleluiahs Praise him saith He Verse 2. according to his excellent greatnesse for great is the Lord and greatly to be praised Psal 145.3 and verse 6. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Or Let every breath praise the Lord. As oft as we breath we are to breath out the praises of God and to make our breath like the perfumed smoke of the Tabernacle Verse 6. Thou even thou art Lord alone Jehovah is Gods incommunicable name that holy and reverend Name of his which Jewes pronounce not we too oft profane at least by not considering the import of it which is enough to answer all our doubts and to fill us with strong consolation had we but skill to spell all the letters in it Thou hast made heaven With great skill and artifice thou hast made it three stories high 2 Cor. 12.2 Heb. 11.10 The heaven of heavens Called the highest Luke 2.14 and the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 Of this heaven no natural knowledge can be had nor any help by humane arts Geometry Opticks c. for it is neither aspectable nor movable With all their host i. e. Their furniture Angels those heavenly Courtiers Sunne Moone and Starres c. which are all Gods servants Psal 119.91 and do in their way worship Him The earth and all things that are therein God may be read in the great book of Nature which hath three leaves Heaven Earth and Sea Heaven is all that 's above earth Earth is an element of cold and dry nature thick solid heavie placed in the middest of the world as the foundation thereof and therefore unmovable though round and in that respect naturally apt for motion and though founded not upon solid rocks but fluid waters This Aristotle himself wondred at Lib. 2. de Coelo cap. 13. And all things that are thereon Either therein as metals and minerals or thereon as men beasts creeping things c. The Seas and all that are therein As There is that Leviathan and creeping things innumerable Gods handy-work all of them And thou preservest them all Givest them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17.25 life and breath motion and maintenance thou upholdest the whole creation by the word of thy power Heb. 1.3 and all things subsist by thy manutension God doth not cast off the care of his works that he hath made as doth the Carpenter or Shipwright but being perpetually present with them ruleth disposeth and ordereth all by a certaine counsel to his own ends and at length to his own glory And the host of heaven worshippeth thee Angels and Saints especially who the more they know of God the more they love him and honour him making their addresses to him with greatest self-abasement considering their
under our feet Hence the Jews to this day dream as did also the Disciples sowred with their leaven of an earthly Kingdom wherein the Messiah at his coming shall subdue the Nations and distribute their Provinces and wealth among his Jews But Christs Kingdom is of another nature and the Nations are already subdued to the Church which remaineth one and the same although the Jews be as branches broken off and others set in their place Rom. 11.24 Besides by the Nations under the Jews feet is meant say some that the Gentiles should be Scholars and the Jews School-masters as it were unto them for so fitting under the feet or at the feet signifieth in Scripture Acts 22.3 Luke 10.39 2 King 2.5 The teacher was called Joshebh or Sitter the Scholar Mithabbek or one that lieth along in the dust in token of his humble subjection And in this sense Seneca some where saith that the basest of people meaning the Jews gave Laws unto all the world Vers 4. He shall chuse our inheritance for us Or He hath chosen Of his free grace he espied out the Land of Canaan for his people Israel flowing with Milk and Honey and such as was the glory of all Lands Ezek 20.6 and as much yea much more hath he done for the whole Israel of God both of Jews and Gentiles by electing them to an inheritance immortal undefiled reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.4 The excellency or high-glory of Jacob whom he loved i.e. All those high and honourable Priviledges wherein Jacob once and now all the faithful may wellglory and rejoyce See Rom. 9.4.5 having as great both abundance and assurance of Gods grace and goodness as Jacob ever had Vers 5. God is gone up with a shout The Ark is here called God as also Psa 132.5 and the face of God Ps 105.4 because from the Ark in the midst of the Cherubims God spake to his people and they by looking towards it had a sure symbol of the Divine presence The bringing of it up with pomp and solemnity into Mount Zion was a type of Christs wonderful ascension into Heaven triumphing over all his and our enemies Col. 2.15 Eph. 4.8 and joyfully entertained by Saints and Angels in Heaven The Jews ever apt to work themselves as one saith of them into the foolsparadise of a sublime dotage understand this passage of the future reduction of the Ark into the Sanctuary where it was once and for the which they most earnestly pray still as Buxtorf writeth With the sound of a trumpet Concrepantibus tubis and in like sort he shall return De Syuags Jud. c. 13 Acts 1.11 with 1 Ths 4.16 Vers 6. Sing praises to God sing praises Do it with all alacrity and assiduity being of that Martyrs mind who said Should I do nothing else all the days of my life yea as long as the days of Heaven shall last but kneel upon my knees and repeat over Davids Psalms to the glory and praise of God yet should I fall infinitely short of what is my duty to do Vers 7. For God is King of all the earth q. d. Our King said I it is too little he is King of all the earth A title vainly taken by some proud Princes as Sesostris King of Aegypt who would needs be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of the whole world So a Decree went out from Augustus Casar that all the World should be taxed Luk. 2.1 The great Turk Amurath the third stiled himself Turk Hist 91 God of the earth Governour of the whole world c. but these were but bubbles of words as Saint Peter hath it God is the sole Monarch of the whole Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sing yee praises with understanding Non bacchantium more but prudently and with a well composed minde saith Vatablus Psalmo Didascalico saith Tremellim with such a Psalm or Song as whereby yee may rightly inform one another concerning his Kingdom and your own duty Heb. Sing yee Maschil that is Quotquot sapientes inrelligentes petitiestis psallend one of the Psalms that bear that title as some sense it or every one of you that hath skill in Songs as others Vers 8. God reigneth over the Heathen This is his universal Kingdom whereof before vers 7. and yet never can too much be said of it God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness He is in a special manner King of his Church as Ahasuerosh was of his Hester called his throne Exod. 87.16 because the hand upon the throne of the Lord that is Amalechs hand upon the Church as some interpret it His throne of glory Jer. 4.21 and here the shrone of his holiness because Christ who is called God so many times in this Psalm loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanseir and so present it to himself a glorious Church Eph. 5.25 26 27. Vers 9. The Princes of the people are gathered together Or the voluntary of the people The great ones disdain not to meet with the meanest at the publick Assemblies for performance of holy duties but thither they fly one with another as the Doves do to their windows Isa 63.8 glorying in this that they are Christs Vassals as did Constantine Valentinian and Theodasius Socrates those three great Emperours casting their Crowns at his feet and willing to come under the common yoke of his obedience with the rest of the people of the God of Abraham the common sort of Christians For the Shields of the earth be long to God That is those Princes and Magistrates also Hos 4.18 Psal 89.18 belong to the covenant of election a though not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 and it was grown to a Proverb â—mnium bonorum Principum imagines in 〈◊〉 annulo scâ—lpi posse The Spanish Fryer was wont to say there were but few Princes in Hell and why because there were but few in all If such shall shew themselves shields to their people to protect them from wrong and not sharks rather to peel them and pillage them God will own and honour such Others thus the shields of the Earth belong to the Lord that is the Militia of the World is his he hath and can quickly raise the Posse comitatus of all Countries He is greatly exalted How should he be otherwise who hath sogreat a command and useth it for the defence of his people Especially if the Grandees of the earth become Religious and draw on others by their example and liberality Magnates Magnetes PSAL. XLVIII A Psalm a song for the sons of Korah When and by whom compiled we certainly know not If by David probably it was upon occasion of the Philistines comming up to seek him but were sent away back with shame and losse 2 Sam. 5.7 9. If upon the slaughter of Sennscheribs army by an Angel Isaiah or some other Prophet of those times as there were many might be
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
Sanctuary-men continens pro contento Hearts and hands must both up to Heaven Lam. 3.41 and God bee glorified both with spirits and bodies which are the Lords 1 Cor. 6.20 And bless the Lord Like so many earth'y Angels and as if yee were in Heaven already say Vers 3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth And therefore hath the blessings of both lives in his hand to bestow See Num. 6.24 Bless thee out of Zion They are blessings indeed that come out of Zion choice peculiar blessings even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth Compare Psal 128.5 and the promise Exod. 20.24 In all places where I put the memory or my name I will come unto thee and bless thee PSAL. CXXXV VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord praise yee Praise praise praise When duties are thus inculcated it noteth the necessity and excellency thereof together with our dulness and backwardness thereunto O yee Servants of the Lord See Psal 134.1 Vers 2 Yee that stand in the house See Psal 134.1 In the Courts Where the people also had a place 2 Chron. 4.9 and are required to bear a part in this heavenly Halleluiah Vers 3 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good scil Originally transcendently effectively hee is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and is therefore to bee praised with mind mouth and practice For it is pleasant An angelicall exercise and to the spirituall-minded man very delicious To others indeed who have no true notion of God but as of an enemy it is but as musick at funerals or as the trumpet before a Judge no comfort to the mourning wife or guilty prisoner Vers 4 For the Lord hath chosen God 's distinguishing grace should make his elect lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to him And Israel for his peculiar treasure Such as hee maketh more reckoning of than of all the World besides The Hebrew world here rendred peculiar treasure seemeth to signifie a Jewell made up of three precious stones in form of a triangle Segullâ—h 〈◊〉 dici Sâ—gol 〈…〉 The Saints are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 his ornament yea the beauty of his ornament and that set in Majesty Ezek. 7.20 his royall Diadem Isa 62.3 Vers 5 For I know that the Lord is great As well as good vers 3. This I beleeve and know Job 6.69 saith the Psalmist and do therefore make it my practice to praise him And that our Lord is above all Gods Whether they bee so deputed as Magistrates or reputed as Idols Vers 6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased This the Heathens did never seriously affirm of any their dunghill deities sure it is that none of them could say I know it to bee so De diis utrum sint non ausim affirmare said one of their wise men Vers 7 Hee causeth the Vapours Not Jupiter but Jehovah See Jer. 10.13 Hee is the right Nubâ—coga Maker of the Metcors whether fiery aiery or watery Job 26.8 9 28.26 27 37.11 15 16. 38.9 See the Notes there Hee maketh lightenings for the Rain Or With the Rain which is very strange viz. that fire and water should mingle and hard stones come cut of the midst of thin vapours Hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries Or Coffers store-houses where hee holdeth them close prisoners during his pleasure This the Philosopher knew not and thence it is that they are of so diverse opinions about the winds See Job 36.27 28 c. Job 37. throughout Vers 8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt And thereby roused up that sturdy rebell Pharaoh who began now to open his eyes as they say the blind mole doth when the pangs of death are upon him and to stretch out himself as the crooked Serpent doth when deadly wounded Vers 9 Who sent tokens and wonders Vocall wonders Exod. 4.8 to bee as so many warning-peeces Vers 10 Who smote great Nations Who by their great sins had greatly polluted their land and filled it with fiâ—th from one end to another Ezra 9.11 And slow mighty Kings Heb. Bony big mastiff fellows quasi â—ssâ—tâ—s five 〈◊〉 as the word signifieth Vers 11 Sihon King of Amorites A Giant like Cyclops And Og King of Bashan Of whom the Jews fable that being one of the 〈◊〉 Giants hee escaped the flood by riding affride upon the Ark. Vers 12 And gave their lands for an heritage Which hee might well do as being the true Proprietary and Paramount Vers 13 Thy Name O Lord c. Else O nos ingratos Vers 14 For the Lord will judge his people Judicabit id est vindicabit hee will preserve them and provide for their wel-fare And hee will repent himself This is mutatio rei non Dei effectus non affectus Some render it Hee will bee propitious Others hee will take comfort in his Servants See Judges 10.16 Vers 15 16. The Idols of the Heathen See Psal 115.4 5 6 c. Vers 17 Neither is there any breath in their mouths If they uttered Oracles it was the Devil in them and by them As for those statues of Daedalus which are said to have moved Aristot Diod. Sic. Plato spoken and run away if they were not tyed to a place c. it is either a fiction or else to be attributed to causes externall and artificiall as quick-silver c. Vers 18 They that make them c. See Psal 115.8 Vers 19 Bless the Lord And not an Idoll Isa 66.3 as the Philistines did their Dagon and as Papists still do their hee-Saints and shee-Saints Vers 20 Yee that fear the Lord Yee devout Proselytes Vers 21 Blessed bee the Lord out of Sion There-hence hee blesseth Psal 134.3 and there hee is to bee blessed Which dwelleth at Jerusalem That was the seat of his royall resiance per inhabitationis gratiam saith Austin by the presence of his grace who by his essence and power is every where Enter praesenter Deus hic et ubique potenter PSAL. CXXXVI VErs 1 O give thanks unto the Lord This Psalm is by the Jews called Hillel gadel the great Gratulatory See Psal 106.1.107.1.118.1 For his mercy endureth for ever His Covenant-mercy that precious Church-priviledge this is perpetuall to his people and should perpetually shine as a picture in our hearts For which purpose this Psalm was appointed to bee daily sung in the old Church by the Levites 1 Chron. 16.41 Vers 2 For his mercy endureth for ever This is the foot or burthen of the whole song neither is it any idle repetition but a notable expression of the Saints unsatisfiableness in praising God for his never-failing mercy These heavenly birds having got a note record it over and over In the last Psalm there are but six verses yet twelve Hallelujahs Vers 3 O Give thanks to the Lord of Lords That is to God the Son saith Hierâ—â— as by God of Gods saith hee in the former verse is meant God the Father who because they are no more but one God
a Serpent so this takes away the sting of a judgement As wine draweth a nourishing vertue from the flesh of Vipers c. Verse 24. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust Which is as much as to say saith One thou shalt make pavements of gold see 2 Chron. 1.15 Psal 68.30 Then shalt thou have thy desire for thou shall be rich with content which is worth a million as another paraphraseth it Beza rendreth it thus Cast thy gold on the ground even that worldly pelf whereto thou hast been wholly addicted and let the gold of Opâ—ir beunt thee as the peeble-stonts of the brooks make no more account of it than of those small stones and let the Almighty be thy tower let him be unto thee as plenty of silver The Spaniards are said to have found in the Mines of America more Gold than Earth Perhaps Eliphaz here promiseth Job that upon his return to God his Land should have many rich veines of Gold And so One paraphraseth this text thus Then shall you acquit your self of all your losses Senault and you shall recover with usury what was taken from you for for barren lands which could being forth nothing you shall have such as in their intrails shall produce Porphyry and in stead of those unprofitable Rocks which made a part of your Estate you shall have fertile Mines from whence shall issue Rivers of Gold Agreeable whereunto is that Exposition of Brenâ—ius Repoâ—â—etur pro pulâ—erâ— aurum pro vili preciosumâ— pro fluvâ—is arâ—nam trabentibus terrentes aâ—eis lapillis impleti Thou shalt have for Dust Gold for vile things those that are precious for sandy rivers golden torrents An byperbolical expression And the Gold of Ophir Where the best Gold grew possibly the same with Peru the letters only transposed Ophir Gen. 10. was one of the sons of â—oktan who came of Shem from whom saith Josephus a Country in India abounding with Gold had its name Him aurum obrizune dictum quase Ophirizum Ophir is here put for the Gold of Ophir for the word Gold is not in the original Verse 25. Yea the Almighty shall be thy defence Or thy Gold for the same word signifieth both chap. 36.19 because Gold is the worldly mans defence Prov. 18.11 though but a â—oâ—â—y one Zeph. 1.18 Prov. 11.4 Ezek. 7.19 It is as if he should say Either thou shalt have gold Gods plenty or else then shalt have that which is better than gold viz. God the Maker and Master of all the world saith 〈◊〉 who rendreth the 〈◊〉 And the Almighty shall be thy choicest gold and silver and strenght to 〈◊〉 He shall be all that heart can wish or need require A friend of Cyrus in â—eno pâ—on being asked where him Treasure was Answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where Cyrus is my friend Let us answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where God is my friend When David had said The Lord is my portion he subjoyned in the next verse The 〈…〉 pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage Psal 10.5 6. When God had said to Abraham Law thy sâ—â—iâ—â— he easily slighted the King of Solâ—oâ—â—â—ith offers And whom 〈◊〉 have 〈…〉 Heb. Silver of strengths or of heights 〈◊〉 that is at the rulgar interpâ—epeâ—h it 〈…〉 coacerâ—abitâ—â— tibi thou shalt have high heapt of silver store of money 〈…〉 hath the promises of both lives and if godly men are not 〈…〉 it is that godliness may he adtmired for it self And they must know◠〈…〉 in remporals shall be made up in spirituals according to 〈◊〉 which folleweth Verse 26. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty As in thine onely Portion Thou shalt enjoy him which is the top of humane happiness solace thy self in the fruition of him taâ—â—e and see how good the Lord is and thereupon love him dearly Psal 18.1 not only with a love of desire as Psal 42.1 2. but of complacency as Psal 73.25 26. affecting not only an union but an unity with him and conversing with him as we may in the mean while in a fruitful and chearful use of his holy Ordinances And shalt lift up thy face unto God Wrapping thy self in Christs righteousness thou shalt draw nigh to God with an humble boldness in duty and not doubt but he will draw nigh to thee in mercy Melch. Ad. in vita It is said of Luther that he pray'd with so great reverence as unto God and yet with so great confidence as to his friend Verse 27. Then shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall heâ—r thee Yea though thou multiply prayer and intorcession for thy self and others as the word signifieth Multiplicabis verba tua Mer. and as afterwards Job did for Eliphaz and his fellows or else it bad gone worse with them yet he shall hear thee in all Thou shalt as his favourite have the royalty of his eare and he shall say unto thee seriously as Zâ—â—â—kiah did once to his Courtiers soothingly The King can deny you nothing Iste viz potuit apâ—d Dâ—um quod â—oluit said One concerning Luther That man could have of God whatsoever he lifted This David took as well he might for a singular mercy Psal 13. ult Psal 66. ult And thou shalt pay thy vows i.e. Thou shalt return thy thanks and so shalt drive an holy trade as it were betwixt heaven and earth Nulla tibi a Deo nisi gratias agendi accasio dabitur Thou shalt have unmiscarrying returns of thy suits so that thou must be ready with thy praises â—â—ter their prayers for that is all thou shalt have to do Psal 65.1 2. Praise waiâ—â—th for thee O God in Zion and unto thee shall all the vow be performed O thou that heavest prayers note thee shall all flash come with their thanks in their hands as it were Verse 28. Thou shalt also deâ—â—es a thing and it shall be established unto thee God will be better to thee than thy Prayers and prosper all thy Counsels effect thy designes The ungodly are not so as is to be seen in those revolted Israelites Judg. 2. in King Saul and in our King Jobs Oâ— if they have their designes it is for a further mischief to them As if the godly he crossed it is in mercy like as it is storied of our Queen Isabel that being to repass from Zâ—land into Eagland with an Army they hath 〈◊〉 been utterly cast away had she 〈…〉 being there expected by her enemies But providence against her will brought her to another plaâ—â— Mr. Clark in his Life p. 262. where she safely 〈◊〉 The like is reported of Bishop Joâ—el that being sought for by the Popish Persecutors he had been caught but that going to London he â—â—st his way And the light shall 〈◊〉 upon thy waâ—â— That is to say God will inspire thee with good counsel and direction in all thine affairs Diod. and turn thinâ— ill counsels into good unto thee as the Heathens
shall overflow the Land again as that then it shall some would gather from this Text. Verse 11. The Pillars of heaven tremble i.e. the Angels say some who tremble out of conscience of their own comparative imperfections The best of Saints on earth say others according to Gal. 2.9 Rev. 3.12 Prov. 9.1 2. who tremble at Gods Word Isai 66.2 and have many concussions by afflictions But better understand the Firmament of heaven Hag. 26 7. Matth. 24.29 The Powers of heaven shall be shaken they shall quake with the loud check of his Thunder claps Or the high and mighty mountaines whereon the heavens seeme to rest as on so many pillars shaken by Earth-quakes and sometimes with great astonishment removed out of their places And are astonished at his reproof As all the beasts of the field are at the roaring of the Lion Lavat Vt quis a gravi magnae potâ—statâ— vire objurgatus iremit â—â—hementer solicitus est as a slave chidden by a Prince trembleth and is aghast Verse 12. He divideth the sea with his power i.e. With his strong winds causing tempests see the like Isai 51.15 so that it lyeth as it were in ridges the top of one wave far from another Jer. 31.35 That was a strange thing that is reported to have fallen out at London the last week On Munday Aug. 14 1654. Sever. Proceed of State affirm p. 4033. by reason of the great winds the Tide was so low in the Thames that boyes waded over it from the one side to the other the old Watermen affirming they never saw it so before And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud Heb. Pride or Rahab which is oft put for Egypt as Psal 87.4 and 89.10 Isai 51.9 whence some would have Pharaoh meant others the Divel others the Whale dashing against a Rock or driven to shore where he is taken others the proud waves of the sea He hath the sea in as great awe as a Giant hath a Pigmee as chap 38.11 disabled by God to stir more as a man mortally wounded is to fight longer An instance hereof we have in the history of Jonas and another in the Gospel Mat. 8. and 14. As God is powerful enough to raise stormes so he is wise enough to lay them again Psal 107.25 29. Verse 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens Spiritu ejus coeli sunt ipsa pulâ—â—â—cudo By his Spirit the heavens are beauty it self so Vatablus rendreth it That Three â—â— One and One in Three wrought in the Creation see Psal 33.6 Adoravit decoravit pulchrcfecit Hins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of his mouth Here Jehovah his Word and his Spirit are noted to be the Maker of the world so Gen. 1. The Heathens had some blind notions hereof as appeareth by Plutark who reporteth that in Thebe a Town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortal but how painted they him Plut. de Ifid Ofirid Var. dere rust lib. 2. c. 1. In the likenesse of a man blowing an egg out of his mouth to signifie that he made the round world by the Spirit of his mouth Upon the heavens especially God hath bestowed a great deal of skill and workmanship as appeareth Heb. 11 10. and Psal 8.3 where heaven is called The work of Gods fingers a curious divine work a Metaphor from them that make Tapestry Garnished it is with Stars as a Palace is with stately Pictures besides the inward beauty which is unconceivable There is something of a Saphir in the Hebrew word here rendred Garnished and Revel 21. search is made through all the bowels of the earth to find out all the precious Treasures that could be had Gold Pearles and precious Stones of all sorts and what can these serve to only to shadow out the glory of the walls of the new Jerusalem and the gates and to pave the streets of the City See also Isai 54.11 12. His hand 〈◊〉 formed the crooked Serpent Enixe est peperit hath â—â—oughâ— forth as by birth hath formed the most deformed and dreadâ—â—â— Creature in the earth Or those flaming Dragons flying in the Aire Meteors â— mean Or the Constellation in heaven called the Dragon betwixt the two Beares and not far from the North-Pole Est hos sane maximum maxime conspicuum in coelo fidus c. Or lastly those Sea-Dragons the Whales which Mercer thinketh most likely to be here meant and compareth Isai 27.1 Psal 104.26 Job 40.20 Neither need we wonder saith he that the beginning of the verse is of heaven and the end of the sea for Job would shew and set forth two admirable works of God in two extremes of the world viz. in heaven above and in the waters under the earth his Power and Wisdome shineth every where in the Creatures neither can a 〈◊〉 easily sook besides a miracle Job therefore insisteth not long upon particulars but as one lost in the labyrinth of Admiration at so great things he 〈◊〉 shuts up Verse 14. Lo these are parts of his wayes Or rather Particles of his Works Extrema sunt viarum ejus so the Tiguâ—â—es translate it these are the ends extremities or utmost parts of them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul calleth it that which may be known of God par 〈◊〉 treaturaruâ— Rom. 1.19 20 as the Sun may bee seen in the water after a soft but in roâ—â— as the Schooles speak in the Cirele where in it runs we are not able to behold him so something of God may be seen in his Works in his Word his back parts we may see and live as Moses Exod. 33. Quam exigultatem Piscat Parvaâ—â— stillam Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. Sept. Paucuâ—â— de pâ—nco pusillum parum admilum Merc. His truth in the Temple as 〈…〉 But how little a portion is heard of him Heb. What a 〈◊〉 or shâ—â— of a word or thing is heard of him As when one heareth the latter end only of a 〈◊〉 that which the eccho resoundeth and no more it is 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 cannot know we are as narrow mouthed vessels Ye are not able to 〈◊〉 what I have to say to you saith Christ to his Apostles John 16.12 And to the people hâ— spâ—ke as they were able to hear Mark 4.33 and not as he was able to have spoken Lequimur de Deo non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus saith Gratian the Emperor We speak of God Iâ— Epist ad Ambros not so much as we should but so much as we can We prophecy but in part and what wonder sith we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. In humane things the wisest men have professed that the greatest part of what they knew was the least of that they knew not how much more in things divine By no expressions do we so fully set
Daughter of Tyre shall be there With a gift Isa 23.18 The Tyrians that wealthy people when once converted think the same of other Nations shall leave hoarding and heaping and find another manner of Merchandise and imployment of their substance viz. to feed and cloath Gods Saints and maintain his Ministers Vers 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within In the Inner-man Ephes 3.16 the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 Great is the glory of the new Creature but not discerned by the World through which the Saints must be content to passe as concealed persons and not think much to have the greater part of their warein the inner part of their shop and not all on the board or stall Her cloathing is of wronght gold ex vestibus auro ocellatis Cloathed she is with humility and other golden graces as with that party-coloured garment whereby Kings Daughters as Tamar were anciently distinguished from others Vers 14. She shall be brought See the Note on vers 13. she shall be presented to Christ a glorious Church not having spot wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5.27 Rev. 21.2 Vers 15. With gladnesse and rejoycing As at marriages is usuall Sampsons wife solecised in weeping at such a feast Oh the joy the joy said that dying Saint But what in the mean-while Vers 16. In stead of thy Fathers c. The Church shall still bring forth Children to her Husband Christ and there shall bee a succession of his name Psal 72.17 Whom thou maiest make Princes The Saints are Kings in Righteousnesse though somewhat obscure ones as was Melchiscdech Vers 17. I will make thy name c. This is a second benefit promised to the Church viz. everlasting renown with highest estimation and imitation to the Worlds end PSAL. XLVI VPon Alamoth i.e. Upon the Virginals Virgins with their shril treble tune 1 Chrâ—â— 15.20 used belike to sing this triumphant Psalm and to play it on the Instrument and their hearts were somewhat suitable to it The pen-man some think to have been David upon occasion of those notable victories 2 Sam. 8. Others Solomon for the Virgins to sing and play at his wedding Psal 45.8 9. with Cant. 1.2 Others Isaiah either upon the overthrow of those two Kings Rezin and Pekah 2 King 16.5 Isa 7. 8. confer Judg. 5.11 or else after the slaughter of Sennacheribs armie by an Angel then the Virgin Daughter of Zion much more than before despised him and laughed him to scorn the Daughter of Jerusalem shook her head at him Isa 37.22 and sang as followeth Vers 1. Tremel God is our resuge and strength Dem nobis est receptus robur All Creatures when in distresse run to their resuges Prov. 30.26 Psal 104.18 Prov. 18.11 Dan. 4.10 11. Judg. 9.50 51. So do the Saints to God Almighty for the safe-guarding of their persons as here and Isa 25.4 Luther when in greatest distresse was wont to call for this Psalm saying Let us sing the forty sixth Psalm in consort and then let the Devill do his worst A very present help in trouble Or Joh. Manlii loc com We have abundantly found him an help in tribulation God as he is not farre off his people at such a time so he needeth not much intreaty but when we are nearest danger he is nearest to deliver as in the Gun-pouder-plot prevented eight or nine houres before it should have been acted Masses were sung in Rome for the prospering of it but no prayers particularly made in England for the preventing nor could be Here God was if ever auxilium praesentissimum Vers 2. Therefore will we not fear though the earth c. No not in the greatest concussions of States and revolutions in nature Earthquakes are very dreadfull and lay whole Cities on heaps sometimes as Antioch often which was therehence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but though not some part only but the whole earth should be turned topsy-turvy 1 ege Plindib 2 cap. 83. 88. as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside down 2 King 21.13 yea though heaven and earth should be mingled Heb. 13.26 in this also the Beleever would be confident because God is with him Psal 23.4 27.1 whose praise and promise is to see to his Servants safety in the greatest dangers and to set them out of the gunshot And though the Mountaines be carried into the midst of the Sea Though all the World should be reduced again into that first Chaos of confusion Si fract us illab at ur orbis Horat. Od. 3. Lib. 3. Impavidum forlent ruina Vers 3. U omnes procellae horriblli cum boatu circumsonent Ethic. 3.7 Though the waters thereof roar and bee troubled Heb. Be mudded yet we will not fear viz. with a base distrustfull fear Tanti est experientiam sensunique auxilii divini habere The tempestuous rising and roaring of the Sea is so terrible that Aristotle saith whosoever feareth it not is either mad or senselesse Fear not saith the Angell to St. Paul himself in that dreadfull storm Act. 27.24 which implyeth that he was afraid with a naturall fear and he might be so without sin An a wefull fear of God is consistent with faith neither is any Beleever guilty of a Stoical apathie The very Devills beleeve and tremble Jam. 2.19 The A postles word there implieth that they roar as the Sea roareth and shrieke horribly Though the Mountains shake c. As sometimes Promontories fall with the force Id quod Propheta miris verborum figuris additis illustrate Beza and impetuous beating of the Sea upon them Admit all this and more whether in a sense literall or allegoricall set forth it is in a strain high and hyperbolicall yet wee will bear up and bee bold to beleeve that all shall go well with us Vers 4. there is a River c. Interea civitas Dei amidstall these garboiles and hurly-burlies abroad the Church shall be helped with a little help as Dan. 11.34 that through weaker means she may see Gods greater strength That contemptible brook Cedron whereof read Job 18.1 compassing some part only of the City Jerusalem or passing thorough the middle of it as some write together with the rivorets Siloe and others that run into it shall be able through God to save her from the power and greatnesse of her enemies Confer Isa 8.6 and this place shall be the better understood The holy place of the Tabernacles This was the beauty and bulwark of Jerusalem viz. the Temple the continued sincere service of God this was the Tower of the slock and the strong hold of the Daughter of Gods people Mic. 4.8 See Psa 26.1 2. And these Rivers of the Sanctuary these waters of life drawn with joy out of the wells of Salvation the precious Promises made glad the City of God the Consciences of Beleevers and caused them to triumph over all troubles Vers 5. God is in the midst
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
man who is thereby ingaged to bless God Vers 10. Beasts i. e. Wild-beasts that are fullest of life and there-hence have their name in the Hebrew tongue And all Cattel Domestick and tame beasts even to the Elephant which is said to turn up the first sprig towards Heaven in token of thankfulness by a naturall instinct when hee comes to feed Creeping things Whether in earth or Sea all these are summoned in by the Psalmist to pay their tribute of praise and to do their homage to the most high Vers 11 King of the earth These are doubly-bound to God as Queen Elizabeth wrot to the French King first as they are men and next as they are so great men Leunclau Annal Turc But this is little considered Tamerlan having overcome Bajazet asked him whether ever hee had given God thanks for making him so great an Emperour who confessed ingenuously hee never thought of it Princes and all Judges of the earth These are thrice called upon because hardly perswaded to pay God his rent as holding themselves too high to do him homage Vers 12 Both young men and maids Souls have no sexes let the choice youths and the compt lasses quâ— totâ— occupantur in sese ornandis saith Kimchi who are much taken up in tricking and trimming themselves leave that folly and give glory to God Vers 13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord Joyn in this harmony of Halelujah His glory is above Being deeper than Earth higher than Heaven Vers 14 Hee also exalteth the horn i. e. Hee graceth them singularly A people near unto him And in that respect happy above all people on the earth Deut. 4.7 33.29 because in Covenant with him and near-allied to him as the word here importeth PSAL. CXLIX VErs 1 Praise yee the Lord See Psal 148.1 Sing unto the Lord a new song A new-Testament-song of a new argument and for new benefits by the comming of Christ whereof this Psalm is propheticall Old things are past all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.16 new Commandements new promises new sacraments new grace new praises new priviledges For the Congregation of the 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 whose joyne praises must come before him as the found of many waters this is Heaven upon Earth Vers 2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him And new made him Ephes 2.10 and thereby highly advanced him as 1 Sam. 12.6 The Hebrew hath it In his makers to shew the Trinity of persons concurring in the work both of creation and regeneration So Gen. 1 2â— Job 35 1â— Isa 54.5 Eccles 12.1 See Psal 100.3 Bee joyfull in their King i. e. In Christ whose Kingdome is such as should swallow up all discontents and make us everlastingly merry Mic. 4.9 Iâ— Seneca could say to his friend Polybius Fas non est salvo Caesare de fortuna tua queri 〈…〉 salvi tibi sunt tui c. It is not fit for thee to complain of thine hard fortune so long as Cesar is alive and well how much more may it bee said so to Christians so long as Christ is alive and reigneth Vers 3 Let them praise his name in the daunce Or with the pipe tibi is tympanis omni musices organicae genere by all lawfull means possible Vers 4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people Psal 35.27 when they are under the Cross especially and thereby meekened This the very Heathen saw Lib. de provid 2 and could say Spectant Diâ— magnos viros cum calamitate aliqua â—ollâ—ctantes Eâ—ce sâ—â—ctaculom ad quod respiciat operi suo intentus Deus saith Seneca of Caâ—â— and other gallant Roman spirits How much more may wee say the like of Gods-looking with singular delight on Abraham Jehova â—ireâ— the Lord seeth Gen. 22.14 Job Stephen Laurence and other faithfull Martyrs suffering couragiously for his truth and â—ealing it with their blood He will beautifie or glorifie the meek with salvation i. e. Not only deliver them Mr. Bolton but dignifie them in the eyes of all Psal 91.15 I will deliver him and glorifie him â—radford and such wee shall look upon likely saith a grave Author with thoughts of extraordinary love and sweetness in the next World through all eternity as Bonner and such with execrable and everlasting detestation Vers 5 Let the Saints bee joyfull in glory i. e. In their glorious estate by Christ notwithstanding their present poverty Let the Brother of low degree rejoyce or gloâ—y in that hee is exalted Jam. 1.9 Let them sing aloud upon their beds How hard soever Act Moâ—â— as Philpot and his fellow-sufferers did when they roused in the straw Jacob had never more sweet intercourse with God than when his head lay upon the hard stone at Bethel Some by beds here understand the Temples and Schools Confer Isa 57. Others render it 〈◊〉 de cubilibus suis They shall sing aloud for their beds that is for their sweet and solid tranquillity Vers 6 Let the high praises or the exaltations of God bee in their mouth Heb. In their throat So Isa 58.1 cry aloud Heb. cry in the throat set up thy note Sic clames ut Stentora vincas And a two-edged sword in their hand Such an invincible power shall the Saints have as whereby they shall subdue all their enemies corporall and spirituall See Heb. 14.12 Rev. 1.16 19.15 there was more than metall and form in Goliahs sword delivered by the Priest to David whose arm was not so much strengthened by it as his faith so is every good Christians by that two-edged sword of the Spirit he may well write upon it as that renouned Talbot in the reign of Henry the sixth did upon his sword Speed in blunt and boisterous language Sum Talbotti this was ingraven upon the one side of the blade and upon the other pro vincere inimicâ—s 〈◊〉 See a Cor. 10.4 5. Vers 7 To execute vengeance upon the Heathen viz. Upon a just calling and not for private revenge yea that souldier can never answer it to God that strikes not more as a Justicer than as an enemy bee his cause never so good But that 's the most noble vengeance that is executed upon mens lusts whilst they thrust the sword of the Spirit into the throats of them and let out their life-blood That 's a good sense that some give of these words viz. that the Saints when they go forth to battel should go with holy songs in their mouths as well as with swords in their hands See Judg. 7.19 20 c. Ussier Brit. â—cles â—mord 2 Chron. 20.21 c. the victoria Hallelujatica was got on this manner here in Britaine under the conduct of Germanus against a mighty army of Pelagian Picte and Saxons This was the course and custome of the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 against their Popish persecutors and the like wee read of the other French Protestants at the siedge of 〈◊〉 that I mention not those gallant
finished And this he recordeth not out of ostentation but to shew that the love and feare of God constrained him as it did afterwards Paul that spiritual builder who laboured more then they all and denied himself to bring others to heaven as himself setteth forth 2 Cor. 11. In praising our selves our end must be that our light may be seene not our selves seene Matth. 5.16 Mens praise may be sought modò tibi non quaeras sed Christo saith Aretius so that Christ be thereby set up and served Neither bought we any land As easily we might have done with the surplusage of our revenue especially if we had exacted the utmost of our right But publike spirits mind not their own interests Joshua divided the land to Israel and left none to himself And that portion that was given him and he content withal was but a meane one in the barren mountains as Hierome observeth The late victorious King of Sweden a second Joshua in his reprehensory speech to the German plunderers hath this passage Mr. Clark in his Life I protest before God that I have not by all this warre enriched my self so farre as a paire of bootes cometh to yea I had rather ride without bootes then in the least degree to enrich my self by the damage of poor people Verse 17. Moreover there were at my table c. He did not eate his morsels alone as that Pamphagus Nabal and as many misers now-adayes who like little children though they have their hands full and their mouths full yet will part with none Ecce Deo similis vir dapsilis atque benignus Palingen Besides those that came unto me from among the heathen Either as State-Agents or upon other occasions Nehemiah entertained them that they might not lie upon the publike charge And herein he trode in the foot-steps of hospitable Abraham whom Synesius calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Host The Primitive Christians likewise won much upon the Heathens by their hospitality towards all Epist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Joan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Julian the Apostate confessed all that he could say against them for it was that they did it all in hypocrisie and vain-glory which was an envious and false charge Verse 18. Now that which was prepared for me daily A very great table he kept at his own charge all yet nothing so great as Solomon 1 Kings 4.22 23. or as once Cardinal Wolsey here who besides all strangers that came had four hundred of family whereof one was an Earle nine Barons very many Knights and Esquires But then he had more yearly revenue then all the Bishops and Deanes in the land had take them al together Godw. Catal. And once in ten dayes Then he kept an extraordinary table inviting guesse for whom he had store of the best wines The Turkish Bashawes feast forreigne Embassadours with Rice and mutton and fair water out of the river wine is a forbidden ware with them Mahomet their Prophet having told them that in every grape there dwelt a Devil Yet for all this I required not This he did and this he here recordeth not for a name as Crates the Philosopher did when he cast his goods into the Sea meerly to be talked of and is therefore worthily called by Hierome gloriae animal popularis aurae vile mancipium Epist ad Julian cons a base slave to vain-glory but for better and higher ends see verse 16. Verse 19. Think upon me my God for good i. e. Both of grace and glory saith Lyra a confluence of all comforts and contentments especially spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephes 1.3 He that first called riches goods was surely a better husband then Divine saith one Oftendam tibi omne bonum I will shew thee all good said God to Moses when he gave him a glimpse of himself Nil bonum absque summo Bono saith Austine There is no good without the chief good Say therefore with the Church Hos 14.2 Take away all iniquity and do good and as here Remember me O my God for good According to all that I have done for this people Here is nothing for Merit-mongers It is mercy in God to set his love on them that keep his Commandments Exod. 20.6 to reward every man according to his works Psal 62. ult A poor Gardiner presenting a rape root being the best gift he had at hand to the Duke of Burgundy was by him bountifully rewarded His Steward observing this and hoping for the like recompence presented him with a very fair horse The Duke ut perspicaci erat ingenio saith mine Authour being a witty man perceived the craft and therefore thought good to receive the horse and to give him nothing again Let those that dreame of merit expect the like disappointment and let them learn of Nehemiah chap. 14.22 the best glosse upon this text to urge not their merits with the Pharisee but their miseries with the Publican for obtaining mercy So Psal 25.11 CHAP. VI. Verse 1. Now it came to passe LO here another let to the good work in hand That in the fourth chapter was externall onely that in the fifth internal onely This here is mixt that is partly cast in by the Enemies without those cruel-crafties and partly helped on by the perfidious Prophets and ignoble Nobles within conspiring with the Enemy against the good of their own Countrey Thus Fluctus fluctum trudit And the rest of our Enemies The Churches Enemies are not a few 1 Cor. 16.9 She is like unto a silly poor maid saith Luther sitting in a Wood or Wildernesse compassed about with hungry Wolves Lyons Boares Beares assaulting her every moment and minute The ground of all is that old Enmity Gen. 3.15 That I had builded the Wall This Wall made Nehemiah as Winchester-tower at Windsor made William Wickam Godw. Catal. that is raised and renowned him and in a like sense as God is said to have made Moses and Aaron 1 Sam. 12.6 that is to have advanced them in the hearts of his people And that there was no breach left therein It had been but half-built chap. 4.6 and the breaches but began to be stopt ver 7. yet now all is finished amidst much opposition so shall the work of grace be in our hearts But whilest here a Christian hath his Vlteriùs still which was Charles the fifth his Motto his Superiùs as the guest in the Gospel that was bid to sit higher c. something is yet wanting to his ful and final salvation which he is still to work out Philip. 2. ver 12. like as here the doores were not yet upon their hinges Verse 2. Then Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me As if sollicitous of my safety and careful of the common good He that hateth dissembleth with his lips and layeth up deceit within him When he speaketh fair beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov. 26.24 25. Nehemiah
is your strength Or your fortification Bernard and place of defence against sin and al the ill fruits of it Lati igitur sitis sed non securis gandeatis in Domino sed caveatis a recidivo A merry heart grounded upon a good conscience doth good like a medicine Prov. 17.22 It is as marrow to the bones as oil to the wheels as a bait by the way to a generous horse as a back of steel to a bended bow c. Surely as true gold strengtheneth the heart that Alchymy-gold doth not so doth spiritual joy much more making a man insuperable under sufferings and unsatisfiable in performance of duties It is such a precious commodity as that no good can match it no evil overmatch it It beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things as St. Paul saith of charity 1 Cor. 13. ver 7. And as a man that hath plenty of good blood and fresh spirits in his body being well-lined within as we say can better endure heat and cold c. then another that hath not so in like sort he that hath his heart full of Heaven his conscience full of comfort is in case to do and suffer much for and from God and men The peace of his conscience will appear in his countenance as Stevens did and as the Martyrs in Severus the Emperour his dayes who being released for a time seemed to come è myrotheca non ergastulo out of a perfumed palace Divinum nescis quid in valtibus ipsis praeferentes Euseb lib. 5. cap. 12. and not out of a stinking prison looking more like Angels of Heaven then men on Earth as in Eusebius relateth The crosse to such is anointed as Bernard hath it and by the joy of the Lord that oil of gladness it is made not only light but sweet not onely tolerable but desireable and delectable Verse 11. So the Levites stilled all the people Made them hold their tongues and forbear their groanes and moanes the expressions of their great grief conceived for their sins making a wayling like the Dragons mourning as the owles and saying Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me c. But these holy Levites did comfort them Mic. 18. Isai 22.4 and quiet them Saying Hold your peace Or S'â— Peace and be still For the day is holy And God loves not the bread of mourners for a sacrifice is like as none might come into the Court of Persia in mourning-weeds Esth 4. ver 4. See ver 9. Neither be ye grieved It seems their hearts were even leavened and sowred with sorrow as Davids was Psal 73.21 Verse 12. And all the people went their way to eat To do all that they were directed to do They had been in the Furnace of mortification and now they were willing to be cast into the mould of Gods Word and to be whatsoever the Lord would have them to be They were only his clay and wax a willing people wayting for his Law And to make great mirth i.e. All kind of honest jollity for the better exciting their hearts to true thankfulnesse Because they had understood the words Not the threatnings only to the refractary but the promises also to the penitent and obedient The Levites had taught them doubtlesse as the truth is in Jesus that God therefore threateneth that he may not punish and desireth to be disarmed Amos. 4.12 that he giveth to do what he commandeth to be done that his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him to them that keep his Covenant and that think upon his Commandements to do them qui faciunt praecepta etsi non perficiant that are doing at it though they are farre from perfection Psal 103.18 This was very comfortable this put into them that joy of the Lord which was their strength this more cheared them then all their good chear of their peace-offerings Verse 13. And on the second day The next day after they had heard the Law expounded but were not so well satisfied in some points or cases they follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Divine knowledge is as a great Lady that will not easily be acquainted with us but upon further suit Prov. 2.3 4. Were gathered together the chief of the Fathers c. Aeneas Sylvius was wont to say of knowledge Popular men should esteem it as silver Noblemen as gold Princes prize it as pearles The Priests and Levites These Teachers of others took no scorn to learn of Ezra that perfect Scribe The wisest here know but in part because we prophesie but in part 1 Cor. 13. ver 9. that is we are taught but imperfectly and those that should shew us the way are themselves to seek to teach us to run to Ithiel the Arch-prophet as that great Wiseman did Prov. 30.1 The greatest part of those things which we know is the least part of the things which we know not as that Father saith Vnto Ezra the Scribe Who was well instructed to the Kingdome of God and no lesse ready to throw out of his treasury c. Matth. 13.52 It is said of Tacitus that he knew all that he should know of the affaires of the World and that he was primus in Historia Scalig. and that ex ejus ore nil temerè excidit Think the same of Ezra and much more he was an able Teacher of the ablest Teachers a sacred oracle a living library the argutest and accuratest of men after the Prophets as Austin is said to have been after the Apostles in contemplation and disputation Even to understand the words of the Law Which he had the day before expounded and in some passages whereof they had a desire to be better resolved and satisfied No man can possibly speak al at once or deliver the mind of God so clearly and fully but that there may be place left for Cases and Queries Verse 14. And they found written in the Law And therefore in no wise to be neglected sith there God had written for them great things Hos 8.12 Excellent things Prov. 22.20 marvellous things Psal 119.18 There is a mountain of sense hangeth upon every apex or title of it say the Rabbines who do therefore prescribe to their disciples not to write any Letter of it Schiâ—kard but by a Copy not to read it but in a clean place not to touch it but with the right hand not to carry it about him but next his heart c. That the children of Israel should dwell in Boothes See Ezra 3.4 with the Note For this the Law was clear Lev. 23.34 Deut. 16.13 But this they had not so fully observed sc by dwelling in Boothes till now that they were returned from Babylon where they had been lately and for a long time Strangers This to professe and set forth was the intent of that feast and of this rite of it of dwelling in Boothes or Bowers This is
distance and disproportion Thus Angels As for Saints All thy works praise thee O God saith David that is they give matter and occasion but thy Saints blesse thee Psal 145.10 How they do this see Rev. 5.11 12. Verse 7. Thou art the Lord the God Heb. That Lord with an emphasis with an accent and besides thee there is none other See verse 6. This is proved by his free favours to Israel and patient bearing with their evil manners in the wildernesse there being not any God like unto our God for pardoning of sinne and passing by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Mic. 7.18 And didst chuse Abram God first chose him for his love and then loved him for his choice And broughtst him out of Vr of the Chaldees Pulling him as a brand out of that fire where till then he had lived and might else have died an Idolater Josh 24.2 And gavest him the name of Abraham See the Note on Gen. 17.5 Verse 8. And foundest his heart faithful He must needs finde it so who had made it so Otherwise Abraham as well as any other might well say Bern. Horreo quicquid de meo est ut meus sim The natural heart is deceitful and desperately wicked c. a bundle of sinne folly is bound up c. a treasury of sinne an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart c. a raging Sea of sinne Esay 57.20 a world of wickednesse James 3.6 If any good be in it 't is but as a drop of rose-water in a bowle of poyson where falling it is presently corrupted And madest a Covenant with him To be his God and the God of his seed This was divini mellis alveare the bee-hive of heavenly honey this was more then to be made Monarch of the whole world See Gen. 17.20 21. To give the land of the Canaanites c. Who had filled that good land from one end to the other with their uncleannesses Ezra 9.11 and were therefore worthily rooted out of it So Josephus reporteth that in his time these Jewes were grown so wicked that if the Romanes had not destroy'd them without doubt either the earth would have swallowed them up or fire from heaven have consumed them Bede saith of the ancient Britaines immediately before their destruction by the Saxons that they were come to a very great height of wickednesse so as to shame the counsel of the poore because the Lord was his refuge Psal 14.6 And hast performed thy words Of many promisers it may be said as Tertullian of the Peacock all in changeable colours as oft changed as moved Sertorius paid his promises with fair words Antiochus was sirnamed Doson because he oft said I will give you this or that but never did God is none such For thou art righteous That is faithful for there is a twofold justice of God 1. Of Equity 2. Of Fidelity See 1 John 1.9 Rev. 10.1 Where Christ is said to have a rainbow on his head to shew that he is faithful and constant in his promises Verse 9 And didst see the affliction The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous as well as his eares open to their prayers he knoweth their soul in adversity de remedio prospicit he is solicitous of their safety And heardest their cry by the red sea Though mixed with much murmuring Exod. 14.10 So he heard that pitiful poor prayer of David Psal 31.22 I said in mine haste I am cut off from thine eyes Neverthelesse thou heardst the voice of my supplications when I I cryed unto thee God heareth the young Ravens Psal 147.9 though they have but an hoarse and harsh note make no melody to move pity and cry but by implication onely and not directly unto him Verse 10. And shewedst signes and wonders upon Pharaoh That sturdy Rebel whom neither Ministery nor misery nor miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie This was worse then any or all those ten plagues sent upon him whereof see Exod. 3.19 with the Note For thou knewest that they dealt proudly c. This the just and jealous God could not away with Exod. 18.11 His work in Heaven is said that Heathen to cast downe the lofty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Aesop Chiloni and to lift up the lowly So didst thou get thee a name i. e. A great fame of thy power and justice to the conversion of some as Jethro Exod. 18.1 and conviction of others as Deut. 32.31 Josh 2.10 1 Sam. 4.8 Verse 11. And thou didst divide the Sea before them That which threatened to swallow them preserved them For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Psal 32.6 As a stone into the mighty waters As lead Exod. 15.10 So shall Rome that spiritual Egypt once sinke into the bottome of the Sea as a milstone thrust into it by a mighty Angel with a most impetuous force Rev. 18.21 Verse 12. Moreover thou leddest them by day c. This pillar of a cloud was miraculously moved with such variation as God thought fit for the guiding of their journeyes much better then did or could Vibilia that Heathen-fiction And in the night by a pillar of fire Though they did not usually journey in the night yet sometimes they did and then this pillar of fire was their guide God is with his at all assayes and is all in all unto them Psal 121.4 See Esay 4.5 6. Verse 13. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai A place of many bushes and briers The Law there delivered pricketh and pierceth the consciences of evil-doers Thither God came with ten thousands of his Saints as Moses who climbed up that hill and alone saw it saith Deut. 33.2 And spakest with them from heaven He came down upon Sinai and yet spake from heaven See a like text John 3.13 There he spake also with us Hos 12.4 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh from heaven see that ye shift him not off much lesse turn away from him Heb. 12.25 And gavest them right judgements c. All these high praises are farre below the worth and excellency of Gods holy Lawes They were given in the wildernesse because saith Philo they are to be learnt in a wildernesse seeing there we cannot be hindered by the multitude But this is no way solid as one hath well observed Good Statutes and Commmandments Good they are in respect 1. Of the Author 2. Of the Matter 3. Of the Effect for they make those good that observe them This is true of the Moral Law as for the Judicial it was fitted to the Jewes and best for them but Carolostadius did ill to seek to force it as needful for all Christian Common-wealths Encyclop Solon being asked whether he had given the best Lawes to the Athenians answered the best for them the best that
those hateful Harpyes Verse 13. And I made treasurers Nehemiah left nothing undone that might befit a vigilant and valiant Governour He was omnibus numeris absolutus every way compleat For they were counted faithful A singular praise in persons entrusted 1 Cor. 4.2 See Nehem. 7.2 Num. 12.7 Such men as these are now gone in pilgrimage as one saith and their return is altogether uncertain When one desired to see Alexanders treasures he shewed him not his wealth but his friends Nehemiah might have done the like by these faithful treasures precious pieces surely rare and rich jewels And their office was Heb. It was upon them Duty is a debt which till it be discharged a good heart cannot rest To distribute unto their brethren To a treasure are required 1. A laying in 2. A lying his 3. A drawing out So to a Treasurer that he receive readily keep carefully distribute prudently Verse 14. Remember me O my God See chap. 5.19 And wipe not out my good deeds Forget not my labour of love God requireth us to be his remembrancers who yet needeth it not Heb. 6.10 there is a book of remembrance written before him Mal. 3.16 and good Nehemiah would not be wiped out of that book nor blotted out of the book of life Rev. 3.5 That wretched Monk died blasphemously who said Redde mihi aeternam vitam quam debes Give me heaven which thou owest me That I have done Sure it is saith Austin that we do what good we do but it is God alone who causeth us so to do Say therefore Not unto us Lord not to us but to thy Name be the praise Verse 15. In those dayes saw I in Judah He was centoculus and had his eye in every corner to finde out and redresse abuses wherein he was incessant and indefatigable He chose rather to be counted a busie Justice then a quiet Gentleman Some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath-day These Jewes were not so loose but their posterity at this day are in some respects as much over-strict as is elsewhere noted Dum vitant stulti vitium in contraria currunt And bringing in sheaves As a work of necessity As also wine grapes and figs As a work of mercy So they would plead likely Sinne and shifting came into the world together no evil wants its excuse but the covering is too shot and God will wash off that varnish with rivers of brimstone And all manner of burthens They did not so much as keep Sabbatum Asinorum a rest from servile employments See Jer. 17.21 And I testified against them i. e. I challenged them as impious for so doing and provokers of Gods wrath traytours to the State Verse 18. This should every man do in his place A certain Indian coming by and seeing one of the New-English profaning the Lords day by felling of a tree said to him Thou much mached man that is Thou very wicked man What break you Gods day knowest thou not that this is the Lords-day in Massaqusets that is in one of the English plantations so called New-Eng first fruits In the day wherein they sold victuals A practise too much in use in this Nation till keeping of Markets and Faires on the Christian Sabbath was put down by authority and especially by that late good Act for the sanctification of the Lords-day grossely broken in this kinde under many of the Bishops noses yea made a voyder and dunghill for all refuse businesse Verse 16. There dwelt men of Tyre also Phaenician Merchants had their Factors in Jerusalem And all manner of ware Merchandise for Tyre was a great Mart-town and famous for fishing Ezek. 27. And sold on the Sabbath Which they ought not to have done for that was Gods market-day and not mars Vnto the children of Judah Who were therefore worse then the Tyrians because they ought to have been better therefore wrath shall be upon the Jew first and then upon the Gentile Rom. 2. And in Jerusalem This holy City was become an harlot Filthinesse in a Stewes is nothing so odious as in a Virgin a nettle in a Wildernesse is not so unsightly as in a Garden In a land of uprightnesse to do wickedly is an aggravating circumstance Isa 26.10 Verse 17. Then contended I with the Nobles Heb. With the white ones that had white-clothes but black souls The snow-drift covers many a muck-hill See ver 11. What evil thing is this that ye do Or suffer others to do at least and are therefore worthily shent as Moses also was for like cause Exod. 16.28 And profane the Sabbath day As if it were a common day and not Gods enclosure holy and honourable Should men thus rob God of his right unmound his Several make false entry upon his free-hold Hath He not singled out this day for his own as He did Israel out of all Nations the tree of knowledge out of all the trees of the garden and out of all the world which is his the tenth This is the day which the Lord hath made c. 't is a day like that night Exod. 12.42 to be kept holy unto the Lord that day of the Lord which all his people must keep throughout their generations To profane it or wound it is here called an evil thing with an accent a wickednesse with a witnesse Verse 18. Did not your fathers thus And will ye abet and adde to their wicked practises Will ye needs espouse their sinnes as a seed of Serpents And did not our God bring all this evil upon us And that justly because Belshazzar-like though we knew all this yet we lifted up our selves against the Lord of heaven as the horse that casteth his rider Dan. 5.22 23. lob 9.4 and riseth up against him Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered Was not he that but gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day paid home with stones Was there not for this very sinne a fire kindled in the gates of Jerusalem that devoured the Palaces thereof Jer. 17.27 Justly is he made an example that will not take example by others and it is a sure both presage and desert of ruine not to be warned Yet ye bring more wrath As if ye had a minde to wrestle a fall with the Almighty and to try for mastery But do ye provoke the Lord to anger are ye stronger then he Verse 19. When the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark As they did betimes because the mountains were round about Jerusalem Psal 125.2 Leo Modena Before the Sabbath That there might be a due preparation without interruption At this day in many Cities where the Jewes reside there is one goes about and proclaimes the approaching of the Sabbath about half an hour before Sun-set the day before that they may set all aside to sanctifie it I commanded that the gates should be shut And thereby all such occasions of profaning shut out And charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath So King
he well be to his parents then Epamiuondas was to his and of him it might be sung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer The sonne of Shimei the sonne of Kish a Benjamite He descended then either from some other sonne of Kish the father of Saul or esse from Jonathan Sauls sonne for he only of all the sonnes of Saul left issue behind him But the Kish here mentioned though of his line lived many years after Sauls father Verse 6. Who had been carried away from Jerusalem Kish â—ad not Mordecaâ— unlesse it were in the loines of his great grandfather Kish and his posterity were of those goods figs mentioned in Jeremy but goodnesse is no target against affliction nec te tua plurima Penthen Labentem texit pietas Virg. With the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah The good figs were carried away at the same time with the bad but in several baskets Jer. 34.1 Kish and others like him as Daniel Ezekiel Shadrach Meshack and Abednego c. were not only good men but very good like the figs that are first ripe Jer. 24.2 such as Gods soul desireth Mic. 7.1 and yet they were carried away with Jeconiah and the rest that were naught stark naught Jer. 24.2 The best may have their share in a common calamity but God will not faile even then to set his eyes upon them for good Jer. 24.6 The husbandman cutteth down his corne and weeds together but for different purpose Excellently Austin Vna eademque vis irruens bonos probat purificat eliquat malos damnat vastat exterminat One and the same common calamity proveth De Civit. Dei lib 1. cap. 8. melteth purifieth the good damneth wasteth destroyeth the evil these have an evil an onely evil Ezek. 7.5 without mixture of mercy and that because they are naught very naught figs that cannot be eaten they are so naught Jer. 24.2 Whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon had carried away Loe here the rod in Gods hand for the chastisement of his children that being chastened of the Lord they may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 This rod when he had worne to the stumps he cast into the fire Verse 7. And he brought up He both nourished and nurtured her in the true Religion and admonition of the Lord Ephes 6.4 he was her foster-father and her Instructor Hadassah Not the same with Atossa as Tremellius would have it Hadassah was the name given her by her parents and it signifieth a Myrtle-tree which loveth to grow in a bottome whence the Church is compared to it for her lowly-mindednesse Zech. 1.8 Herod lib. 7 Scalig. See the Note there That is Esther This was her Persian name say some In Heathen histories she is called Amestris His uncles daughter Not his brothers daughter as the Vulgar rendereth it after Josephus and Aben-Ezra She was his cousin-german and this was one reason that moved him to adopt her viz. the bond of nature For she had neither father nor mother A poor Orphan she was but Christ left her not comfortlesse John 14.18 He had provided and inabled Mordecai to feed her and breed her to traine her up in the fear of God and to defend her chastity from the rage of lust besides that her head was by him destined to a Diadem Esther the captive shall be Esther the Queen Esther the fatherlesse and motherlesse shall be a nursing mother to the Church and meane while meet with a merciful Guardian Mordecai Why then should we not trust God with our selves and our children And the maid was faire and beautiful See the Note on verse 3. Gratior est pulchro c. For her beauty she was brought to the King and not without some respect to this it was that she was bred up by Mordecai This beauty was a priviledge of nature and because of the forcible battery that would be laid to it God gives her a Guardian Esther was now in the flower of her age and her beauty was the flower of her vertue as Chrysippus called it Whom Mordecai when her father and mother were dead And so the might have been put to seek her bread in desolate places being left to the wide world as they say but the Lord was her rereward Esay 58.8 he took her up Psal 27.10 as the gathering army or rear-guard did the lame feeble and sick Israelites Josh 6.9 In the Civil Law provision is made for Orphans and such as were cast out some Hospitals to entertaine them some liberties to comfort and compensate their troubles Amongst us also besides harbours and Hospitals for such to the great commendation of the Founders very good provision is made by the Lawes and many lives thereby preserved God oft professeth himself the pupill's Patron gives great charge to all not to hurt them and menaceth the Jewes for their hardheartednesse toward them Let therefore the dying parents of such though they have as little to leave them as Esthers had cast them by faith into Gods everlasting armes who hath charged his Angels with them and hath promised heaven to them commanding his best creatures to cater for them Hos 2.21 22. Took for his own daughter He hid not his eyes from his own flesh Esâ—y 58. as some unnatural Ostrich or Sea-monster he made not as many do tuition a broker for private gaine he made not instead of a daughter a slave or spunge of his pupil he devoured her not under pretence of devotion but freely took her for his child and bred her in the best manner Now the Jews at this very day account a childs Tutour or Monitour worthy of more respect then his father for he say they hath given him only his being Leo. Mod. but the other his well-being Verse 8. When the Kings commandment and decree was heard Percrebuisset his officers herein over-officious had soone set it abroad and put it in execution the Persians also homines ad servitut ens paxati as Tiberius said of the Romanes those servile souls deny not to prostitute their daughters but proffer them rather and hold them happy if they may be admitted Not so Mordecai and his Esther Vis major eam abstulit She was carried away by force 't is like or if otherwise it might be a fault in her and her Guardian unlesse we shall say they did it by an extraordinary instinct Probably there was a sad parting and many prayers put up by them both for divine direction and protection and they were heard accordingly And when many maidens were gathered together Four hundred Lib. 11. cap. 6. saith Josephus Sed quid attinebat tot puellas huic cani constuprandas offerre saith Feuardentius Plin. lib. why should this dog deflour so many maidens Proculus Caesar boasted that in fifteene dayes space he got with child twenty Virgins a fair commendation Vnto Shushan the palace Answerable to the Seraglio where those that are kept up for their beauties
their lives Not one whereof was lost in this hot encounter in this sharp revenge they took off their avowed enemies This was even a miracle of Gods mercy Who would not feare thee O King of Nations c. And had rest from their enemies Or That they might have rest from their enemies who would not otherwise be quieted but by the letting out of their life-blood but would make an assault upon the harmelsse Jewes though it were to die for it so that upon the matter they were their own deathsmen besides the wilful losse of their immortal soules which our Saviour sheweth Mat 16.26 to be a losse 1. Incomparable 2. Irreparable And slew of their foes seventy and five thousand Neither was it any dishonour to them to be God Almighties slaughtermen Even the good Angels are Executioners of Gods righteous judgements as they were at Sodom in Sennacheribs army and oft in the Revelation There cannot be a better or more noble act then to do justice upon obstinate Malefactours But they laid not their hands on the prey They would not once foule their fingers therewith No godly man in Scripture is taxed for covetousnesse that sordid sin See the Note on verse 10. Verse 17. On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar On this day they stood for their lives that they might rest from their enemies And accordingly On the fourteenth day of the same rested they i. e. the very next day after their deliverance they would not defer it a day longer but kept an holy rest with Psalmes and sacrifices of praise those calves of their lips the very next day whiles the deliverance was yet fresh and of recent remembrance This they knew well that God expected Deut. 23.21 and that he construeth delayes for denials Hag. 1.2 4. he gave order that no part of the thank-offering should be kept unspent till the third day to teach us to present our praises when benefits are newly received which else would soon wax stale and putrifie as fish I will pay my vowes now now saith David Psal 116.18 Hezekiah wrote his Song the third day after his recovery Queen Elizabeth when exalted from a prisoner to a Princesse and from misery to Majesty before she would suffer her self to be mounted in her charet to passe from the Tower to Westminster Englands Eliz. she very devoutly lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven and gave God humble thanks for that remarkable change and turn of things And made it a day of feasting and gladnesse Exhilarating and chearing up their good hearts that had long layen low with a more liberal use of the creatures that they might the better preach his praises and speak good of his name and that sith they could not offer up unto him other sacrifices prescribed in the Law because they were far from the Temple they might not be wanting with their sacrifice of thanksgiving which God preferreth before an oxe that hath hornes and hoofs saith the Psalmist Words may seem to be but a poor and slight recompence but Christ saith Nazianzen calleth himself the Word and this was all the fee that he looks for for his cures Go and tell what God hath done for thee With these calves of our lips let us cover Gods Altar and we shall finde that although he will neither eat the flesh of bulls nor drink the blood of goats yet if we offer unto God thanksgiving and pay our vowes unto the most High Psal 50.13 14. it will be look't upon as our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 Verse 18. On the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth What they could not do on one day they did it on another Men must be sedulous and strenuous in Gods work doing it with all their might and redeeming time for that purpose Eccl. 9.10 On both these dayes they destroyed their enemies They did their work thoroughly Let us do so in slaying our spiritual enemies not sparing any Agag not reserving this Zoar or that Rimmon but dealing by the whole body of sinne as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Amos 2.1 burn the bones of it to lime destroy it not to the halves as Saul but hew it in pieces before the Lord as Samuel As Joshua destroyed all the Canaanites he could lay hold on As Asa spared not his own mother as Solomon drew Joab from the Altar to the slaughter and put to death Adoniah the darling so must we deale by our corruptions ferretting and fetching them out of their lurking holes as these Jewes did their enemies on the fourteenth day that had escaped the day before Sith we must either kill them up all or be killed by them for as that one bastard Abimelech slew all Gideons sonnes upon one stone so one lust left unmortified will undo the soul And as one sinner so one sin may destroy much good Eccl. 9.18 And on the fifteenth day of the moneth they rested So shall the Saints do after death which will be the accomplishment of mortification for he that is dead is freed from sin Rom. 6.7 and filled with joy Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall then return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Verse 19. Therefore the Jewes of the villages c. Pagani This is expounded in the next words that dwelt in the unwalled townes Such as is the Hague in Holland that hath two thousand housholds in it and chuseth rather to be counted the principal village of Europe then a lesser City Made the fourteenth day c. See verse 17. while the Jewes in Shushan were destroying the remainder of their enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Mac. 15.36 This day was afterwards called Mordecai's Holiday And of sending portions one to another See Nehem. 8.10 To the rich they sent in courtesie to the poor in charity and both these to testifie their thankfulnesse to God for their lives liberties and estates so lately and graciously restored unto them Verse 20. And Mordecai wrote these things He wrote with authority as a Magistrate say some that the Jewes should keep these dayes with greatest solemnitie He wrote the relation of these things before-mentioned say others as the ground of this annual festivitie Or else it may be meant more generally that Mordecai was the Pen-man of the Holy Ghost in writing this whole book of Esther as was before hinted And sent letters unto all the Jewes both night and farre Propinquis longinquis that they might all agree together about the time and manner of praising God and so sing the great Hallelujah See 2 Cor. 1.11 2 Chron. 20.26 27 28. Psal 124.1 2. and 126.1 Psal 136. penned for a recorded publike forme to praise God among the multitude Psal 109.20 and in the great Congregation Psal 22.22 25. David would go into the presses of people and there praise the Lord Psal 116.18
in him to suspect 〈…〉 whilest he intended their good and turned his 〈…〉 That his children were godly is put 〈…〉 whether they had sinned But how then doth it follow And cursed God in their hearts And not blessed God so Calvin rendreth it not done him right So Sanctim and therefore wrong they have not high and honourable conceptions of him answerable to his excellent greatnesse but by base and bald thoughts cast him as it were into a dishonourable mould and not given him the glory due to his Name that holy and reverend Name Psal 111.9 Great and dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1.14 In the Hebrew it is And blessed God for cursed by an Euphemismus or Antiphrasis as when an harlot is called Kedesha a holy woman by contraries So aurisacra i. e. execranda fames The Hebrews so abhorred blasphemy against God as they would not have the sound of it to be joyned to the Name of God whom they commonly call Baruc-hu the blessed One. So they would not take the name of Leven that prohibited ware into their mouths all the time of the feast of the Passeover Elias Thisâ— So in their common talk they call a Sow dabhar achar an other thing because they were forbidden to eat swines flesh Thus did Job continually Heb. all the dayes that is in the renewed seasons he was not weary of well-doing but stedfast and unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord alwaies renewing his repentance and faith in Christ figured by those sacrifices for the Ceremonial Law was their Gospel Verse 6. Now there was a day Haply that day wherein Jobs children were feasting their last The Rabbines say the first day of the year and some say the sabbath day But who told them so this is to intrude into things which they have not seen Col. 2.18 and where of there is neither proof nor profit Certain it is that as God hath before all beginnings decreed all things so he hath set and assigned the times or seasons which he hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 when every thing shall come to passe as himself hath appointed Now then saith Beza the time being come which he prefixed for the actual accomplishing of that he had decreed concerning Job he revealed the same to Satan being before altogether ignorant thereof as whom he had appointed to be the chief instrument in executing this his will and purpose The children of God i.e. the Elect Angels called Sons of God here and elsewhere not because they are so by eternal generation as Christ alone nor by adoption and regeneration as the Saints John 1.12 but by Creation as Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3. ult and Resemblance for they are made in Gods image and are like him as his children both in their substance which is incorporeal and in their excellent properties which are Life and Immortality Blessednesse and Glory wherein we shall one day be their comperes Luke 20.36 Came to present themselves This is spoken in a low language for our better apprehension by allusion to the custome of earthly Princes and their attendants and officers coming to give an account or receive directions The Angels are never absent from God Luke 1.19 but yet employed by him in governing the world Ezek 1. and guarding the Saints Heb. 1.14 This the heathens hammered at for both Plutarch and Proculus the Platonist say that the Angels doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 travel betwixt heaven and earth carrying the commands of God to men and the desires of men to God Jussa divina ferentes ad homines hominem voâ—â— ad deos And Satan came also among them That old man-slayer envying Jobs holinesse and happinesse as much as the good Angels rejoyced in it and promoted it for he was seen of Angels of both sorts would needs make one among those Sons of God not without Gods over ruling power although he regarded not so much Gods authority as wanted an opportunity and license to do mischief In reference to this history George Marsh Martyr in a certain letter of his writeth thus to his friend the servants of God cannot at any time come and stand before God that is lead a godly life and walk innocently but Satan comes also among them that is the daily accuseth findeth fault 〈◊〉 persecuteth and troubleth the godly c. Yet unlesse God do permit him he can do nothing at all not so much as enter into a filthy hog But we are more of price then many hogs before God Acts and Mon. fol. 14 23. Before the Lord Or By or Near the Lord. But can Satan come into the presence of God Mr. Caryl Surely no otherwise saith a grave Divine then a blind man can come into the Sun he cometh into the Sun and the Sun shineth upon him but he sees not the Sun Satan comes so into the presence of God that 〈…〉 of God he is never so in the presence of God as to see God Verse 7. And the Lord said unto Satan either by forming and creating a voice in the air as Matth. 3.17 Job 12.28 or by an inward word after an unspeakable manner manifesting his wil as he willed to Satan The School men have great disputes about the speech of spirits but this they agree in that the intention of one spirit is as plain an expression of his mind by another spirit when he hath a will that the other should understand it as the voice of one man is to another Whence comest thou This the Lord asketh not as if he were ignorant for he knows all things and that from eternity neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open before his eyes Heb. 4.13 yea in him all things subsist Colâ—â— 1.17 So that there can be no motion of the creature without his privity God therefore thus interrogateth Satan that he might shew himself to be his Judg and that he might exact a confession out of his own mouth Then Satan answered the Lord the word signifieth to speak in witnesse-bearing Exod. 20 16 From going to and fro in the earth He saith not from instigating men to all manner of wickednesse from ranging up and down as a roaring Lion to devour soules from sinning that sin against the Holy Ghost every moment c. All this he cunningly dissembleth and saith in effect as once Gehezi did Thy servant was no where or for no hurt to any when as he is never but doing mischief as Pliny saith of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting Is not the hand of Joab in this businesse So is not Satan in all the sins of the wicked and in most of the troubles of the godly Heâ— quà m furit Satan impellis secures homines ad horrenda flagitia c. saith Luther O how doth Satan range and rage that he may glut himself
the word properly signifieth branches or bought of trees which are many thick intertwined and crossing one another In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me saith David thy comforts have refreshed my soule Psalm 94.19 The same word is rendred vain thoughts or wavering cogitations Psal 119.113 Such as Davids soule hated Carnall hearts are exchanges and shops of vaine thoughts stewes of uncleane thoughts slaughter-houses of cruell and bloudy thoughts a very forge and mint of false politick undermining thoughts but Eliphaz his thoughts were better busied his top-thoughts those uppermost branches of his soul were concerning God and the things of his kingdome when other men became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned he had visions of God In the night-season when dead sleep fell upon others he slept but his heart waked and was free to receive revelations and to contemplate of them or perhaps he was broad awake at that time of night that he might the better converse with God and his own soule Abraham had many such sweet visions Isaac walked out into the fields for the purpose Jacob met with God in this manner both at Bethel and at Penuel Daniel had visions both of the day and of the night so had Paul and other Apostles The Monkes make long relations of revelations and apparitions that they have had So do the Enthusiasts and high-attainers but we are not bound to believe them Matthew Paris reporteth of Gilbert Foliot Bishop of London Anno Dom. 1161. that one night musing of the difference betwixt the King and Becket Arch-bishop of Canterbury he heard a terrible voice saying O Gilberte Foliot dum revolvis tot tot Deus tuus est Ascarot he taking it to be the divel answered boldly Mentiris daemon Deus meus est Deus Sabbaoth Aeneas in Virgil is said to have his visions and conferences with his deceased friends Satan loves to imitate God in what he can that he may deceive with better successe but we have a most sure word of prophesie and yet a more glorious light of the Gospel Heb. 1.2 The promised day-star being risen in our hearts 1 Pet. 1.19 Verse 14. Fear came on me and trembling Feare in the inward man and trembling in the outward And this is Gods method still the more he draweth nigh to any man the more doth rottennesse enter into his bones and he is horribly afraid of Gods judgments with David he trembleth at his word with Josiah that it may be the more efficacious in his soul Let us have grace saith the Apostle whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For even our God also and not the God of the Jewes only is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil Our King will be served like himself served in state and although he alloweth us an humble familiarity yet he expecteth our reverentiall fear acquainted he will be with us in our walks of obedience but yet he takes state upon him in his ordinances and will be trembled at in the addresses we make unto his Majesty he looks we should bring with us a legall faith and a legall repentance as well as an Evangelicall and that wee should work out our salvation with feare and trembling Philip. 2.12 Terrours and humiliations prepare and posture the heart for revelations never is it right till a man lie low at Gods feet putting his mouth in the dust and crying out Isa 28. Speak Lord for thy servant heareth there shall be only fear to make them understand the hearing fear met Eliphaz and made way for the heavenly vision Which made all my bones to shake Heb. the multitude of my bones or the number of my bones how many soever they be and they are as many say the Hebrewes as there are affirmative precepts in the Law These pillars of my body shook sore and threatned a downfall Gelidusque per ima cucurrit Ossa tremor Aeneid 2 Verse 15. Then a spirit passed before my face Some render it a wind as a messenger or fore-runner of God near at hand as 1 Kings 19.11 But better a good Angel in some bodily shape Psal 104.4 Luke 24.37 for else how could he be seen of Eliphaz gliding rather then going as a ship upon the face of the waters The hair of my flesh stood up Horripilatus sum In a fright the heart falleth down the haire standeth up the blood hastening to the heart to relieve it as soldiers do to the castle when all is likely to be lost Dirigui steteruntque comae Verse 16. It stood still As now ready to speak an ambulatory voice is hardly heard The Heavens indeed are walking preachers but then they utter but these three words Lib. 2. de Arca cap. 3. saith Hugo in all Languages Accipe Redde Fuge that is Receive mercies Return duties Fly offences and their just punishments But I could not discern the form thereof Heb. The aspect or countenance Hee was so frighted that his eye could not do its office distinctly to discern the thing that was just before it It is naturall to a man to fear at the sight of an Angel what then will wicked men do at the last day when the Son of man shall bring all his Angels not leaving one behind him in heaven Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men and oh that we could perswade them An image was before mine eyes But I could not tell what to make of it It is not the will of God that man should represent him by an image The Jewes after the captivity Deut. 4.15 16 were so farre from idolatry that they would not admit a Carver or Painter into their City The Turks will not endure any image no not upon their coines because of the second Commandment Varro saith he that first brought in Imagery and that is thought to be Ninus King of Babylon superstitionem auxit metum dempsit increased superstition and tooke away feare The wiser heathers held that God was too subtle for sinew or fight to seize upon and the Greeke Painters when they would draw the image of their Jupiter in a Table they were still mending it but never ending it saying that herein they shewed him to be a god for that they might begin to paint but could not perfect him There was silence and I heard a voice It was fit there should be silence and sedatenesse of spirit when a divine voice was to be heard Let all the earth keepe silence before God Hab. 2.20 When the seventh seale was opened there was half an houres silence in heaven Rev. 8.1 What a noise is there in many mens hearts even whiles they are hearing what the Lord God speaketh unto them what bargaining lawing projecting running into another world as men in dreams do so that they can tell no more what the preacher said then the man in the moon can Silence is a good preparative
to audience speak Lord for thy servant heareth Let the woman and so the man too learn in silence Let by-thoughts swarming and humming in our hearts like the flies of Aegypt be barred out let the divel interrupting us with his suggestions as the Pythonisse did Paul and his companions be haltred up Let even good thoughts if unseasonable and heterogeneall to the work in hand be turned out of doores let us say to them as Hushai did to Achitophel thy counsel is good but not now how shall we else hear with attention and affection how shall we listen as for life and hearken diligently with much heed Isa 21.7 Verse 17. Miser aerumnis et peccatis obnoxius Shall mortall man Sorry sinfull man a very mixture and hodg-podg of dirt and sin Be more just then God Or be just rather then God as Luke 18.14 This is the matter of the vision and it is saith Diodate a revelation of the doctrine of the free remission of sins and of the sinners justification by grace through his faith in the promised Mediator But Eliphaz turns it another way and mis-applying it to Job would there-hence evince that all his present sufferings were the proceeds of his owne sin and so from the processe of Gods justice The truth is Job had blurted out some words in the former chapter that reflected somewhat upon God he had also bitterly cursed the day and services of his birth this latter if Eliphaz had sharply reproved Job for hee had done him a friendly good office But he waves that part quae desperat renitescere posse relinquit the other of clearing Gods justice he takes up and presseth it too farre to prove this unsound position That whosoever is greatly afflicted by God and for a long time together that man is to be numbred with the wicked though no other evidence or witnesse appear or speak a word against him for if he be innocent how shall God be just that punisheth him But Eliphaz should have known that afflictions are of two sorts Penal and probationall these later are not simply for punishment of mens sins but for triall and exercise of their graces to humble them to prove them and to do them good at their latter end Deut. 8.16 Wait but till God have made an end of his work and we must not judge of Gods works saith Peter Martyr ante quintum Actum before the fifth Act and we shall see the effect both just and good This Job had scarce patience to doe as appeareth by sundry passages of his howbeit he ever preserved high and holy thoughts of God neither at any time questioned his justice and purity or complained of his dealings with him and dispensations toward him as unrighteous though now and then through the extremity of his pain the anguish of his spirit and the provocation of his friends some unwary speeches slipt from him Shall man be more pure then his maker Take man in his prime and pride in his best estate and utmost strength when and wherein he is most a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir à viribus a man of the first magnitude of the highest elevation as one fitly phraseth it both in parts gifts and graces shall he be more pure then his Maker never think it Man compared with his Maker hath no purity or righteousnesse at all no not so much as a shew or shadow of it just he may be or pure by participation from God saith Austin but neither just nor pure in comparison of God he surpasseth all notion and surmounteth all creatures he hath no parallel so true he is that all men are liars so pure that all men are filthy so just that all men are wicked so incomparably great and glorious that the Angels make their addresses to him with greatest self-abasement For why Verse 18. Lo he put no trust in his servants c. those meniall domestick servants of his the holy Angels that wait upon him and are at his hand to doe his will Servant is a name of office and they delight rather to be called Angels that is Messengers and ministring spirits then Principalities Thrones Dominions c. Now in these God put no trust he found no such cause to confide in them because not perfectly sure and loyall to him further then upheld and assisted by himselfe the vulgar Latine hath it thus They that serve him are not stable that is the good Angels are not stable by their own strength but by Gods stablishing of them to stand when others fell Hence Psal 68.17 the Angels are called Shinan as Gods seconds say some the Nobles of that Court the very next unto him but others say they are so called from their changeable state now taken away by Christ under whom they are as an head of government of influence of confirmation but not of Redemption as we Christ as God giveth them their being and all their excellencies As Mediator also he maketh use of their Ministery for the safe-guard and comfort of his people And his Angels he charged with folly That is he spared not the angels that sinned as St. Peter expounds it 2 Pet. 2.4 Their sinne is said to be folly that is pride and self-confidence How this folly and madnesse of theirs pravity the vulgar rendreth it shewes it self whither in affecting a divinity or in envy stirred up by the Decree of exalting mans nature above Angels in and by Christ and appointing them to be good mens guardians which office they scorned or whether their pride appeared by transgressing some commandments in particular not expressed as Adams was it is hard to say Sure it is that they abode not in the truth that they kept not their station c. and that the good Angels stand and are out of danger of ever falling it is of divine grace Hence Exod. 25.19 the Cherubims stand upon the Mercy-seat and are made of the matter thereof Verse 19. How much lesse in them that dwell in houses of clay Or how much more in reference to the latter part of the preceding verse may God charge men with folly and pravity And how much more ought he to acknowledge that hee cannot subsist nor stand before Gods judgment as verse 17 but only by his gracious pardon and absolution That dwell in houses of clay Periphrasis est hominum saith Mercer this is a description of men as opposed to Angels those inhabitants of heaven called therefore the Angels of Heaven Matth. 24.36 Gal. 1.8 the courtiers of that heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12.22 in and with which it may seem they were created as Christs soule was in and with his body in the virgins womb the same moment Hence they are also said to be in heaven when as men and other things here below are said to bee on earth Matth. 6.10 on the surface only as ready to bee shaken off and as having here no continuing City Heb. 13.14 no mansions till they come to heaven
and many fell to their prayers for pardon of their sins as thinking verily that the day of judgment was come St. Paul in the tempest at sea saw neither Sun nor stars for many dayes Acts 27.20 And I have read of a forraigner who having been in these parts in the deep of winter and returning home again desired one that was then bound for England to commend him to the Sun when he next saw him for I have not seen him there said he of a whole fortnight together Ezek. 32.7 I will cover the Sun with a cloud and in that sense speak to it that it rise not And sealeth up the stars Heb. Sets a seal upon the stars making them hide their heads and with-draw their influences for stars are Gods store-houses Deut. 28.12 which he openeth or shutteth at his pleasure Every star is like a purse of gold out of which God can when he will throw down riches and plenty into the earth but many of them never appear to us though visible to the Antipodes Job 37.7 Verse 8. Which alone spreadeth out the heavens Without the help or counsel of any other As God was alone and by himself in making the world Isa 44.24 so lie is in ordering it Job 37.18 Psalm 104.1 2. The Hebrews as they held with Pythagoras in the point of transanimation so with Plato in that false opinion of his that the Angels were the movers of the heavens and the governours of the whole world whence grew that Angel-worship amongst them Col. 2.18 As God made the heavens alone even that whole Expanse or Firmament Gen. 1.6 the whole region of the Ayre so he still spreadeth it out as a curtaine which he draweth before the Sun and starres masking and muffling them up with clouds whensoever he pleaseth And treadeth upon the waves of the sea Or spurneth exercising a regiment over the raging surges of the seas though they seem to swell against him Thus Job fetcheth evidences of Gods power from all places See Psalm 89.9 Verse 9. Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiades Those glorious constellations which do after a sort govern the four seasons of the year but are governed by God from whose power all their influence and vertue is borrowed even that which they exercise upon the raging seas The Learned interpreters have not unfitly translated Has Acturus Chesil Orion Chimah Pleiades or the seven stars and the Climates of the South Beza the Summer signes altogether neglecting the toyes of the unlearned Rabbines which stars or signs are answerable to Autumn and Winter the Spring time and Summer But I had rather saith Reverend Mr. Beza retain still the Hebrew words then use the other which have been so much abused with glosure and impure tales and devices of the wicked and profane Poets See the Note on Job 38.31 And the Chambers of the South Interiora Austri the most remote hidden and secret parts of the South so called because the stars which are under the Southern pole are hidden from us and are enclosed and lodged as in a chamber Those stars and so all the rest God maketh Mr. Carâ—l Psalm 147.4 that is he maketh them to appear and do their office for the use and good of man It is He alone that telleth the number of the stars he calleth them by their names neither can they do any thing but as they receive order and commission from him Aug de civ Dei lib. 16. That was an idle brag of Aratus the Astrologer that he had found out and set down the whole number of the stars and that is a strange arrogancy of the Kings of Mexico who when they are consecrated are reported to take this oath Lopez de Gomara I swear that the Sun during my life shall hold on his course and that the clouds shall send down rain the rivers shall run and the earth bring forth all manner of fruit c. Verse 10 Which doth great things c. See the Note on chap. 5.9 whence this verse is taken verbatim If Eliphaz say the truth of Gods wisedome and power Job will soon seal to it he can find in his heart to speak all good of a wounding God of a killing God and not wish as Spira did O that I were above God and could over-power him Camd. Eliz. fol. 403. Or as Hacket here did Anno 1591. threaten God to fire the heaven about him to pluck him out of his throne c. Verse 11. Lo he goeth by me and I see him not As he is powerful in his deeds so he is secret in his desingns passing and not repassing daily but yet unseen he is every where present and not so farre from any one of us as the bark is from the tree for in him we live move and have our being and therefore we had need take heed what we say or think of him in any extremity or misery for he over-heareth us yea he knoweth our thoughts long before Psalm 139.2 As a circumspect judg that goeth obscured under some disguise to hear and see what is said and done by those that are to be judged by him Or as the Great Turk standing behind the Arras at the dangerous door to hear all the debates and decrees of his Senate and to call them to a strict account of all afterwards God as he is invisible too subtile for sinew or sight to seize upon so he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-eye to survey and look round about us yea to see through us The Lord is in his holy-Temple the Lords throne is in heaven Howbeit he is not so confined or shut up there as the Epicures dreamt but that his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psalm 11.4 The one points out his knowledge the other his judgment or his critical descant he prieth into the very entrals of the soul the heart of the heart the reins those seats of lust and most abstruse parts of the body No man needs a window in his brest as the Heathen Momus wisht for God to look in at every man before God is all window and he like the Optike vertue in the eye seeth all and is seen of none Look to it therefore and walk exactly Cave spectat Cato Take heed Cato seeth you was an ancient watchword among the Romans and a great retentive from vice how much more should this amongst all men Take heed the Lord looks on What though he be invisible and we see him not he passeth on also and we perceive him not shall we like the foolish Bustard thrust our heads in an hole and then think that because we see none we are therefore seen of none The whole world is to God as a sea of glasse clear and transparent Rev. 4.6 and his eyes are as a flaming fire Rev. 1.14 that need no outward light but can see by sending out a ray God that fills and sees all saith Nazianzen though he lighten the mind
forth that he will not once offer to contend with God he here humbly begs of God no further to contend with him but to grant a truce at least-wise during the treaty and either to take away or howsoever to mitigate his sorrows and sores See the like chap. 15.20 21. And let not his fear terrifie me i. e. His formidablenesse see chap. 7.14 let it not scare me or put me as it were beside my wits Psalm 88.15 Ne me transversum agaâ— Sept. Verse 35. Then would I speak and not fear him I would come boldly to the throne of grace and freely pour out my soul into his bosome If he meant that he would maintain his own cause against Gods proceedings as some understand it grounding upon chap. 33.6 7. he was questionless in a very great error and the flesh had got the hill of the Spirit But it is not so with me So how so as you imagine Vatab. Non sum talis qualem me esse putatis I am no such one as you take me for viz. an hypocrite I am not so self-guilty say the Septuagint or thus It is not so with me that is I do not find God answering my suit for I am still scourged and frighted so that I scarce know what I say CHAP. X. Verse 1. My soul is weary of my life BEcause it is a lifelesse life Mortis habet vires a death more like Life is sweet and every creature maketh much of it from the highest Angel in heaven to the lowest worm on earth The Scripture setteth it forth as a sweet mercy Gen. 45.28 Lam. 3.39 Esth. 7.3 Jer. 39.18 and 45.5 But God can so imbitter it with outward and inward troubles that it shall become a burthen I am weary of my life saith good Rebecca Gen. 27.46 and what good shall my life do me David forced to be in bad company cryes Oh that I had the wings of a dove c. Wo is me that I sojourn in Meshech c. Elias fleeing from Jezabel requested for himself that he might dye saying It is enough Lord take away my life for I am not better then my fathers 1 Kings 19.4 No Heb. 1â— but God had provided some better thing for him as the Apostle speaketh in another case for he was shortly after translated and taken out of the reach both of Jezabel whom he feared and of death which he desired Sed multi magni viri sub Eliae junipero sedent saith one Many good men sit under Eliâ—s his juniper wishing to be out of the world if God were so pleased that they might rest from their labours and be rid of their many burdens and bondages as in the mean while they rather endure life then desire it as holding it little better then hell were it not for the hopes they have of heaven hereafter I will leave my complaint upon my self Liberty I will take to complain whatever come of it I will lay the reins in the neck and let my passions have their full swinge at my peril See the like chap. 13.3 Verùm Job hac in re nimius saith Mercer but Job was too blame in doing and saying thus and it is to be attributed to the infirmity of his flesh wherewith although the spirit do notably combat yet the flesh seemeth sometimes and in some sort to get the better Nimis augusta res est â—â—spaim errare saith one Barclai Euphorm Triste mortalitatis privilegium est licere aliquando peccare saith another The snow-like swan hath black legs and in many things we offend all Gold is not to be refused because it wanteth some grains and hath a crack c. I will speak in the bitternesse of my soul And so seek to ease my grief by giving a vent unto it But it is evident that such out-bursts and overflowings of the gall and spleen come from a fulnesse of bad humours Verse 2. I will say unto God Do not condemn me You may say so as an humble suppliant but not as holding your self innocent and therefore harshly dealt with The Hebrew is Do not make me wicked rather do good ô Lord to those that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts but lead me not forthwith the workers of iniquity as a melefactor is led forth to execution Psal 125.5 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me i. e. Quare sic me affligas saith Vatablus why thou thus afflictest me whether for sin or for triall and this Job desired to know not to satisfie his curiosity but his conscience as one well observeth and that the world might be satisfied the rash judgment of his friends confuted and answered by a determination from heaven Verse 3. 〈◊〉 it good unto thee that thou shouldst oppresse It is the guise of wicked judges to take this counsel to follow this course whom thou being a most just and righteous judge Beza canst not confirm or encourage by thine own example as it were by a light shining from above Thus Job rhetoricateth his complaints are high yet ever with an allay or mixture of modesty That thou shouldst despise the work of thine hands i. e. Me thy poor creature wilt thou do and undo make a man and unmake him again for thy minds sake Builders use not to ruin what they have built Artificers love and plead for their own handy-work Fathers foster their children with all tendernesse Some Authors dote upon their own doings as Laurentius Valla did upon his Logick as if there had been none such calling it in a bravado Logâ—câ—m Laurentinam and as Caâ—pian the Jesuite did upon his ten leaden reasons which he deemed and boasted to be unanswerable Heliodâ—rus would rather be unbishopped then yeild that his Ethiopick history a toilesome toy but the brat of his brain should be abolished The Saints are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 Handy-work Ephes 2.18 Children Job 1.12 Epistle known and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 3. This if we plead when sorely afflicted as the Church did Isa 64.8 And David Psalm 138.8 and Job here we may have any thing See that notable text Isaiah 45.11 And that other Isai 59.16 And shine upon the counsel of the wicked That is favour and further their designs God makes his Sun to shine upon such but himself never shineth upon them he may be angry enough with men though they outwardly prosper yea to prosper in sin is a most heavy judgment See Zacâ— 1.15 with the note there Verse 4. Hast thou eyes of flesh Which see but the surface of things and not that neither in the dark Hast thou not fiery eyes Rev. 1.14 that need no outward light but see by sending out a ray and pierce the inward parts also Hast thou not made the eye yea the optick vertue in the eye which seeth all and is seen of none If the Sun be the eye of the world God is much more the Greeks give him his name from seeing 〈◊〉
as was noted before on verse 5. But he is said to remember us when he relieveth us Psalm 136.23 and 9.18 1 Sam. 1.19 That thou hast made me c. viz. in those Protoplasts my first parents formed out of the ground Gen. 2.7 whence the Heathen Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arian in Epict. that man is nothing else but a piece of clay weakly made up or thou hast wrought me like clay sc in the womb where thou hast framed and formed my body as the potter worketh his clay well-tempered into an earthen vessel Here then Job in-minds the Lord by the matter whereof he was made of the frailty vility and impurity of his nature Lutum enim conspurcat omnia sic caro to move him to a mitigation of his misery See Psal 103.14 and 78.39 Wilt thou bring me into the dust again viz. By those grievous torments Or And that thou wilt bring me into dust againe for so thou hast said to dust shalt thou return Gen. 3.19 And it is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 9.27 Oh therefore that I might have some small rest and respite before I go hence and be no more seen Psal 39.12 13. Verse 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milk Or melted me that is made me of some such thing as liquid and white milke Generationem hominis describit Man is a very mean thing in his first conception modestly here set forth by the making of cheeses Vatab. Vnde superbit homo cujus conceptâ—o turpis Nasci poena labor vitâ— necesse morâ— Concerning mans formation in the womb see the Naturallists and Lactantius de Opificio Dei cap. 12. but especially Psalm 139. where and in this text there is enough spoken to satisfie us about this great natural mystery saith Mercer that is a good Moral that one maketh of it God strains out the motes of corruption from a godly-man while his heart is poured out like milk with grief and fear whereby the iniquity of Jacob is purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne Isa 27.9 And crudled me like cheese Siccastissimo ore elegantibus metaphoris saith an Interpreter Bodin theat natur 434. Arist de gen anim cap. 20. i. e. Thus in a most modest manner and with elegant metaphors doth Job as a great Philosopher set out mans conception in the womb Aristotle whose manner is obscurioribus obscura implicare as Bodin observeth hath some such expression as this but nothing so clear and full Verse 11. Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh Out of that soft and liquid substance the slime of my parents loins grossed first into a rude fleshy masse and consolidated Thou hast made not only a thin skin and firm flesh but also hard bones and knitting nerves and all this for a garment or guardment to those more noble inward parts the brain heart liver c. which Job here accounts to be the man when he saith Thou hast clothed me that is my vital parts with the upper garment of skin and with the under-garment of flesh all which and the rest of the parts both similar and organical are in their original but the same matter which God hath thus diversified and all by the book Psalm 139.16 Had he left out any member in his common-place-book thou hadst wanted it saith one And hast fenced me with bones and sinews Bones are the pillars of the body giving it stability straightnesse and forme The Rabbines say there are as many of them in mans body as there are affirmative precepts in the law that all his bones may say Lord who is like unto thee c Psal 35.10 By the sinews are the bones knit together that upon them man may move from place to place as he pleaseth Sense also and Motion is by these in their wonderful and inexplicable conjugations conveyed to the rest of the parts It is God alone that knoweth how the bones think the same of the sinews arteries veins gristles flesh and blood c. do grow in the wombe of her that is with child Eccles 11.5 The Anatomists find out every day almost new wonders and an Ancient stileth Man the miracle of miracles Besides what is seen Mr. Caryl God hath pack many rarieties mysteries yea miracles together in mans chest And surely saith one if all the Angels in heaven had studied to this day they could not have cast man into a more curious mould or have given a fairer or more 〈◊〉 edition of him Verse 12. Thou hast granted me life i. e. Into my body thus formed and organized thou hast infused a soul Vatab. that principle of life quickned me in the womb and brought me alive out of it which because it is a miracle of mercy therefore 〈◊〉 addeth favour thou hast granted me Heb. thou hast wrought with me life and favâ—â—â— Thou hast dealt life and goodnesse unto me that is thou hast given me life accompanied with thy goodnesse and blessings so Beza senseth it Some understand it of the reasonable soul others of the beauty of the body according to Isa 40 6. And thy visitation hath preserved my Spirit i. e. Thy good providence hath safe guarded me from innumerable deaths and dangers Puerilitas est periculorum pelagus children are apt to run into mischief and those of riper years are subject to a thousand disasters and evil-occurrences Gods special care is exercised over his as is sweetly expressed Psalm 121. and Psalm 23. Davids pastoral and Psalm 3. where David doubteth not of safety though asleep and in the midst of enemies because God sustained him when as Samson and Ishbosheth a sleep in the midst of friends were circumvented because deserted by him oh pray pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would be ever with our spirits visit him in duty that he may visit us in mercy Verse 13. And those things hast thou hid in thine heart Legendum hoc cum stomachâ— saith Mercer And hast thou indeed hid these things in thine heart What things meaneth Job his afflictions which God was long before preparing for him and now took his time to lay load upon him to be revenged on him at unawares and at greatest advantage If this be the fense of Jobs words as some would conclude from the next verses he was mightily mistaken and this was atrox querimonia a grievous complaint and unworthy of God who lieth not at the catch nor pretendeth fair when he intendeth otherwise A Cain may do so to Abel Esau to Jacob Absolom to Amnâ—n Joab to Amasa c. The Creator needs not daub or prevaricate thus with his creatures if Job thought he did with him Job was utterly out though for confirmation he adde I know that this is with thee I am sure that thou hast dealt thus closely and covertly with me and that thy plagues have surprized me O these still revenges Merlin and others understand by those thing hid
thee sith thou art set and so wedded and wedged to thine own will and way that thou canst not be removed and rectified but by an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven O therefore that God would speak and open his lips against thee and for us for so Zophar doubts not but he would do but if it proved otherwise chap. 42. Job was justified and these three condemned because they had not spoken of God or to God as in this text the thing that was right verse 7. but had been Satans instruments to discourage Jobâ— and to drive that good man to many passionate speeches Some men and women too as Sarah Gen. 16.5 are over-hasty to send for God as it were by a post to decide their controversies who if he should come at their call would certainly pronounce against them Psal 37. Eccles 5.2 Fret not thy self therefore to do evil be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing in this kind before God or to interest him in thy quarrels and controversies for he will surely passe an impartial sentence â—either is there any iniquity with the Lord our God nor respecting of persons nor recâ—iving of gifts 1 Chron. 19.7 One Interpreter from this wish of Zophar noteth that it is an ordinary practice of hereticks Satans factors to mention God as approving of their errors if by speaking he would from heaven declare himself plainly and that therfore we should take heed of those that labour to work upon us this way when by right reason they are able to evince nothing that they say Vers 6. And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisedome This may be understood of Gods law saith Diodate or of the hidden wayes of his providence which if God would shew Job he should at once see that he mistook much and knew little of those many mysteries that are both in the word and works of God in all divine dispensations which are such as none can unriddle but God himself neither can we see them till he shew them It is well observed that the word here rendred shew signifieth to interpret and expound that which is dark mysterious and enigmatical and till God shew us in this sort we remain ignorant both in the book of the creatures and in the book of the Scriptures Oh pray that ye may be all taught of God that he would show you great and mighty things which you know not Jer 33.3 that he would so open your eyes that ye may behold wondrous things out of his Law Psalm 119.18 c. That they are double to that which is Sunt enim Deo judiciorum duo genera so the Tigurines translate the words for God hath judgments of two several sorts viz. open and secret such as thou with all thy skill canst not dive into The Hebrew is dovbles to the being that is saith one manifold more then is by thee apprehended and although God hath afflicted thee according to what he hath revealed yet he might afflict thee more if he should proceed according to the height of his secret wisedome thy plagues should be double to that which is if God should deal rigorously with thee there is reason therefore thou shouldst be patient sith thy sins are far more then thy sufferings Know then that God exacteth of thee lesse then thine iniquity deserveth This is a meditation that may be of special use as to humble us so to stanch murmuring and to strengthen patience under present pressures See Ezra 9.13 with the Note Junius rendreth it acknowledg at least that God exacteth somewhat of thee for thine iniquity somewhat it is and but somewhat sith hell is the just hire of the least sin and it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Lament 3.22 Verse 7. Canst thou by searching find out God i. e. The nature of God or the course of his providence and the reason of his proceedings thou canst never do it Neither did Job ever take upon him to do it but had excellently and accurately set out the same things chap. 9.4 c. that Zophar here doth so that he might well have spared his pains in this discourse as to Job but that being too pertinacious in his evil opinion of him he chose rather to thwart him then to close with him as contentious people use to do Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection No nor the brightest Angel in heaven the highest graduate in glory Find him we may possibly but not find him out much lesse find him out to perfection Tantum recedit quantum capitur Orat. 1. saith Nazianzen The nearer you draw unto God the further off he is from you De mirabil auscult and you are as much to seek as ever he is indeed like the pool Polycritus writeth of cited by Aristotle which in compasse at the first scarce seemed to exceed the breadth of a shield but if any went in to wash it extended it self more and more A Country fellow thinks if he were upon such a mountain he could touch heaven and take a star in his hand but when he comes thither heaven is as far off as it was c. So it is here eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Chrysostome speaking of Gods love in Christ saith I am like a man digging in a deep spring I stand here and the water riseth up upon me and I stand there and still the water riseth upon me What the Apostle saith of this infinite love of God that it passeth knowledge as having all the dimensions Ephes 3.18 19. the same is true of the wisedome of God as Zophar setteth forth in the following verses Verse 8. It is as high as heaven what canst thou doe And much higher it is as the highnesses of heaven so the Hebrew hath it which is so high that one would wonder we should be able to behold the starry skie which yet is but as the marble wall round about the palace and the very eye not be tired in the way See the Note on Prov 25.3 How high that second heaven is may hereby be gathered in that the stars whereof those of the first magnitude are said to be every one above 107. times as big again as the whole earth do yet seem to us but as so many small sparks or spangles but how high the third heaven is above them cannot be conjectured Ephes 4.10 And yet the wisdom of the Almighty is far above that But what meaneth Zophar by these cutted questions of his What canst thou doe and what canst thou know He thought belike that either Job considered not what he had said when he so set forth Gods wisedom and his own shallownesse or else that he contradicted himself when he nevertheless stood so much upon his own integrity and complained so greatly of his misery as of an injury Deeper then hell Which where-ever it is appeareth by this
them or they to him and this they misconstrue as done in contempt See Psal 35.19 Or that he was plotting some mischief Prov. 10.10 and 16.30 or pretending to some extraordinary devotion and therefore shutting his eyes that he might be the more reserved to God The Vulgar hath it Why doth thine heart life thee up and as if thou wert thinking of some great things why are thine eyes so set It is for no goodnesse sure Verse 13. That thou turnest thy spirit against God A fowle fault surely but meerly for want of a faire Interpretation It is as if Eliphaz should have said Thy spirit was right when thou bravely barest up under the afflicting hand of God chap. 1. but because patience hath not had her perfect work as appeareth by thine angry expostulations Quid tumet contra Deum Spiritus tuus thy contesting with God and chatting against him and his proceedings therefore I conclude that thou art not perfect and â—utire all is not right Why doth thy spirit swell against God so the Vulgar rendreth it Behold his soul which is listed up is not upright in him that 's certain Hab. 2.4 And lettest such words go dâ—t of thy mouth Contumelious and blasphemous words not fit to he named Bona verba quaeso Eliphaz True it is Job had spoken some things more freely then was fitting and not without a tincture of bitternesse But charity would have made the best of those speeches which you thus odiously aggravate against him and have taught you to use the same equity toward others that you would have others use towards your self That faith and so that love is easily wrought which teacheth men to believe and think well of themselves and worse of others We will make a good exposition if we have but a good disposition Verse 14. What is man that he should be clean Eliphaz hath now done chiding it is but time he should and falls to reasoning wherein neverthelesse he sheweth himself an empty and troublesome Disputer urging again the same Arguments as before chap. 14.17 18 19. and not resting satisfied in a sufficient answer Did Job ever assert himself clean Said he not the clean contrary in many places see chap. 14.4 Only as washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of his God 1 Cor. 6.11 he discoursed of his integrity and righteousnesse not denying himself otherwise tainted with Original sin and guilty of actual which he begged pardon for according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace And therefore Eliphaz might have spared these words and better bestowed his pains in comforting Job and exhorting him to patience The Jesuites have at this day a device in handling Texts of Scripture by their nice distinctions to perplex and obscure the clearest places and for those that are doubtful not at all to distinguish or illustrate them Again in points of controversie they make a great putther about that which we deny not but say little or nothing to the maine businesse Hac que desperant renitescere posse relinquunt Verse 15 Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints Here he proceedeth to prove that which Job never denyed and Bildad also hath the same chap. 25. Lege ejus verba nam non malè huc quadrant saith Lavater Lay his words to these and they will lend light to each other See also the Notes on chap. 4.18 There they are called his servants here his Saints or holy ones these were the old Patriarks say the Septuagint with whom God at sometimes was angry and although he was a God that for gave them yet took he vengeance of their inventions Psal 99.8 Others understand it of the Saints in heaven or the holy Angels And the heavens are not clean in his sight Nor they of heaven be clean in his eyes so Broughton rendreth it The Angels are called angels of heaven Marth 24.36 and Gal. 1.8 Because made with and in the highest heavens and appointed there to inhabite Howbeit in the Apostate Angels and in heaven Gods holy and pure eyes found uncleannesse and delivered them therefore into chaines of darknesse 2 Pet. 2.4 Again to be clean in Gods sight is another manner of matter then to be simply clean like as to be just is one thing and to be just before God another Luke 1.6 Sordat in conspectâ— judicis quodfulget in conceptu operantis Some understand the Text of the visible heavens the purest of all inanimate creatures and therefore Chrysostom speaking of those praying Saints that prayed Peter out of prison Act. 12. saith that they were ipso coelo puriâ—res afflictione facti more pure then the heavens yet are they not pure in the sight of God but have their spots which we count their beauty spoâ—â— Verse 16. How much more abominable and filthy is man And therefore abominable because filthy or stinking and noisome as putrified meat is to the nose and palate Now this is every mans case by nature Psal 14.3 there being never a barrel better herring but all in a pickle though few believe it Kaâ—ol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov Psal 49. ult Tremel Circumcision of old taught them that that which was begotten by that part deserved in like sort as abominable and accursed to be cut off and thrown away by God And what else doth Baptism still teach us See Col. 2.11 12 13. 1 Pet. 3.21 David compareth man to the beasts that perish pecoribus morticiâ—â— to beasts that dye of the Murrain and so become carrion and are good for nothing He lyeth notting in the graves of sin wrapt up in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and as a carcass crawleth with worms swarming with noisome lusts such as Gods soul abhorreth This is his nature and for his life He drinketh iniquity like water He is as it were altogether steeped and soaked in sin he sucks it in with delight as an Ox doth water or a drunkard Wine who had as liefe you take away his life as his Liquor and could find in his heart to be drowned in a Butt of Malmsey as George Duke of Clarence was in the Tower of London and as some say by his own Election Sure it is that a draught of sin is the only Merry-go-down to a carnal man he drinks it frequently and abundantly even till he swelleth therewith One observeth here that Eliphaz saith not Man eateth but drinketh iniquity because to eat a man must chew and this taketh up some time and leaveth a liberty to spit out what he liketh not but drink goeth down without delay and we usually drink oftner then we eat So here Verse 17. I will shew thee hear me Here Eliphaz useth a short but a lofty preface calling hard for attention and raising in Job an expectation of no mean matters But Quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu Horat. This is his Argument That is to be held for true which experience evinceth and
nor his mother so unnatural a son as vers 30 Thus Beza here Verse 22. He draweth also the mighty with his power i.e. He hath brought them by force under his girdle and compelled them to do him homage and service He riseth up In the fulnesse of his might as a King against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30.31 And no man is sure of life Which the Tyrant taketh away at his pleasure Or thus The Tyrant himself after he hath made all cock-sure as he may think is not yet sure of his owne life dare not confide in his best friends Dionysius for instance and our Richard the third The Hebrew is And he is not sure of life Verse 23. Though it be given him to be in safety Heb. It is given him to be in safety whereon he resteth His safety and prosperity was given him for a better purpose but as if God had hired him to be wicked he abuseth it to creature confidence leaning too hard upon the arm of flesh Yet his eyes are upon their wayes Neverthelesse God prospereth them according to Psal 34.11 Or as others sense it God eyeth their wicked wayes and designeth them to destruction And the next verse seemeth to make for this Interpretation Verse 24. They are exalted for a little while Or They are exalted but within a little while they are not This former part of the verse needeth no Exposition saith an Expositor And as for the later They are taken away as all other they are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn It may be understood of the like violence Velm frit-spica succiduâ—tur Trem. ex Varr. wherewith Tyrants shall be cut off by which they have cut off other mighty and great men as Thrasibulus King of Milesians by striking off with his staff certain ears of corn and Tarquin King of Romans by doing the like to certain Poppies in his Garden signified their minds to have diverse chief men beheaded which was accordingly accomplished So Mithridates King of Pontus V. l. Max. by one Letter caused the death of fourscore thousand Romans trading throughout Asia Now God loveth to retaliate as hath been said before See it exemplified in Adonibezeck Agag Haman and others Verse 25. And if it be not so now who will make me a Lyar Quis ementietur me Who shall disprove or confute what I have affirmed viz. That God doth many things the depth whereof we cannot fathom and that he lets wicked men many times spend their dayes in pleasure and end them without much pain this I will abide by and I would fain see the man qui ansit possit who can and will maintain the contrary CHAP. XXV Verse 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said A Pithy and ponderous speech he here maketh though little to the purpose for he quite digresseth from the question in hand concerning the wickeds flourishing and Saints sufferings and chuseth to sing the fame song with his fellowes concerning the power and Purity of God above all Creatures See Job 4.18 and 15.15 Some men are of that mind that they will never be said or set down but strive to have the last word This was Peters vanity and the rest of the Disciples Math. 26.35 which our Saviour winked at till time should confute them as it also did soon after Verse 2. Dominion and fear are with him God is therefore to be feared because Lord over all If an earthly King be so Dread a Soveraign if an apparition of Angels hath so amazed the best men who would not fear that King of Nations sith to him doth it appertain Jer. 10.7 God is greatly to be feared in the Assemblies of his Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him Psal 89.7 Power and terror are with him so the Vulgar hath it here He that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell is surely to be feared yea therefore to be feared Matth. 10.28 If servants should fear their Masters because they have power over the flesh Col. 3.23 what should we do sith he can sooner undo us then bid it be done He maketh peace in his high places Or Among his high persons those heavenly Courtiers the Angels and Saints By an unchangeable Decree God keepeth all persons and things in the heavens both visible and invisible in a most firm and quiet condition so that there is no clashing but an happy harmony amongst them Senault He appeaseth saith One the differences of the Elements and obligeth them to force their own inclinations to preserve the quiet of the world He shakes all the heavens with so much evennesse that in the contrariety of their motions they never disorder themselves Finally He maintaines peace amongst the Angels and tempering his Justice with his Goodnesse he makes himself equally loved and feared of those blessed Spirits Therefore Job did ill saith another Interpreter to offer to make a disturbance there Mayer Job 23.4 as Bildad at least conceited he did where there was all peace Verse 3. Is there any number of his Armies God is Lord of Hostes and as the Rabbins well observe he hath his upper forces and his lower forces as his Horse and Foot ready prest The upper are here chiefly meant viz. the Angels and Stars as appeareth by the Context An est numerus expeditorum so Brentius rendreth it Tremellius turmariorum of his Troopers they are innumerable and yet no variance amongst them this is admirable The Army of Niniveh was quiet no falling out nor complaining in their hostes therefore did their King march on passe through Nahum 1.12 the Turks Military Discipline at this day is beyond that of all other Nations in the world besides yea beyond that of the old Greeks or Romans There is no quarrelling heard at any time amongst their many souldiers Cusp de Cas p. 475. no nor any words at all Perpetuum silentium tenent ut muti saith Cuspinianus There is perpetual silence kept and most ready obedience yeelded to the dumb signes and noddings of their Officers But all this is nothing to that in heaven Of Gods Hostes together with their number order and obedience see my Treatise called the Righteous Mans Recompence pag. 868.869 And upon whom doth not his Light arise that is his Sun that Prince of Planets but servant of the Saints as his Name importeth whose going forth is from the end of the heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof Psalm 19.6 It is called His Light because as he made it so he gathered into it as into a Vessel that first light which before was scattered here and there in the heavens Some there are that understand this Text of the light of Gods Omniscience others of his Benificence Quiâ— est quem non superet luce bonitate suae Merlin Who is it whom he overcometh not with the light of his
to be had above ground may some say but what under-ground Not there neither faith Job for the Abysse saith that is if it could speak it would surely say It is not in me and the Sea gives us in the same verdict dig to the centre of the earth dive to the bottom of the sea you shall hear no tale or tydings of her she neither groweth with gold and precious stones in the earth nor with Pearls and Coral in the sea we must be taught of God and the holy Spirit must joyn himself to our chariot as Philip did to the Eunuches Act. 8.29 he must teach us this wisdom from above or we can never learn it Isa 54.13 A man may read the figure on the Dial but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the Sun shine upon the Dial We may read over the book of the Creature and the book of the Scripture but we cannot learn to purpose till the Spirit of God shine into our hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 The Gospel is full of jewels but they are lockt up from sense and reason 1 Cor. 2.10 The Angels in heaven are searching into these sacred depths 1 Pet. 1.12 and know not so much but they would fain know more of this manifold wisdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.10 that hath such an abundance of curious variety in it as the word there signifieth even such as is seen in the best pictures or textures Verse 15. It cannot be gotten for gold Non emitur nec aestimatur it is not purchased or procured with money as other learning may en precium praestantiam sapientiae with a great sum obtained I this freedom said that Colonel Act. 22.28 So may many say of their learning they have sufficiently paid for it Cleanthes parted with all he had for learning Plato gave thirty thousand Florens for three Books Reuchlin gave the Jew that taught him Hebrew a Crown for every hours pains Hierome got his skill in that language with the hazard of his life and held it a good bargain Hen Beaeuford in Hen. 6. time Act. and Mon. But here 's no such trading see Act. 8.18 19 20. Fie quoth that rich and wretched Cardinal when he saw he must die will money do nothing will not death be hired may not heaven be purchased No no God is no Money-merchant his Kingdom is not partum but paratum Mat. 25.34 his grace is gratuitous Mat. 13.11 To you it is given and what more free than gift to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God And to you it is given freely given on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him Vega. c. Phil. 1.29 That proud merit-monger that said Gratis non accipiam I will not have Grace or Grace or Glory of free-cost could not but go without both Verse 16. It cannot be valued Heb. Thrown on the ground as Wares were wont to be and are yet when they are set to sale and to be prized or valued With the gold of Ophir The word here rendred gold is not the same with that in the former or those in the following verses Five several times gold is here mentioned because so highly prized among men and in four several words Jerom on Jer. 10. observeth that the Hebrew have seven several words for gold and five several sorts are here instanced That here mentioned is a special name for the most splendent and glistering gold Psal 45.10 Dan. 10.5 Cant. 5.11 Of it comes Michtam of David or Davids golden Psalm Psal 16.1 his ingot of gold Broughton thinks it to be no Hebrew word but the name of gold in Ophir Obrizium dictum volunt quasi Ophirizium Ophir is Peru say some Others an Iland in the Indies where the most precious gold was to be had called also gold of Parvaim 2 Chron. 3.6 This is supposed to be in Havilah Gen. 2.11 It is called perfections of gold 2. Chron. 4.21 With the precious Onyx or the Saphir The Onyx is a stone said to be found in the River Ganges and to be of a white colour like the white of a mans nail whence it hath its name See of it Plin. lib. 37. cap. 6. Boet. Hist Gem. lib. 2. cap. 90. The Saphir is a stone of a sky-coloured blue or of a light-coloured purple Verse 17. The gold and the chrystal cannot equal it For Chrystal some reade Diamond others Adamant It hath its name from its purity and transparency Junius rendreth it therefore nitidissima gemma It seems to be saith One the last attempt of nature and makes us finde heaven on earth And the exchange of it shall not be for jewels or vessels or fine gold Of Phez-gold so Broughton renders it and would have it come from Fesse in Barbary The Arabians now call gold Phes Of this solid fast gold were made many precious Jewels or Vessels like that French coyn in the Historian Vas auri puri puti in qua plus fâ—rmae quam ponderis in which was not so much weight as workmanship Prov. 25.11 Apples of Gold in Lattices of Silver or put in a Case of Silver cut-work Verse 18. No mention shall be made of Coral No talk of Coral or Carbuncle of Pearl or any other the rarest and richest Jewels in all the world We read of Cleopatra that vying with Antony in luxury she drunk up a Pearl of incredible price dissolved in vineger and of Charles Duke of Burgundy Macrob. Sat. lib 5. cap. 17 Alsted Chronoâ— that in the Fight at Nansey he lost a Diamond of that worth ut eo tota aliqua regio emi posset that therewith a man might have bought a whole country It was afterwards set in the Popes triple-Crown but no way worthy to be mentioned in the same day with wisedom For the price of Wisdom is above Rubies Which are so called from their lovely redness see Lam. 4.7 Pearls some render it of which Pliny saith Plin. lib. 9. c 35. Principium culmenque rerum omnium pretii margaritae tenent Pearls are the principal of all precious things They were so of old but they are not so now-adayes What huge sums were once given for Saints Reliques as they called them and Popes-Pardons but now the world is grown wiser England is no more a babe there is no man here Acts Mon. 990 but now he knows that they do foolishly that give gold for lead more weight of that then they receive of this This and much more to the same purpose speaketh Henry 8. in his protestation against the Pope who yet as a faint Chapman went not to the price of this true wisdome as appeareth by that publick speech of his in Parliament There are many that are too busie with their new Sumpsimus and others that dote too much upon their old Mumpsimus the new Religion though true he envied the old though his own he despised being as a speckled bird or a cake half baked c.
the clearing of Christs innocency and as Theophylact holdeth for the salvation of this womans soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the several sorts of dreams natural divine and diabolical see the Annotations on Gen. 20.3 Verse 16. Then he openeâ—h the ears of men He maketh the bore bigger as it were that good counsel may enter he calleth up the eares of the soul to the eares of the body that one sound may peirce both he saith as to him in the Gospel Epphata and together with his word there goeth forth a power as Luke 4.32 See chap. 36.10 15. And sealeth their instruction Or Their correction for they go together Psal 94.12 Prov. 3.12 13. 6.23 and God seâ—leth or setteth on the one by the other as when a School-master would have a lesson learned indeed he sets it on with a whipping Luther saith that many of St Pauls Epistles could not be understood but by the crosse Vexatio dat intellectum Another grave Divine giveth this good advice To find out the sin that God afflicteth for consider what truths have been pressed upon your hearts before the affliction for afflictions use to come as seals to instruction before they did not come with power to your hearts now God seals them Thus he Bernard saith concerning his brother when he gave him many good instructions and he being a souldier minded them not he put his finger to his sides and said One day a spear shall make way to this heart of thine for instructions and admonitions to enter The Tigurine translation is full and elegant Tunc aurem hominibus velliâ— disciplinam corum velut impresso sigillo consignat Then he pulleth men by the eare and consigneth their instruction as with a seal set unto it Verse 17. That he may withdraw man from his purpose Or rather practise Heb. Work that is evil work called a mans own work Heb 4.10 for when we do evil we work de nostro secundum hominem 1 Cor. 3.3 as when the Devil speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own Joh. 8.44 Now from such bad work God taketh men off by dreams sometimes as he did Abimelech Gen. 20.3 and Laban Gen. 31.24 but more frequently by corrections of instruction which are the way of life Prov. 6.23 Christianorum Theologia as Luther calleth it Virtutum officina as 〈◊〉 Bonorum omnium thesâ—â—rus as Breâ—â—ius upon this text And hide pride from 〈◊〉 Which else as a Master-pock will break out in his forehead and testifie to his face By Pride we may understand all other sins which God both covereth and 〈◊〉 in his penitent people but pride iâ— fitly instanced because it was one of the first sins and is still the root and source of all other sins God therefore humbleth all his under his mighty hand and preserveth them from the perilous pinacle of self exaltation as he dealt with Paul both when he met him on the way to Damascus and unhorst him as also when by that thorn in the flesh he let out the imposthumated matter of pride out of his heart which might else have broken forth into odious and lothsome practices Verse 18. He keepeth back his soul from the pit Or That he may keep back his soul that is his body as Psal 16.10 Lev. 21.1 from the pit i.e. from the grave or from the pit-fals made for him by his enemies A penitent person redeemeth his own sorrows and provideth for his own safety Psal 91. and accordingly some read it He shall keep back his own soul c. And his life from perishing by the sword Whether by the sword of God or man he shall be extra jactum out of the gunshot or danger of any death whether corporal or eternal The universal Antidote for all the judgements of God is our humble repentance Aaron escaped by it when Miriam was smitten with Leprosie Per miserere mei tollitur ira Dei This is the Rain-bow which if God see shining in our hearts he will never drowne our souls Jehosaphat by this escaped the edge of the sword David and his poor sheep the stroak of the punishing Angel all the crowned Saints now in heaven the damnation of hell c. Verse 19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed He is chastened or chidden for all diseases are vocal they are real reprehensions Coarguitur dolore As God is said to hold his peace when he punisheth not Psal 50.21 Isai 42.14 so to preach and reprove when he doth Isai 26.9 and 28.19 Thus God by chastening David instructed him every morning Psal 73.14 His reines also taught him in the night season Sicknesse saith one is the shop of vertue It is morum disciplina felicit at is meditatorium voluntatis Dei Schola saith another King Alfred found it so and therefore besought God to send him ever and anon some fit of sicknesse for that saith he I ever find my self best when worst best in soul when worst in body the sickness of this is a medicine to that And the multitude of his bones with strong pain Some read it Et lis est â—ssium ejus vehemens his bones rattle in his skin as we say Confer Psal 38.4 He is all over so ill at ease that live he would not dye he cannot his pain piercing even to his very bones and drinking up his marrow as Jobs did all this Discouse being exemplified in him save that we finde not that he kept his bed Verse 20. So that his life abhorreth bread Which is the staffe of mans life and by the Latines called Panis of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were all in all This the sick man vâ—lut sordidum abominatur abhorreth as some filthy thing so the Original word here signifieth he nauseateth and cannot away with it though made of the Kidneyes of wheat as Mòses phraseth it he brooks it no better then if it were made of saw dust or mixt with gravel or made with mans dung as that in Ezekiel And his soul dainty meats Heb. Meats of desire Those Dainties which he once sought so passionately and fed upon so eagerly he finds no more relish in then in the white of an egge or a dry chip yea they are no lesse horrid to him then rank poison See a like description of a sick person Psal 107.18 which seemeth to be taken from hence Verse 21. His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen He that was habilior paulo corpulent and well lined within as we say is so pined with long sickness that you can hardly know him for the same man and he may well cry out with the Prophet My leannessé my leannesse Of Christ it is said though not through sickness that he had no form nor comlinesse and yet he was the fairest amongst men Psal 45.2 through grief and sufferances neither was there any beauty left that we should desire him for his outside Isai 53.2 And of Mr. Fox the
understinding Heb. If thou knowest understanding An irony but friendly and free from all bitternesse the better to convince Job of his folly and faultinesse for which end also multis eum interrogationibus onerat Mercer God loadeth him with many deep questions the least whereof he could not answer Verse 5. Who hath laid the measures thereof In that circumference and diameter that it holdeth If thou knowest Or For thou knowest quandoquidem scitus es a tart irony Geometricians take upon them to know the several dimensions of the earth and Archimedes boasted that if he had but where to set his foot from off the earth he could shake the whole body of it As also that he could number all the sands that were in the whole World habitable and inhabitable But these were vain brags Or who hath stretcht the line upon it A metaphor from Masons and other Master-builders who work by line and by rule Vitruvius in his 7th Book saith thus Longitudines ad regulam lineam altitudines ad perpendiculum anguli ad normam respondeâ—iâ—s exigantur Verse 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened Surely upon nothing but the word of Gods power The Philosophers dispute many things concerning the foundations of the earth but without any sound foundation of good reason Some Jew-Doctors make the mountains to be them but these bear not up the earth but the contrary The Psalmist saith that God hath founded the solid earth upon the liquid waters Psal 24. wherein appeareth the infinite wisedom and power of God the founder Vitruvius saith In solido extruendum foundations must be laid in solid places But God is not tyed to rules his works are in oppositis mediis as was above noted Or who â—aid the corner-stone thereof i. e. The Center say some Jew-Doctors whither all heavie things are carried and about which the whole world hangeth the elements and heavenly orbs surrounding it in their motions Others fetch this corner-stone out of the middle of the sea But all this discourse is metaphorical to shew the firmnesse of the work wherein none had any hand but only the essential wisdom of God Prov. 8. who did it with more ease than men can build an house Verse 7. When the morning stars sang together There is but one morning star properly so called viz. Phosphorus Lucifer or Venus the Suns fore-runner But for their brightnesse they are all called here Stars of the morning and said to sing together as birds use to do at break of day so did these in the morning of the Creation when first those heavenly torches began to shine and joyfully to dance as it were in number and measure This they do still in their kind Psalm 19. vers 1. beckening also as it were to us to do the like Psal 145.3 And all the sons of God shouted for joy i. e. All the Angels as chap. 1.6 meant also by those morning stars as Piscator and others will have it These being created together with the highest heavens on the first day as it is probable like as Christs soul was created in and with his body in the Virgins womb the same moment were present at a great part of the Creation if not at all and were rapt with admiration at the great wisdom and power of their Creator singing Holy holy holy c. Shall the stars sing the Angels shout and shall we be so dull This was all they did at the Creation Note this against those who held that God made the superior creatures himself but the inferior by his Angels A great hand they have as Gods instruments in governing the world Ezek. 1.5 6 7 c. whence also they are called Watchmen and Keepers Dan. 4.13 but not any had they in making the world for in that work God was alone and by himself Isai 44. vers 24. Verse 8. Or who shut up the sea with doors i. e. With bounds and banks the Sea God shut up in the hollow parts of the earth as in a great house that the dry land naturally overwhelmed thereby might appear and become fit both to bear grain grasse plants c. and to yield an habitation for men and beasts Piscator thinks it is a Metaphor from Flood-gates at Mill-ponds When it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb The Sea is here set forth in lively colours as an incomprehensible work of Gods wisdom Out of Nothing God produced it at first as an infant out of the mothers womb How great is God then to whom the great Sea is but as a little infant It brake out of the womb when it was severed from the Abysse which lay covered with darknesse till the waters below were separated from those above Gen. 1.10 Verse 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof When I clothed this new born child with a cloud Elegans allegovia Jun. commanding the vapors which environ it to serve it for garments Clouds are begotten of the waters of the sea especially and appear daily upon it And thick darknesse a swadling band for it This thick darknesse is well interpreted to be those fogs and mists which arise upon the sea and are between the clouds and the sea as the swadling bands between the upper garment and the child Interim significat saith Mercer here Meanwhile here is signified that God can as easily rule and represse the sea as the mother or nurse can her suckling when it is swathed up Verse 10. And brake up for is my decreed place That great house in the hollows of the earth vers 8. gathering it together by a perpetual and powerful decree into that place and pit Tremellius rendreth it Quum diffregi pro eo terram decreto mea When I brake up for it the earth by my decree Others And laid upon it my Statute for shabhar signifieth also statuere decernere say they but that 's more than I know And set bars and doors Vectes valvas See vers 8. This is a work of Gods great power and is therefore much instanced and insisted upon in Scripture Ps 109. Jer. 5.22 c. God could have put many other hard questions to Job about the seaâ— as why it swelleth not by the inflowing of so many great Rivers why the waters of it are so salt whence it is that it so ebbeth and floweth c Aristotle sheweth himself no very wise man in answering these questions whom yet Averrâ—es so madly admireth that he saith there is no errour at all to be found in him and that his doctrine is the chiefest truth c. Verse 11. And said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further This God commanded and it is done If the sea at any time break its bounds and over-flow countries as in Holland Zealand and other parts it hath done that is to declare the power of God and his just anger against sin And here shall thy proud waves be stayed Canutus commanded such a thing but
Book to be bound up in a little Volume by it self to serve as his Manual and attend him in his running Library for therein he found amulets of comfort more pleasant than the Pools of Heshbon more glorious than the Tower of Lebanon more redolent than the Oyl of Aaron more fructifying than the dew of Hermon as one expresseth it All the latitude of the Holy Scriptures may be reduced to the Psalms saith Austin after Athanasius Luther calleth them Parva Biblia summarium utriusque Testaments a little Bible a Summary of both Testaments The Turks disclaim both the Old and New Testament and yet they swear as solemnly by the Psalms of David as by the Alchoran of Mahomet Anciently they were sung in the Temples and in the Primitive Christian Church happy was that tongue held that could sound out aliquid Davidicum any part of a Psalm of David Nicephorus telleth us that as they travelled and journied they used to solace themselves with Psalms and that thereby there was at a certain time a Jew converted Saint Paul calleth them Spiritual Songs Col. 3.16 both because they were indited by the Holy Spirit and for that they do singularly suit with mens spirits for they are so penned that every man may think they speak De se in re sua of himself and to his particular purpose as Athanasins observeth And lastly because they do after a special manner Spiritualize and sanctifie those that sing them in the right tune which is Sing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord as the Apostle there setteth it and elsewhere hinteth unto us that there is no small edification by the choyce of a fit Psalm 1 Cor. 14.26 Vers 1. Blessed Heb. O the blessedness the heaped up happiness both of this Life and a better fitter to be beleeved than possible to be discoursed The Hebrew comes from a root that signifieth to go right forward scil in the way that is called Holy having Oculum ad metam an eye upon the mark viz. True and real happiness such as all men pretend to but he only attaineth to who is here described Policrat lib. 8. cap. 4. Sylla was by his flatterers surnamed Felix because high and mighty and Metellus likewise Quod bona multa bono modo invenerat because rich by right means But he that first called Riches Bona was a better Husband than Divine and they that seek for a felicity in any thing here below seek for the living among the dead The Philosophers discourses of this subject are but learned dotages David saith more to the point in this short Psalm than any or all of them put together they did but beat the Bush God hath here put the Bird into our hands Is the man Heb. that man with an Article with an Accent and by an excellency as Jer. 5.1 that eminent and eximious man who is rationally Spiritual and Spiritually rational that man in Christ 2 Cor. 12.2 who hath learned Christ and doth live Christ walking as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 and not in the counsel of the ungodly c. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord c. Magnus atque admirabilis vir simodo viri nomine designare illum fas est as Chrysostom saith of Babylas the Martyr that is a great and an admirable man if a man we may call him and not an earthly Angel rather He must indeed bee content to pass to Heaven as a concealed man because the World knoweth him not 1 Joh. 3.1 but those that have senses exercised to discern good and evil may easily know him as he stands here described 1 To depart from evil vers 1. 2 To do good vers 2. Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly or restless the counsel of such should be far from us Job 21.16 22.18 The Jews cast their whole Nation of People into three ranks Reshagnim the word here used that is the profane rabble Tsadichim righteous men and Chasidim good or gracious men see Rom. 5.7 To these two latter are opposite here Sinners and Scorners these last being the worst of wicked persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 20.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 9.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prov. 3.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 119.51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Panormit and therefore set last in this gradation as some will have it The Septuagint here render them Pests or Botches and elsewhere incorrigible wicked with a witness proud prevaricating c. Beware of this Sin saith Father Latimer for I never knew but one scorner that repeuted he who is fitten down in this Chair or Pestilence as having tired himself in ways of wickedness and will not bee better advised Prov. 9.7 8. but with Lots Sons in Law jeareth what he should fear wil not easily be raised out of it Vers 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord i.e. in the whole Doctrin of the Holy Scriptures that invariable rule of truth as Irenaeus rightly calleth it He findeth rest no where Nisi in angulo cum libello in a Nook with this Book as Thomas à Kempis was wont to say who also with his own hand wrote out the Bible King Alphonsus read it over fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded Luther said hee would not live in Paradise without the Word Par. in Epist. ad Ja. Nâ—wer Pastor Heidelb as with it he could live well enough in Hell Magdalen Wife to D. Paraeus after she was married and forty years of age out of love to the Scriptures learnt to read and took such delight in it and especially in the Psalms that she gat them almost all by heart Bâ—za being above fourscore years old could say perfectly by heart any Greek Chap. Act. Mon. in St. Pauls Epistles Cranmer and Ridley had all the New Testament by heart the former had learnt it in his journey to Rome the latter in the Walks of Pembrook-Hall in Cambridge And in his Law doth he meditate day and night Hoc primus repetens opus hoc postremus omittens Hora Having gathered with the Bees the sweet of those heavenly flowers he doth by meditation work his Hony-comb within his Hive and at this work he is perdius pernox till he feel it to become an ingrafted word yea till he hath turned it in succum sanguinem and is after a sort transformed into it 2 Cor. 3.18 The Hebrew word Hagah here signifieth both to speak with the mouth and with the heart to read and to meditate because to read is not to run over a Chapter as a Childe at School but to muse upon the matter and to make some benefit of it It is storied of Pythagoras that he lived in a Cave for a whole year together that being sequestred from the society of men he might the better meditate upon the abstruser parts of Philosophy he used also with a thread to tye the hair of
cadent damnabunâ—ur at the Great Assizes they shall bee cast and condemned Revel 6.17 For the great day of his Wrath is come and who shall be able to stand If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.18 Surely no where but in Hell their own place Acts 1.25 not before God for he is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult and they chaff or stubble fully dried See Isa 33.14 Not before Christ for he shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance c. 2 Thess 1.7 not in Heaven for it 's an undefiled inheritance neither may any dirty Dogge trample on that golden pavement Revel 22.15 Not any longer on Earth defiled by their iniquities and therefore to bee purged by the fire of the last Day for the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 R. David Kimchi by Judgement here understandeth the day of the wicked mans death and indeed his Deaths-day is his Doomesday when he must take a fearful farewell and breath out his Soul and hope together with the breath of the same dying groan Job 27.8 11.20 Hinc illae Lachrymae hence that loth-to-depart though some set a good face upon it when to dye as Sir Thomas Moore who dyed for the Popes Supremacy with a light jest in his mouth Vespasian likewise dyed with a jest and Augustus in a Complement This was but the Hypocrisie of mirth for Death is the King of terror to a Natural man See Heb. 2.15 1 Sam. 15.32 28.20 Saul at the message of death swooned quite away and fell all along Quantus quantus erat as Peter Martyr phraseth it yea good Hezekiah wept when sentenced to death and the approach of it was to him Mar mar bitter bitterness Isa 38.3.17 he must have his faith at his fingers ends as one saith that will dye actively But all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 and those few that have are not always assured that their hearts shall live for ever as Psal 22.26 and that Death the Devils Serjeant to drag wicked men to Hell shall be to them the Lords Gentleman-usher to conduct them to Heaven as Mr. Brightman expresseth it Nor Sinners in the Congregation of the righteous They shall never set foot within heavens Threshold within that general Assembly that sacred Panegyris ample Amphitheatre the Congregation-house of crowned Saints and glorious Angels Tertullian saith of Pompies Theatre which was the greatest ornament of old Rome that it was Arx omnium turpitudinum a receptacle of all kind of Ribaldry and Roguery Not so Heaven There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye Rev. 21.27 Augustin The Irish air will sooner brook a Toad or a Snake than Heaven a Sinner Mali in area nobiscum esse possunt in horreo non possunt Chaff may be with Gods good Corn on the floor but in the Garner it shall not For Christ will throughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire Mat. 3.12 Vers 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Or acknowledgeth approveth administreth and ordereth all things to their eternal Salvation as may appear by the opposition wherein there is a Rhetorical Aposiopesis Gods knowledge of men and their ways is not meerly Intuitive but Approbative of the good and Vindictive of the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Providence which is the carrying on of his Decree is that helm which turns about the wholeship of the Universe with singular skill and justice Dominus diligit dirigit viam id est vitam omne institutum justorum See Psal 37.18 142.4 Nahum 1.7 Prov. 2.8 with the notes there God knows the righteous by name Exod. 33.17 knows them for his own looks upon them and their whole course with singular delight and complacency they are his Hephzibah Isa 62.4 the dearly beloved of his Soul Jer. 12.7 Verba notitiae apud Hebraos secum trahunt affectum But the way of the ungodly shall perish Their practices and persons shall perish together be done away be lost for ever And why because the Lord knoweth them not unless it be for black Sheep as we say or rather for reprobate Goats Mat. 25. Hence their Souls are flung out as out of the middle of a sling when the Souls of the Saints are bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord their God 1 Sam. 25.29 PSAL. II. Vers 1 VVHy do the Heathen rage Why or for what The Psalm beginneth abruptly with an angry interrogation q.d. What are they mad to attempt such things as whereof they can neither give any good reason nor expect any good effect The Lord Christ of whom David was both a Father and a Figure as here appeareth shall surely reign maugre all the rage and resistance of his enemies who may seem to be ambitious of their own destruction and are therefore in this Psalm schooled and counselled to desist Nothing is more irrational than irreligion Why do the Heathen tumultuously rage or hurtle together Fremunt ferociunt When the Philistines heard that David was made King in Hebron they came up to seek him and to unking him 2 Sam. 5.17 so the Heathen and People that is Gentiles and Jews would have dealt by Christ Acts 4.25 26. The Devil ever since hee was cast out of Heaven tumultuateth and keepeth ado so do unruly spirits acted and agitated by him Dan. 6.15 Then those men kept a stir with the King against Daniel it is the same Hebrew word that is here and possibly Daniels spirit might think of Davids terms John 11.33 Jesus troubled himself but after another manner than these his enemies his passions were without mud as clear water in a Chrystal Glass what was an act of power in Christ is an act of weakness if not of wickedness in others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 4.25 The Apostles Greek word for this in the text denoteth rage pride and fierceness as of Horses that Neigh and rush into the Battel And the people imagine Heb. meditate or mutter a vain thing an empty design that shall come to noting Niteris incassum Christi submergere puppem Fluctuat at nunquam mergitur illaratis Dipt may the Churches Ship be but not drown'd Christ will not fail her enemies to confound Some think that by this muttering people are meant such as act not open outrages against Christ but yet in words murmur and mutiny whispering Treason Vers 2. The Kings of the earth set themselves Or stand up as if they would do the deed and bear down all before them The many had acted their part vers 1. and now the mighties shew themselves but go off again with shame enough The Spanish Frier used to say there were but few Princes in Hell and why because there were but few in all It was a
God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he And will sing praise to the name c. Where the Psalmist mentioneth the overthrow of the wicked Laus praecedit sequitur saith R. Joshua Ben Levi here as in this place and Psalm 9. PSAL. VIII TO the chief Musician upon Gittith Upon the Cittern or Gittern brought from Gath saith the Chaldee Paraphrast or that was used by the Sons of Obed-Edom the Gittite 2 Sam. 6.10 or that was sung at the Wine-presses as the Greek hath it for a thanks-giving in time of Vintage This last Aben-Ezra disliketh though I see no reason why he should Vers 1. Vani homines exponunt de torculari Ab. Ezra O Lord our Lord c. The scope of this whole Psalm is to set us a wondering at and magnifying the Majesty and Magnificence of the Almighty together with his inexpressible goodness to Mankind 1 In our Creation in Adam 2 In our Restauration by Christ which last is the true end of this Psalm as appeareth Mat. 21.15 1 Cor. 15.27 and Heb. 2.8 How excellent is thy Name This David speaketh as one swallowed up with admiration at that Nomen illud Magnificum Majestativum that Glory Honour Power Wisdom Goodness c. that being invested in God and manifested in the Creature Gods Handy-work should make us both wonder and inquire into Gods excellencies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. lib. 1. cap. 11 according to that of Aristotle to admire and learn at once is a pleasant thing and sure that which is admirable stirreth up desire to see further into it Admiratio peperit Philosophiam saith another Admiration brought forth Philosophy let it breed devotion in us and a desire to praise God who hath therefore displayed his excellencies in his Works that we might give him his due glory The Angels shouted at the Creation Job 38.4 5 6 and shall we be dul and dumb God tells Job of his own great Works the Elephant and Whale especially and thereby brings him to a right temper The Elephant is in Chaldee called Pil of a word that signifieth Wonderful because the Wonders of Gods glory do so marvellously appear in him See Job 40.15 16 c with the Notes The Philosophers make Iris Plate or the Rainbow the Daughter of Thaumas or Admiration but because that when they knew God scil Per species Creaturarum they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations therefore were they given up to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.21.28 In all the earth Where a man cannot look beside a Miracle so full of God are all places Who hast set thy glory above the Heavens Nam in eis robuâ— Dei maximè apparet for in the Heavens how much more above them doth the glory of God chiefly appear the Earth is a small point in comparison of the Heavens and is governed by them as R. David here noteth Vers 2. Out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings For whom God hath filled two Bottles of Milk against they come into the World and in whose birth sustenance and wonderful protection for Puerilitas est periculorum pelagus but especially in their holy and religious education much of Gods Providence Power and Goodness is clearly seen and set forth to the conviction of the vilest Atheists So that besides the Earth and the Heavens we have very Infants Preachers of Gods praises and more effectual Oratours than ever were Isocrates Demosthenes Pericles c. so our Saviour understands it Mat. 21.10 where the Children sang Hosanna when the Pharisees were silent It is sometimes seen that Ipsa Deo blandos fundant cunabula flores John Baptist sprang in the Wombe for joy of Jesus Hierom writeth of Paula that noble Matron that she rejoyced in nothing more than this That she heard her Neece Paula sing Hallelujah in her Cradle Bellarmine tells us out of Theodoret In cunis cunis baâ—â— butienti linâ—â— Hallelujah Cantare Hiâ—â— that the Children of Samosatena playing at Tennis-ball in the midst of the Market did solemnly cast it into the fire because it had but toucht the foot of the Asse wheron Lucius the Heretical Bishop rode The Children of Merindal so posed and answered one another in matters of Religion before the persecuting Bishop of Cavaillon that a religious man that stood by said unto the Bishop I must needs confess that I have often been at the Disputation of the Doctors in Sorbon Act Monâ—â— fol. 865. Ibid. 1156. but yet I never learned so much as I have done by hearing these young children When Mr. Blecter the Bishops Chaplain told Mr. Wisehart the Scotch Martyr that he had a Devil in him and the spirit of Error a Childe that stood by answered him saying A Devil cannot speak such words as yonder man speaketh At the burning of John Laurence at Colchester as he was sitting in the fire for stand he could not he had been so hardly used in the Prison the young Children came about the fire and cried Lord strengthen thy Servant and keep thy promise Ibid. 1403. Here was strength out of the mouthes of little ones taught betime to speak the language of Canaan Sed vae vae parentibus illis saith Polanus on the Text But wo wo to those Parents who make their Children whom God would have to be witnesses of his Majesty witnesses of their impiety pride and vanity That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger i.e. Silence Atheists and Persecutors Vers 3. When I consider thy Heavens And that men should be much in this consideration both the bolt-upright figure of their bodies may monish them and also that fifth Muscle which God hath set in Mans eye whereas other Creatures have but four to draw it upward Ut ejus auxilio coelum intueremur saith the Anatomist that by the help thereof we might consider the Heavens This Columb de re Anatom l. 5. c. 9. those Christians that do not shall have those Heathens rising up in Judgement against them Anaxagoras Clazomenius who used to say that he was therefore born that he might contemplate the Heavens And Ennius who blameth Epicurus for that Dum palato quid sit optimum judicaret coeli palatium non suspexerit he did so purvey for his Palate that he looked not up to Heavens Palace Certain it is that many men have so much to do upon Earth that they cannot have while to cast an eye towards Heaven as the Duke of Alva told a great Prince who asked him if he had taken notice of the last Eclips That wonderful Globe of Silver sent by King Ferdinand to Solyman the great Turk lively expressing the wonderful motions Turk Hist 71 and conversions of the Caelestial frame the hourly passing of the Time the Change and Full of the Moon c. was much more beheld and admired than Heaven it self is by most people True it is that that Globe was
a most curious and strange Piece of Work devised and perfected by the most cunning Astronomers for Maximilian the Emperour whose noble minde never spared for any cost to obtain things of rare and strange devise But what was all this to the Heavens That Work of Gods finger That is most elaborate and accurate a Metaphor from Embroyderers or from them that make Tapestry Aben-Ezra's Note here is Digiti sunt decem sphaera sunt decem As there are ten Fingers so there are ten Spheres c. The Moon and the Stars No mention of the Sun because included in this word Heaven wherein by Day the Sun is most conspicuous as by Night the Moon and Stars VVhich thou hast ordained That was a witty speech of Cyril They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athiests by Night who worshipped the Sun and Atheists by Day who worshipped the Moon and Stars Vers 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him Sorry sickly man a Mass of Mortalities a Map of Miseries a mixture or compound of Dirt and Sin And yet God is mindful of him he not only takes care of him in an ordinary way as he doth other Creatures but singularly attendeth and affecteth him as a Father doth his dearest Childe Heis Divini ingenii cura saith one he is the end of all in a semi-circle saith another Philosopher meaning that all things in the World were made for man and man made for God Neither is there so much of the glory of God in all his Works of Wonder as in one gracious performance of a godly person But if we understand the Text as the Apostle doth Heb. 2.6 of the Man Christ Jesus Hic homo filius hominis qualis quantus est Deus bone saith Junius And the Son of Man Heb. Arrian in Epictet Of earthly men for what is the greatest Potentate but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a peece of Clay neatly made up That thou visitest him That thou mindest him more than other Creatures and makest him Lord of all thy visitation preserveth his spirit Job 10.12 Vers 5. For thou hast made hima little lower than the Angels Compare here with Heb. 2.6 7. and it will appear that whatsoever is spoken here of man is applied to Christ and so is proper to the Saints by vertue of their union with Christ in which respect they are more glorious saith one than Heaven Angels or any Creature This is their dignity and for their duty they must therefore give the more earnest heed to the Doctrin of the Gospel lest at any time they should leak or let slip the same but retain and obey it This is the Apostles own inference Heb. 2.5 6 7. for thus he argueth Unto the Angels God hath not put in subjection the World to come where of we speak But to man for whose sake the Son of God came in the flesh for whose sake the Gospel was preached for whose sake wee speak of that World to come he hath therefore it behooveth man to observe and obey the Gospel And hast crowned him with glory and honour Some refer this to the reasonable Soul whereby he not only differeth from Beasts but draweth nigh to the heavenly Nature As Rome was an Epitome of the World as Athens was the Greece of Greece and as one said to his Friend who desired to see Athens Viso Solone vidisti omnia when thou hast seen Solon thou hast seen all Athens So man is a little World and is therefore called every Creature Mark 16 15. and the Saints in whom Gods Image is repaired are called All things Colos 1.20 Christ being unto them All and in all Vers 6. Thou madest him to have dominion c. He had so at first Gen. 1.26 and shall have again Zech. 8.12 Rev. 21.7 mean while though Rebellis facta est Creatura homini quia homo numini the Creature rebelleth against man because man doth against God yet we cannot but see some foot-steps remaining of that ancient Soveraignty Tully Plutarch Eâ—ncus which the very Heathens also acknowledged and there-hence fetched excellent Arguments for a Providence Lions hate Apes but fear men though Simia quam similis turpissima bestia nobis Hereof no probable reason can be given but this That God hath put all things under mans feet insomuch as that the most timerous men dare kick and beat the hugest Elephants Indeed by reason of Sin as was said we see not all things subdued Heb. 12.8 But why hath Nature denied to Horses Bodin Theat Nat. p 405. Asses Camels Elephants Deer c. a Gall which it hath given to Lions Wolves and other fierce Creatures Surely herein appeareth the wonderful Wisdom and goodness of God who hath done this that those so serviceable Creatures might be the better tamed and subdued by man Let man consider saith one well what excellency he hath lost through Adams fall and bewail his misery Let him also on the other side well weigh the grace bestowed on him in Christ and be joyful and thankful or mercy knowing this that if the Creatures be not now subjected unto us it is by reason of the Body and relicks of Sin that yet remain in us and that therefore if we would have a conquest over the Creatures we must begin first to get a victory upon sin or else we shall never profit that way Thou hast put all things under his feet The Earth hath its name from treading upon it teaching us Terra à teendo 1 To trample upon earthly things as base and bootless not to dote upon them with out hearts nor grasp them over greedily with our hands as that covetous Cardinal Sylberperger who took so great felicity in Mony that when he was grievously tormented with the Gout his only remedy to ease his pain was to have a Bason full of Gold set before him into which he would put his lame hands turning the Gold upside down But if Silver and Gold be a mans happiness then it is in the earth and so which is strange nearer Hell than Heaven and so nearer the Devil than God The ancient Romans had for a difference in their Nobility a little ornament in the form of a Moon to shew that all worldly things were mutable and they wore it upon their shooes to shew that they trod all under their feet 2. By this posture of all things sunder mans feet God would teach him to use them as a Stirrop for the raising of his heart to those things above A sanctified fancy can make every Creature a Ladder to Heaven and say with that Father Si tanti vitreum quanti verum margaritum If this trash be so highly esteemed of how much more the true Treasure Vers 7. All Sheep and Oxen c. There are Beasts ad esum et ad usum saith one Some are profitable dead not alive as the Hogge some alive not dead as the Dogge Horse c. some both as the Oxe
and thereby to hearten one another The Romans also did the like and would not desist till they had an auspicious answer hence also they called a sacrifice hostiam because when they went against their enemies they offered it And accept thy burnt sacrifice Or turn it to ashes and so seal up his acceptance or make it fat i. e. take delight in it as men do in fat things full of marrow saith R. Solomon Selah This is added to shew saith Vatablus with how great fervency the people ought to pray for their King Vers 4. Grant thee according to thine own heart Davids heart was according to Godsheart otherwise this had not been a warrantable Petition and therefore might say and the people on his behalf as once Luther did Fiat voluntas mea mea Domine quiatua Let my will be done mine I say Lord because the same with thine And fulfill all thy counsel Answer thee ad cardinem desiderii as a Father expresseth it Aug. Confes li. 5. c. 8. Let it be unto thee even as thou wilt Sometimes God doth not only grant a mans prayer but fulfilleth his counsel that is in that very way by that very means which his judgment pitcht upon in his thoughts Vers 5. We will rejoyce in thy salvation i. e. We are well assured that God will save us by thee O King and that shall produce a general joy amongst us This confidence Prayer had begotten in them for it is a sure grain and if men would sow more of it in Gods bosome they should not fail ro reap the fruit and comfort of it in their greatest need Pray that your joy may be full And in the name of our God will we set up our Banners Our Flaggs of defiance to the enemie or our tokens of triumph to Gods glory who hath given us the Victory The Romans when they had conquered an enemy rode in triumph to the Capitol where in all humility they presented a Palm or Laurel-bush to Jupiter Vers 6. Now know I that c. This is Vox populi I that is All we but they speak as if they had been all one and had uttered it all with one mouth such was their unity and concent in prayer Or it is sermo uniuscujusque in Israele as Kimchi will have it the triumph of their trust He will hear him from his holy heaven c. He will hear him he will do for him Haec due sunt documenta saith Junius by these two ways besides the Word the Church comes to know the grace and good will of her God Vers 7. Some trust in Chariots c. i.e. in their National accommodations and military provisions but these were never true to those that trusted them All is but an arm of flesh But we will remember c. i. e. in the remembrance of his excellent Attributes whereof we have had such proof we will take courage Vers 8. They are brought down c. They lyc flat by the fall they have taken being confuted in their confidences as Benhadad was of old as a late the French at the Battle of Agincourt Sigismund the young King of Hungary and many others But we are risen Who before seemed to lye along Et tanquam sideratos humi serpere God helpeth his when forsaken of their hopes almost Vers 9. Save Lord A short but pithy prayer Quam multa quam paucis Let the King hear us They beg of God that the King may hear them so as to govern and defend them in equity and tranquillity or Respondeat Rex so Aben-Ezra readeth it Let the King say Amen to our prayers to thee and our requests to him PSAL. XXI VErs 1. The King shall joy in thy strength This Psalm dependeth upon the former and is therefore fitly set next unto it Some call it Davids Triumphant Song of praise for victory gotten over the Ammonites and Syrians For that Victory it was certainly which he and the people had begged so fervently Psal 20. and promised solemnly to rejoyce in Gods Salvation c. vers 5. as here is done accordingly Vow and perform unto the Lord your God bring presents c. Psal 76.11 And in thy salvation All is Gods As Joab once sent to David to come and take the honour of the Victory over Rabbah of the Ammonites so dealeth David by the Lord. His Posie was Non nobis Domine his practise was to drive an holy trade between Earth and Heaven receiving and returning importing one commodity and transporting another Prayers and Praises were his whole life Vers 2. Thom hast given him his hearts desire Good mâ—n are sure to have out their prayers either in mony or in monies worth as they say in that very thing they desire or a better If God cross them it is in faithfulness to their Souls when the wicked boasteth of his hearts desire Psal 10.3 which yet he hath for a mischief Deus saepe dat iratus quod neg at propitius See the Note on Psal 20.4 And hath not with-holden c. Selah Ac si dicat O magnam admirabilem Dei benevolentiam erga Davidem saith Vatablus This Selah is added here to set forth the very great and wonderful love of God to David in hearing his Sutes after that sort Vers 3. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness Not staying till he asked them of thee He had but a thought of building thee an house and thou sentest Nathan to tell him that thou wouldst build him an everlasting house and stablish his Throne to all perpetuity 2 Sam. 7.16 So Isa 65.1 Before they call I will answer c. Thou settest a Crown of pure gold upon his head Hebrai dicunt per hoc intelligi favorem Dei the Jew-Doctors by this Crown understand the favour of God confer Psal 103.4 God had set a Crown of loving kindness and tender mercies upon his head by pardoning all his iniquities as it is there and he blesseth God for this as a farre better Crown than that which he took from off the head of the King of Ammon and set upon his own 2 Sam. 12.30 Vers 4. He asked life of thee Quando fugiebat à Saule saith R. Solomon when he fled from Saul rather when he went into the field against his enemies carrying his life in his hand His life we begged Psal 20.1 2. and thou hast not only given him his life but a long continued series of lives in his Successors 2 Sam. 7.13 Psal 72.15 yea life everlasting in Christ his Son according to the flesh See Psal 61.6 Thus God is better to his people than their prayers and when they ask but one Blessing he answereth them as Naaman did Gehezi with Nay take two Hezekiah asked but one life and God gave him fifteen years which we reckon at two lives and more He giveth liberally and like himself as Great Alexander did when he gave the poor Begger a City and when hee sent his School-master
Ark of the Covenant hitherto transportative into the place of its rest Psal 132.14 Certain it is that the Saints those living Temples of the Lord are here called upon to lift up their hearts in the use of holy ordinances yea therein to bee abundantly lifted up through faith with a joyfull and assured wel-come of the King of Glory who will thereupon come in to them by the ravishing operation of his love benefits and graces Vers 8. Who is this King of glory The gates are brought in as asking this question saith R. David This is the Angells admiration at the comming in of Christs humanity into Heaven saith Diodate Rather it is the question of the faithfull concerning the person of their King whom they hereby resist not but for their further confirmation desire to bee better informed of Him and his never-enough adored excellencies The Lord strong Jehovah the Essentiator the Eternall God the most mighty and puissant Warriour who if hee do but arise only his enemies are scattered and all that hate him flie before him Psal 68.1 Vers 9. Lift up your heads c. See Vers 7. And learn that in matters of moment wee must be more than ordinary earnest and importunate with our selves and others Vers 10. Who is this King of glory The best are acutè obtusi in the mystery of Christ crucified and must therefore by study and inquiry grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 praying for that Spirit of wisdome and revelation for the acknowledgement of him Ephes 1.17 The Lord of Hoasts Hee who hath all Creatures at his beck and check the Lord of Sabaoth Rom. 9.29 Jam. 5.4 where the word signifying hoasts or armes is used untranslated because well understood both by Jews and Gentiles as is also Hosanna Hallelujah Amen PSAL. XXV A Psalm of David An excellent Psalm the second of those seven called by the Ancients penitentiall and such as may well serve us for a pattern of our daily prayers Beza as wherein David beggeth three things answerable to those two last petitions in the Lords prayer first Pardon of sin secondly Guidance of Gods good Spirit thirdly Defence against his enemies It appeareth that this Psalm was made by David when hee was well in years vers 7. after his sin in the matter of Vriah that great iniquity as hee calleth it vers 11. saith Vatablus and some gather from vers 19. that hee framed this Psalm when Absolom was up in armes against him vers 19. compared with Psal 3.1 See also vers 15. 22. It may seem therefore that when hee came to Mahanaim a Sam. 17.24 27. where God shewed him marvellous loving kindnesse in a strong City Psal 31.21 and where-hence hee was at the peoples request to succour them or to cause them to bee helped viz by his hearty prayers for Gods assistance 2 Sam. 18.3 he composed this Psalm with more than ordinary artifice viz. in order of Alphabet as hee hath done also some few others both for the excellencie of the matter and likewise for help of memory for which cause also St. Matthew summeth up the genealogie of Christ into three fourteenes all helps being but little enough Nazianzen and Sedulius have done the like the former in his holy Alphabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and the latter in his Hymn A Solis ortus cardine Beatus auâ—tor saeculi c. Vers 1. Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul i. e. Praeparo cor meum Ad te orand non ad Idola saith R. Solomon My heart maketh its faithfull addresses to thee and not any other with strength of desire and delight with earnest expectation and hope of relief See Jer. 22.27 Deut. 24.15 Psal 86.5 Cyprian saith that in the primitive times the Minister was wont to prepare the peoples minds to pray Cyp. de orat by prefacing Sursum corda Lift up your hearts The Jews at this day write upon the walls of their Synagogues these words Tephillah belo cavannah ceguph belo neshamah That is Buxtorf abbreviar A prayer without the intention of the affection is like a body without a soul and yet their devotion is a meer out-side saith One a brainlesse head and a soulelesse body Spec. Euâ— Antiquum obtinent Isa 29.13 This people draweth nigh to mee with their lipps but their heart is farre from mee A carnall man can as little lift up his heart in prayer as a moul can flye A David finds it an hard task sith the best heart is lumpish and naturally beareth downward as the poise of a clock as the lead of a net Let us therefore lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset it and pray God to draw us up to himself as the load-stone doth the Iron c. Vers 2. O my God I trust in thee I pray in faith which is as the fire and my prayer as the flame that ariseth out of it Faith is the foundation of prayer and prayer is the fervency of faith Now David knew that the hand of faith never knocketh at the gate of grace in vain Let mee not bee ashamed Shame is the Daughter of disappointment This David deprecateth Quaeque repulsa gravis see Job 6.20 Let not mine enemies triumph over mee By saying that I pray to no purpose as Rabshakeh did Isa 35.6 I say saith Hezekiah I have words of my lipps prayer prayer but alasse what 's that more than empty words an aiery nothing Counsel and strength are for the battel Thus Hee Vers 3. Yea let none that wait on thee bee ashamed Be nosed and twitted with my disappointments as they are sure to be if I be repulsed by thee and worsted by mine enemies all thy praying people shall have it cast in their teeth and laid in their dish Let them bee ashamed which transgresse without cause Let shame bee sent to the right owner even to those that deal disloyally unprovoked on my part And so it was for Achitophel hanged himself Absoâ—om was trussed up by the hand of God and dispatcht by Joab the people that conspired with him partly perished by the sword and partly fled home much ashamed of their enterprize Oh the power of prayer what may not the Saints have for asking Vers 4. Shew mee thy wayes O Lord q. d However other men walk towards mee yet my desire is to keep touch with thee for which purpose I humbly beg thy best direction See Exod. 33.13 Isa 2.3 Teach mee thy paths Assues ac me inure mee to thy paths Sicut parvulus ad ambulandum assuetus saith Kimchi as a little one is taught to find his feet Vers 5. Lead mee in thy Truth and teach mee i. e. Assiduè doce urge David was a great proficient in Gods School and yet he would learn more so sweet is divine knowledge Four times together here prayeth David to bee further instructed See Moses in like
Origen Nusquam non ardet faith Erasmus sed nusquam est ardentior quam ubi Christi sermones actusque tractet that he was ever earnest Praefat. ad Origen opera but most of all when he discoursed of Christ Of Johannes Mollias a Bononian it is said Act. Mon. sol 855. that whensoever he spake of Jesus Christ his eyes dropped for hee was fraught with a mighty fervency of Gods holy Spirit and like the Baptist he was first a burning boyling or bubling and then a shining light Ardor mentis est lux Doctrinae I speak of the things which I have made touching the King Or I will speak in my works that is in this Psalm concerning the King viz. Salomon and Him that is greater than Salomon in all his glory Christ the King of the Church Works he calleth this Poem not for the greatnesse but for the exquisitenesse thereof it being breve longum planeque aureum utpote in quo universa pane salutis nostrae mysteria continentur as containing almost all the mysteries of mans salvation My tongue is the pen of a ready writer i. e. I will roudly and readily relate what I have so well ruminated and dexterously deliver my most mature meditations concerning the mystical marriage of Christ and his Church This is a good president for Preachers Demosthenes would have such a one branded for a pernicious man to the Common-wealth who durst propose any thing publickly which hee had not before-hand seriously pondered And Aristides being pressed to speak to something propounded ex tempore answered propound to day and I will answer to morrow for we are not of those that spit or spue up things c. Vers 2. Valde palchiuiâ—i Vat. Thou art fairer than the Children of men Heb. Thou art double-fairer the Hebrew word is doubled ad corroborandum faith Kimchi It may very well be that Salomon was for his beauty another Nireus and for his eloquence another Nestor Lentulus ad Senat. ap Magdeb. cent 1. wisdom might make his face to shine Of Christ we are sure that his body being of the finest temperament and no way diseased could not be but very beautifull The Roman register reporteth him to have been of a reverend countenance his stature somewhat tall his hair after the colour of the ripe hazel-nut his forehead smooth and plain his face without wrinkle mixt with moderate red his eyes gray various and clear c. Surely if Stephens face was as the face of an Angel and if with his bodily eyes he could peirce the heavens and see there what he would How much more could the Lord Christ whose very manhood came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could be His very countenance did expresse a divinity in him And what if to the Jews who esteemed him not but maligned him and crucified him he had neither form nor beauty Isa 53.2 what if he were so broken at thirty three years of age with continuall paids and grief for them that they judged him wel-nigh fifty Job 8.57 yet he was every way compleat and comely above all the Children of men yea above all the Angells in heaven for in him the Godbâ—â—d dwelt bodily Col. 2.9 and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truâ—h Joh. 3.14 His soul was like a rich pearl in a rough shell like the Tabernacle Goats-hair without but gold within or as Erutus his staff enjus insue soliduns aurum â—ernto vilabatur cortice He was all glorious within had a fullness of grace above that of Adam Joh. 1.16 as much as a Creature was capable of Plutarch and more near familiarity with the Godhead than any creature Grace is poured into shy lips So that thou canst gracefully deliver thy self in a set speech Solomen could no doubt as another Phacion or Pericles in whose lips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Eupolis sat a strange perswasive faculty so that he could prevail with the people at his pleasure Jesus Christ could much more do so for together with his words there went forth a power he spoke as never man spake he spoke with authority and not as the Scribes all that heard him wondred at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth Luk. 4.22 Isa 50.4 Therefore God bath blessed thee Or better because that God hath blessed thee and endowed thee with such gifts and graces Vers 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty This is one of Christs titles Isa 9.6 the Giant or the mighty strong God O Herosâ— the valliant Champion of his Church And his sword is the word of his mouth Rev. 1.16 Heb. 4.12 Isa 49.2 All the wars in the conquest of Canaan were types of the spirituall wars under the Gospel whereby the Nations were subdued to the obedience of the faith 2 Cor. 10.4 Ephes 6.11 Christ hath his sword then a two-edged sword and he is here called upon to gird it to his thigh after the manner of those Easterlings as we do our skeans bangers woodknives that is to take unto him his authority and to exercise it for the conversion of his people and confusion of his enemies Additur â—i gladius quem non ostentet velut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed quem etium destring at A sword hee hath not for shew but for service whence it is added with thy glory and thy Majesty Equita super verbum veritâ—tis Vers 4. And in thy Majesty ride prosperously Heb. Prosper thou ride thou upon the Word of truth of meeknesse and of Righteousnesse q. d. Ride thou in thy triumphant Charret as it were drawn by those three glorious graces Truth Meeknesse and Righteousnesse and governed by the Word as by the Charter-man Cui divinissim a allegorie explicand a pro rei gravisate ac dignitate integro volumine opus esset saith Bâ—za For the explaining of which most divine allegory according to the worth of it a whole volume might well be full written The Kings of the earth for most part have their Charrets drawn by other horses viz. Pride Ambition Cruelty c. as Sesostres King of Egypt Qui Pharios currus regum cervicibus egit And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things i. e. Shall inable thee to perform them Christ riding on his white horse his Apostles and Preachers went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Salomon was no such sword-man as was Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 5. Thine arrows are sharp c. Peters converts were pricks at heart Act. 1. Act. 7.54 and Stephens heaters were cut to the heart Christ can fetch in his rebelts afarre off he hath arrowes as well as a sword to wound them that men may either bend or break yeeld or become his footstool One way or other he will surely have the better of them Vers 6. Thy throne O God Here the Prophet
Heb. They have stricken a Covenant viz. with oaths and solemn ceremonies cutting the Sacrifice in twain Virg. Aeneid 8. and passing between the parts thereof as Jer. 34.18 caesa jungebant faedera porca Vers 6. The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites c. Exercitu ex variis gentibus couflato at odds amongst themselves and yet well agreed for a mischief to the Church who might ever well say as the Hare in Martiall In me omnis terraeque aviumque marisque rapina est Forsitan caeli si canis astra tenet As Dogs fighting and intertearing one another can give over and joyn together to follow the harmlesse Hare that passeth by them so here If Manasseh be against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh yet they will be both against Judah And the Hagarens Who came also of Hagar as well as the Isamaelites but were a distinct people and would be called Saracens Saracens in Arabick is Theeves from Sarah the freewoman for honour sake as if the Promises made to Abraham and Sarah had belonged to them Ptolomy maketh mention of the Saracens and placeth in Arabia the seat of the Hagarens where there is also a City called Agra of Hagar likely Aben-Ezra saith they came of Agar by another husband The Chaldee calleth them Hungarians Vers 7. Gebal and Ammon and Amalec Sic enarrae enumerat inimieos decem conglobatos Answerable whereunto were the ten Kings of Christendome Ezek. 27.9 who gave their power to the beast Gebal might be the inhabitants of Gabel a City of Phenicia saith Stephanus or of Syria saith Strabo which Volaterran saith was called Gibel in his time but anciently Biblus See Josh 13.5 Vers 8. Assur also is joyned with them The Chaldee paraphraseth Sennacherib also the King of Ashur c. So doth the Turk with the Churches enemies howbeit Italy is the mark he shooteth at and the Protestants have the happiness as also America to be further out of his way and no part of his present aim for the greatest part of them Vers 9. Do unto them as unto the Medianites And how that was see Judg. 7. 8. Judg. 4. Preces sunt bombar de instrumenta bellica Christianorum saith Luther Vers 10. Who perished at Endor A place in the Tribe of Manasseh near unto that ancient River the River Kison Judg. 17.1 Sam. 28. They became as dung They lay unburied rotted above ground and were spred as compost upon soil Vers 11. Make their Nobles like Oreb and like Zeeâ— Oreb signifieth a Crow Zeeb a Wolf Zeboh a cut-throat Zalmunna a forbidder of shadow or quiet to his subjects fit names for Tyrants and persecuters of Gods people Vers 12. Let us take to our selves the houses of God Covetous Impropriatours and Oppressours have learned this language Possidebant Papistae possident Rapistae saith One wittily Vers 13. Captia card â—orum O my God make them like a wheel Heb. Like a rouling thing such as is thistle-down saith R. Solomon Gr. like a top Torque illos in modum trochi whirle them about as boyes do their tops As the stubble As before he had brought examples so here similitudes to shew what he would have done to the enemy Vers 14. As the fire burneth a wood Maxime quando à vento flabellatur when blown up by a feirce wind it soon turneth a wood into a waste And as the flame setteth the mountains on fire Those sulphury mountains such as Aetna Vesuvius Peitramala a mountain in the highest part of the Apennines which perpetually burneth Il Mercuâ—io Ialico 178. say travellers Vers 15. So persecute them with thy tempest Turbina cos that they may stand or stay no where And make them afraid c. So fright them with thy heavy judgements that all their wit and courage wherewith they should help themselves may bee expectorated Vers 16. Fill their faces with shame By confounding their confidences and blasting their designs They promised themselves a triumph but let them have the canvass That they may seek thy name O Lord Ut in viti cogantur quis sit tam potens Jehovah rogitare that they may even in despight of their heads be compelled to inquire after thee It is storied of Sennacherib that after the destruction of his huge army at Jerusalem demanding of some about him what might be the reason that the unresistable God of Heaven so favoured the Jewish Nation as he had found by sad experience Bib. Castal Tabul answer was given that Abraham from whom they defended sacrificed unto him his only Son which purchased this Protection to his posterity If that will win him saith Hee I will spare him two of my sons to procure him to be on my side which Sharezer and Adrammelech his sons hearing of prevented their own deaths by his Vers 17. Let them be confounded c. This and the following verse are an exposition of the former verse The Rabbines have a saying nulla est objectio in Lege que non habet solutionem in latere The Scripture is its own interpreter Vers 18. That men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah The Essentiator Isa 44.6 with Act. 17.25 Rev. 1.4.8 The Jews pronounce not this name at all but use Adonai or Elohim for it The first among the Christians that pronounced it was Petrus Galatinus following the pronunciation of the Syriacks and Greeks Genebrard will have it pronounced Jahue and bitterly enveyeth against Beza and others as prophaners of Gods name who call God Jova or Jehova vocabulo novo saith he barbaro fictitio irreligioso Jovem Gentilium redolenâ—e It is very likely that of this holy and reverend name of God the Gentiles called their greatest God Jove and Jupiter Aug. de conseâ—s Evang. l. 1. c. 22. that is Jah-pater Pausanias also telleth us that the Poets thus sang unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Varro the learnedst of the Romans thought Jove to be the God of the Jews But he and all men should have known as here that Jehovah is God alone and so have sought to the Jews of whom alone was salvation Joh. 4.22 for better understanding in the things of Gods Kingdome acknowledging him to be the most High above all the earth and contemning minutulos istos deos modo Jovem sibi propitium haberet as another heathen said PSAL. LXXXIV A Psalm Of the same subject with the forth second and made when David was banished either by Saul or Absolom or else when busied abroad in his wars 2 Sam. 8. and so debarred from the use of Gods publick ordinances Vers 1. How amiable are shy Tabernacles viz. For thy Words lake that is there preached and thy worships there performed The Protestants at Lions in France called their place for publick meetings to serve God Hom. 36. aâ— 1 Cor. 14. Paradise Chrysostom calleth it the place of Angels and Archangels the Kingdome of God yea Heaven it self Another
they were first written And the people which shall be created Created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 Isa 51.16 his regenerated people For God planteth the heavens and layeth the foundations of the earth that be may say to Zion Thou art my people Vers 19. For he hath looked down from the height c. This is no small condescention sith he abaseth himself to look upon things in heaven Psal 113.6 From heaven did the Lord behold the earth That is his poor despised servants that are in themselves no better than the earth they tread on Vers 20. To hear the groaning of the prisoner Those prisoners of hope held so long captive in Babylon the cruelty whereof is graphically described Jer. 51.34 Vers 21. To declare the Name of the Lord in Zion This shall bee the business of the converted Gentiles to make up one Catholick Church with the Christian Jews and to bear a part in setting forth Gods worthy prayses See vers 18. Vers 22. When the people are gathered together sc to the Lord Christ For to Shilâ—â— shall be the gathering of the people Gen. 49.10 And the Kingdoms to serve the Lord As they did under Constantine the Great Valentinian Theodosius which three Emperors called themselves Vasalles Christi as Socrates reporteth the Vassals of Christ And the like may be said of other Christian Kings and Princes since who have yeelded professed subjection to the Gospel and cast their Crowns at Christs feet Vers 23. He weaâ—ned my strength in the way This is the complaint of the poor captives yet undelivered In via hoc est in vita quia bic sumus viatores in coelo comprehensores here wee are but on our way to heaven and wee meet with many discouragements He shortned my dayes viz. According to my account For otherwise in respect of God our dayes are numbred Stat sua cuique dies Vers 24. Take me not away in the midst of my dayes Heb. Make me not to ascend Serus in coelum redeam Fain I would live to see those golden dayes of Redemption Abraham desired to see the day of Christ Job 8. Simeon did and then sang out his soul All the Saints after the Captivity looked hard for the consolation of Israel Thy years are throughout all generations And that 's the comfort of thy poor Covenanters who are sure to participate of all thy goods Vers 25. Of old thou hast laid the foundation c. Here is a clear proof of Christs eternity Heb. 1.10 because he was before the creation of the world and shall continue after the consummation thereof vers 26 27. So the Saints a parte pest 1 Job 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Vers 26. They shall perish i.e. They shall change form and state being dissolved by the last fire 2 Pet. 3.7 10. But thou shalt endâ—re Heb. Stand and with thee thy Church Mat. 22.32 Yea all of them shall wax old as a garment Which weareth in the wearing so do the visible heavens and the earth what ever some write de constantia naturae Isaiah saith It rotteth as a book that is vener andae rubiginiâ— and wasteth away as smoak chap. 65.17 and 66.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tucetu Arab. At a vesture shalt thou change them The Greek hath roul them confer Isa 34 4. Vers 27. But thou art the same Therefore immutable because Eternall ut nihil tibi possit accedere vel decidere Vers 28. The children of thy servants shall continue By vertue of the Covenant and that union with thee which is the ground of communion If it could be said of Cesar that he held nothing to he his own that he did not communicate to his friends how much more of Christ Propterea bene semper sperandum etiamsi 〈◊〉 ruant the Church is immortal and immutable PSAL. CIII A Psalm of David Which he wrote when carried out of himself as far as heaven saith Beza and therefore calleth not upon his own soul onely but upon all creatures from the highest Angel to the lowest worm to set forth Gods praises Vers 1. Bless the Lord O my soul Agedum animulâ— mi intima mea visera A good mans work lyeth most within doors he is more taken up with his own heart than with all the world besides neither can he ever be along so long as he hath God and his own soul to converse with Davids Harp was not ofâ—ner out of tune than his heart which here he is setting right that he may the better make melody to the Lord. Musick is sweet but the setting of the strings in tune is unpleasing so is it harsh to set out hearts in order which yet must be done and throughly done as here And all that is within me All my faculties and senses The whole soul and body must be set a work in this service the judgement to set a right estimate upon mercies the memory to recognize and retain them Dent. 6 11 12. and 8.14 the Will which is the proper seat of thankfulness the affections love desire joy confidence all must bee actuated that our praises may be cordial vocal vital In peace-offerings God called for the sat and inwards Vers 2. Bless the Lord O my soul David found some dulness and drowsiness hence he so oft puts the thorn to the breast hence he so impeâ—â—ously instigateth his soul as One shere phraseth it And forget not all his benefits Forgetfulness is a grave look to it Eaten bread is soon forgotten with us as it is with children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pinâ—u neither perisheth any thing so soon with many as a good turn Alphonsus King of Arragon professed that hee wondred not so much at his Courtiers ingratitude to him who had raised many of them from mean to great estates which they little remembred as at his own to God Vers 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities David not only taketh upon him with an holy imperiousness laying Gods charge upon his soul to be thankful but intending to shew himself good cause why to be so he worthily beginneth with remission of fin as a complexive mercy and such as comprehendeth all the rest He had a Crown of pure gold set upon his head Psal 21. But here hee blesseth God for a better Crown vers 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindness c. And how was this Crown set on his head but by forgiving all his iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Corporal and spiritual Quod saniâ—as in corpore id sanctitas in corde Jehovah Rophe or the Lord the Physician as he is called Exod. 15.26 cureth His people on both fides maketh them whole every whit See Isa 19.22 Mat. 8.17 He bore out diseases Vers 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction From hell saith the Chaldee from a thousand deaths and dangers every day All this Christ our kind kinsman doth for us dying
administration whereof Christs Birth-dew that is the influence of his Spitis and his presence in those Ordinances is from the womb of the morning i.e. is of that generating and enlivening vertue that the dew of the teeming morning is to the seeds and plants of the earth An apt similitude both to express the multitude of Christâ— converts and the manner of their heavenly generation See Mac. 5.7 with the Note Vers 4. The Lord hath sworn c. Christs Priestly Office as well as his Kingly is here described whereof how many and how great mysteries there are see Heb. 7. with the Notes The Church is collected and conserved not onely by Christs Kingly power but also by his Priestly mediation Thou art a Priest 1. To expiate 2. To intercede After the order of Melchisedeck Who whether he were Shem or some other is not easie to determine Melchisedeck was a King and a Priest Christ was more a Priest a Prophet and a King These Offices have met double in some others as Melchisedech was King and Priest Samuel a Priest and a Prophet David a King and a Prophet but never met all three in any but in Christ alone Vers 5. The Lord at thy right hand Before Christ was at the Fathers right hand here the Father at his this is to shew the equality of the Father and the Son falsh Hierom. Athanasius by Lord here understandeth the Holy Ghost Others by thy right hand will have the Church to be meant who is promised protection and victory The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battel vers 5. compel them to flye and turn their backs vers 6. pursue them flying vers 7. as Judg. 7.5 c. Vers 6. He shall judge among the heathen Do execution upon his enemies as vers 1. whether Kings or Caitives He shall fill the places The ditches of their own camps He shall wound the heads Heb. Head cruontabit caput whereby some understand the Roman Empire with its Image Antichrist with his adherents who are called Heathens Rev. 11.2 Others Turks and Saracens reading the next words Over the land of Rabbab the chief City of the Ammonites who were likewise Arabians and so they make it an allusion to Davids victories over the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 12. Vers 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way i. e. Of the wrath of the Almighty Viver paupâ—rem vitem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysâ—st Aeâ—umnas omnes dutisâ— mae militiae perferet Beâ— pointing to Christs state of humiliation as in the next words to his exaltation Or he shall content himself with a low condition here such as was that of Eliâ—â— when he drank of the brook I King 17. Or in the eager pursuit of his enemies he shall drink hastily of the water next at hand i.e. as Gideon and his Souldiers did Therefore shall be lift up the hand Maugre the heads of his enemies he shall rise again reign and triumph and so shall all his members after that through many â—â—ibulations they have entred into the Kingdom of heaven Christs and their 〈◊〉 but a drinking of the brook not a spring of water for perpetuity they are 〈◊〉 a dark entry into out Fathers house a dirty lane to a stately Pallace shut but your eyes as that Martyr at the stake said and there will be a change immediately Look how the Disciples after they had taken Christ into the ship were presently at shore after a Tempest So the Saints have no sooner taken death into their besomes but they are landed presently at the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 at the Kingdome of heaven PSAL. CXI Vers 1. 〈◊〉 ye the Lord At the 〈◊〉 especially for this and the other Hallelujatical Psalms that follow called by the Jews the Great Hallelujah were sung as that and other solemn 〈◊〉 in praise of God for his manifold mercies I will praise the Lord Musica hujuâ— Psalmi insignis est siquis com consequi potuit The great are used in the composure of this and some other Psalms after the order of the Hebrew Alphabet serveth both to set forth their excellency and for the help of memory Vers 2. The works the Lord aye great Magnalia no small things are done by so great a hand Grandior solet esse Deus in parvulis quam in magnis in formic is major anima quam in Elephantis in nanis quam in gigantibus Sought out of all them q.d. Great though they be yet are they seriously sought into and found out by those that delight therein and the deeper they dive into them the sweeter they find them Basil diligently described many creatures and so did Ambrose after him Pliny who was himself a very great searcher in Natures secrets telleth of one who spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Et non duns assecutus sit omnies and yet could not attain to all Our Anatomists find still new wonders in the body of a man c. God hath shewed singular skill in his works that men might admire him But woe to such as regard not his handy-work Isa 5.12 Vers 3. His work is honourable Heb. Honour and glory they all come tipt and gilt with a glory upon them à centro ad coelum This the bruitish man knoweth not Psal 92.6 His righteousness endureth for ever His judgements are sometimes secret but alwayes just Vers 4. He hath made his wonderful c. Memorabilia reddedit mirabilia sua clemens misericors Jehova Vers 5. He bath given meat Heb. a prey Escam demensam as he did Manna to the Israelites to each an Homer so to all his he giveth food convenient for them Prov. 30.8 Cibum petum quae sunt divitiae Christianorum Hieron He will ever be mindful of his Covenant To pass by his peoples sins and to supply all their necessities All his pathes to such are not mercy onely but truth Psal 25. Vers 6. He hath shewed his people c. To them it is given to see but not to others who are delivered up to a judiciary blindness Call unto me and I will answer theâ— and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 That he may give them c. Yea power over all Nationâ— Rev. 2. Vers 7. The works of his hands They speak him a true and just God Chrysostome taketh truth here for mercy and noteth that God usually mixeth mercy with justice yet sometimes he sendeth an evil an onely evil Ez. k. 7. All his commandements That is his promises added to his commandements or they are so called because firm and sure as the commandements of an Emperor Vers 8. They stand fast for ever and ever The promises are infallible good sure hold not yea and nay but Yea and Amen And are done i.e. Ordained made and ratified Vers 9. He sent redemption to his people Once out of Egypt ever out of Satans thraldome He hath commanded his Covenant for ever Sic cum
Jer. 33.25 Thou hast established See Job 26.7 with the Note Vers 91 They continue this day God never brake promise with them Jer. 33.20 25. much lesse will hee with his people for whose use hee made them For all are thy servants All creatures are at Gods beck and check except evill Angels and men those great Heteroclites who yet do Gods will though against their own wills Vers 92 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 had been my delight Unless it had been setled in my heart as well as it is in Heaven for my singular comfort I had been crusht I should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long 〈◊〉 have perished The Laâ—-grave of Hâ—ssâ—n told mee at 〈…〉 saith 〈◊〉 that it had been impossible for him to have born up under the manifold miseries of so long an imprisonment 〈…〉 verbe divine in sue cords 〈…〉 of the Scripâ—â—es in his heart Joh. Manl. loc com â—39 Vers 93 〈…〉 That is thy promises which are aâ— fire and firm as the commands of the most absolute Monarch upon earth And here the Prophet proposeth his own example for a pattern to others for as Pacatus writeth in his Panegyrick to Theodosius the Emperour blandissime jubetur exemplo examâ—â—â—s are sweet Precepts For with them thou hast quickened mee Thou hast fetcht mee again when ready to faint as vers 92. Vers 94 I am thine save mee Every man will see to his own unless hee bee worse than an Infidel and shall not God For I have sought thy Precepts And can thereby prove my self to bee Thine Where it is implyed that all that wee are to seek in our obedience are the Precepts themselves the thing especially wee are to aim at is obedience it self to the Precepts Vers 95 The wicked have waited Nothing less than destruction will satisfie Persecutors but the Lord knows how to deliver his Peters out of the hands of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews Act. 12.11 2 Pet. 2.9 But I will consider thy Testimonies And therewith hearten and harden my self against their insolencies and attempts for my hurt Vers 96 I have seen an end of all Perfection viz. Here below Tempora tacta ruunt praetoria Fairest buildings strongest persons goodliest Empires have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine Omnis finis finem vidi Syr. Interp. Omnia sunt hominum tenui pendentia filo Et subito casu quae valuere ruunt Omniae fortunae variis stant obvia telis Aut â—tiam longo tempore victa cadunt But thy Commandement is exceeding broad It is endlesse infinite perpetuall and withall of largest extent witness that of Charity which is the complement of the Law and the supplement of the Gospel David though hee had proceeded further in the discovery of divine truths than those before him vers 99. yet hee was still to seek of that which might bee known Like as those great discoverers of the new found land confess still a Pâ—â—â—-uâ—tra Vers 97 O how love I thy Law Such a pang of love hee felt as could not otherwise bee vented but by a patheticall Exclamation and this was wrought in him by the thought of the largeness and lastingness of Gods law Plato prized one book called Sophron above all the rest whereof hee had many Richard de Bury Bish of Durham as hee had more Books than all the Bishops of England besides so in his Book called Philobiblos hee saith of himself ecstatico quodam librorum amore potenter se esse abreptum that he was carried out of himself by love to good books Floruit anno 1333. but not so much as David was to Gods blessed book Queen Elizabeth at her Coronation received the Bible presented unto her with both her hands and kissing it laid it to her breast saying that the same had ever been her chiefest delight c. Speed It is my meditation all the day Sive locutio commentatio occupatio my daily discourse study or imployment as love is never idle Vers 98 Thou through thy Commandements hast made mee wiser than mine enemies So that I outwit them and mine holy simplicity is too hard for their sinfull subtlety Bee wise as Serpents For they are ever with mee Heb. It is ever with mee that is every one of thy Commandements I am expert in them Or It is mine I have made them mine own by meditation I have turned them in succum sanguinem I have incorporated them as it were into my soul Vers 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers i. e. I have understood by much reading more than they ever taught mee whilst I referred all to practise and so came to know more of Gods mind than they did A friend saith Chrysostom that is acquainted with his friend will get out the meaning of a letter or phrast which another could not that is a stranger so it is in the Scripture Act. Mon. And here Indocti 〈◊〉 calum a pious swain is better learned than a proud Philosopher faith a certain devout Dominican Our King Alfred was held the best in all his Kingdome both for understanding and for 〈◊〉 the holy Scriptures For thy Testimonies are my meditation I do particularly apply the word heard to mine own necessities and work it upon mine affections by an after deliberate meditation Vers 100 I understand more than the Ancients Whom yet Age Use and Experience have taught much but by the practicall study of the Word I ouâ—-go them all with reference to these hoary heads the seniours of the Synedriâ—â— bee it spokens Non prelixa facit sapiâ—â—â— baâ—â— Vers 101 I have refrained my feet c. I have clapt up my unruly affections close prisoners and hampered them abandoning every errour in Judgement and enormity in practise That I may keep thy word Which I shall never do but by self-denyall and mortification Vers 102 I have not departed from thy judgements i.e. From thy Law which is called Judgements because God will thereby judge the World For thou hast taught mee scil To cleave close unto thee with full purpose of heart and not to bee drawn aside by any either Allurement or Affrightment Vers 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste Heb. To my Palat. Syr. caâ—is gutturis mei the roof of the mouth resembleth Heaven Epicurus was worthily blamed by Ennius for that â—um palatâ— quid sit optimum judicabat cali palatium non suspexerit whiles hee looked so much to his palate hee looked not at all to the heavenly palace David was no Hog of his heard hee had sweet meats to feed on that the World was not aware of Yea sweeter than hony to my mouth Mercuries Priests were wont to say when they did eat their figs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is sweet The Comaedian saith after Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light is sweet The pleasures of the mind are far beyond those of the body Vers 104 Through thy Precepts I get
sure These words are faithfull and true Rev. 22.6 from the one end of the Bible to the other Some render it thus Thy most excellent Word is Truth This most excellent word Kimchi interpreteth to bee particularly that in the head or preface to the Decalogue Hear O Israel Jehova thy God Jehova is One. Theodoret will have it to be that promise made to Abraham that in his seed all Nations of the earth should bee blessed Some read it every chapter of thy Word is Truth Vers 161 Princes have persecuted mee without a cause And Quae venit indignè poena dolenda venit But better without a cause than for evill doing 1 Pet. 4. David suffered by these Potentates because hee was small and despised vers 141. as a little dog is worried by the bigger as the lesser fishes are devoured by the greater But my heart standeth in awe of thy Word The fear of God driveth out the fear of the creature Isa 8.12 13. Vers 162 I rejoyce at thy Word Libenter omnibus omnes opes concesserim c. Epist lib. 9. I would gladly leave all the wealth in the World to others said Tully so that I might without disturbance live and dye in the study of learning What marvell then that David was so taken with heavenly learning As one that findeth great spoil Which as it commeth oft unexpectedly and is therefore the better welcome so the profit is usually very great as was at the sack of Constantinople and the pleasure besides the honour is no lesse than the profit because gotten from an enemy George Fransperg a Generall in the Imperiall Army Hâ—st of the Counc of Trent p. 43â— under the conduct of Charles Burbon that sacked Rome in the time of Pope Clement the seventh caused an halter to be carried near his colours saying that with that hee would hang the Pope the better to incourage his souldiers who were almost all Lutherans whom hee promised to lead to Rome shewing them the great opportunity they had to inrich themselves with the spoils of that City Vers 163 I hate and abhor lying Utitur atrâ—ci verbo abominatus sum I hate it as I hate hell it self and yet lying was Davids sin after a speciall manner See vers 29. with the Note But thy Law do I love All hatred comes from love of they contrary Yee that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97.10 Vers 164 Seven times a day do I praise thee Septies id est sâ—pissime very oft in the day whensoever God setteth mee up an Altar I am ready with my sacrifice Mahometans pray constantly five times a day those of Morocco six times Papists foolishly and superstitiously allege this text for their seven Canonicall houres as they call them The Jews pronounce an hundred benedictions ever day Leo Modena Vers 165 Great peace have they which love thy Law The fruit of Righteousness shall bee peace Isa 32.17 even the peace of God the joy of faith a heaped-up happiness And nothing shall offend them Heb. They shall have no stumbling-block non pereunt quicquid accidat Though they fall they shall arise for the Lord putteth under his hand Psal 37. Vers 166 Lord I have hoped for thy salvation This saying hee borrowed from good old Jacob Gen. 49.18 And done thy Commandements Done them as I could done them to divine acceptation through Christ and hence I have hoped 1 Job 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure Vers 167 My soul hath kept thy Testimonies scil As well as mortality will afford And I love them exceedingly I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Rom. 7.22 I trust I have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 Vers 168 I have kept thy Precepts All thy Laws are in my sight like as all my wayes are in thy sight I desire to approve my self to thee in the discharge of every part and point of my duty in all my wayes I acknowledge thee Pro 3.6 Here note that all along this 21 Octonarie the Psalmist propoundeth himself for a Pattern of piety Vers 169 Let my cry come near before thee O Lord That is as some will have it Let this whole preceding Psalm and all the petitions whereof wee have here a repetition therein contained bee highly accepted in Heaven Vers 170 Let my supplication c. The same again neither is this Battologie but fervency in begging audience Vers Semper 〈◊〉 171 My lips shall utter praise Eructabunt labia mea hymnum A Metaphor either from a fountain casting out waters vel a ructu qui cibum copiosum sequitur Vers 172 My Tongue shall speak True goodnesse is diffusive charity is no churl Vers 173 Let thy hand help mee To do what I have promised For I have chosen thy Precepts Refusing Satans cut throat kindnesse Vers 174. I have longed for thy Salvation So do all men but then David will take a right course for it so will not all And thy Law is my delight This the most men mind not Vers 175 Let thy Judgements help mee scil To Heaven together with Gods Word there goeth forth a power Vers 176 I have gone astray c. And of my self shall never return Seek thy Servant Do all the offices of a good Shepheard for mee Luk. 15. For I do not forget The root of the matter is still in mee I am recallable and ready to hear thy voice Job 10.3 PSAL. CXX A Song of degrees A most excellent Song Tremellius rendreth it and so indeed this and the fourteen following are both for the matter and for the form or manner of expression which is wondrous short and sweet as the very Epigrammes of the Holy Ghost himself wherein each verse may well stand for an oracle And in this sense Adam Hammahalah or a man of degrees is put for an eminent or excellent man 1 Chron. 17.17 Others understand it otherwise wherein they have good leave to abound in their own sense sith sine periculâ— hic erratur an errour here is not dangerous Vers 1 In my distresse I cryed unto the Lord Oration 〈…〉 est ut avis siâ—â— alis Distress addeth wings to our devotions Our Saviour being in an agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 So do all his members and especially when they lyâ— under the lash of a lying tongue as here vers 2. Being defamed wee pray saith Paul 1. Cor 4.15 And 〈…〉 The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5.16 Zâ—ch 13.9 Hee that prayeth ardently speedeth assuredly Psal 91.15 and the unmiscarrying return of prayer should bee carefully observed and thankfully improved Psal 66. ult Vers 2. Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips This was Davids distresse and it lay heavy upon his spirit so it did upon Jobs and Jeremies chap. 20.10 the scourge of tongues hee felt as sharp as Scorpions Of the mischief of an
so maketh it very fruitfull say Philosophers In which respects the Rabbines say that one day of Snow doth more good than five of Rain Hee scattereth the houre frost like 〈◊〉 When blown about by the winde It heateth also and dryeth as ashes the cold and moist earth nippeth the buds of trees c. â—mis monet â—em subesse â—â—m foveaâ— Vnde 〈◊〉 dicitur a 〈◊〉 saith 〈…〉 Vers 17 Hee casteth out his Ice like morsels Or Shivers of bread It is a 〈◊〉 saying of One from this text The lee is bread the Rain is drink the Snow is wool the Frost a Fire to the earth causing it inwardly to glow with heat teaching us what to do for Gods poor 〈…〉 Who can 〈◊〉 it when and where it is extreme especially as in Russia Freesland c. Vers 18. Hee sendeth out his word and melteth them See vers 13. Of the force of Gods word of command are given all the former instances Hee can as easily melt the hardest heart by his word made effectual to such a purpose by his holy Spirit If that wind do but blow the waters of penitent tears will soon flow as in Josiah 2 Chron. 34.27 See Zech. 12.10 Vers 19 Hee sheweth his word unto Jacob The Jews were Gods library keepers and unto them as a speciall favour were committed those lively and life giving oracles Rom. 3.2 there is a chiefly set upon it like as Luk. 12.48 to know the Masters will is the great talent of all other there is a much in that His Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel Even right Judgements true 〈◊〉 good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 See Rom. 9.4 5. Prospers conceit was that Judaei were so called because they received jus Dei the Law of God Vers 20 He hath not dealt so with any Nation He had not then but now blessed be God hee hath dealt so with many Nations in these last happy days of Reformation especially wherein the knowledge of Gods holy Word covereth the earth as the waters cover the Sea and of England it may bee said as once of the Rhodos somper in Sole situ est Rhodos that it hath the Sun ever shining upon it This wee should prize as a precious treasure and praise the Lord for it â—orde ore operâ— And as for his Judgements they have not known them And therefore lye in deadly darkness wherein though they wander wofully yet not so wide as to miss of hell PSAL. CXLVIII VErs 1 Praise the Lord And again Praise yee the Lord and so often in this and the rest of the Halelujaticall Psalms In praising God the Saints are unsatifiable and would bee infinite as his perfections are infinite so that they make a circle as one phraseth it the beginning middle and end whereof is Halelujah From the Heavens praise him in the heights Or high places As God in framing the World began above and wrought downward So doth the Psalmist in this his exhortation to all creatures to praise the Lord. Vers 2 Praise him all his Angells Whose proper office it is to adore and praise God Job 38.7 Isa 6.3 Heb. 1.6 which also they do constantly and compleatly as those that both perfectly know him and love him Jacob saw them 1 Ascending to contemplate and praise the Lord and minister to him Luk. 2.13 Dan. 7.10 Mat. 18.10 Psal 103.20 2 Descending to execute Gods will upon men for mercy to some and for Judgement to others which tendeth much to his praise And David by calling upon these heavenly courtiers provoketh and pricketh on himself to praise God Praise yee him all his Hoasts i e. His Creatures those above especially which are as his cavalry called his Hoasts for their 1 Number 2 Order 3 Obedience Verse 3. Praise yee him Sun and Moon These do after a sort declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 2. Habak 3.3 not with mind and affection as if they were understanding creatures as Plato held but by their light influences admirable motions and obedience whereby quasi mutis vocibus by a dumb kind of eloquence In Epimeniâ— saith Nazianzen they give praise to God and bid check to us for our dulness and disorders Praise him all yee stars of light A light then they have of their own besides what they borrow of the Sun which they with-hold at Gods appointment Isa 13.10 and influences they have which cannot bee restrained or resisted Job 38.31 32. Vers 4 Praise him yee Heavens of Heavens Whereby hee meaneth not the lowest Heavens the air whereon wee breath and wherein birds flye clouds swim c. as some would have it but the highest Heaven called by St. Paul the third Heaven the habitation of the crowned Saints and glorious Angels called by Philosopher calâ—â—â— Empyreum and hereby the Psalmist the Heavens of Heavens as King of Kings song of songs c. by an excestency See Deut. 10.14 And the waters that â—ee above the Heavens i. e. Above the air and that do distinguish betwixt the Air and the Sky as the 〈…〉 doth betwixt the Sky and the highest Heavens Superius supensae aquarum forniâ— Vers 5 For hee commanded and they were 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 only made all this is celebrated by that heavenly quite Rev. 4.11 Vers 6 Hee hath also established them for ever viz. The course and appointed motions of the Heavens which hee hath setled by a Covenant and hath not falsified with them Jer. 33.25 much less will hee with his faithfull people Vers 7 Praise the Lord from the earth The Psalmist proceedeth to factour for God among the inferiour creatures beginning with the lowest in the waters beneath as the Dragons oâ— great whales and then comming to Rain and Snow c. which are made out of the waters above Yee Dragons and all deeps Of Sea-Dragons See Aelian lib. 4. Animal cap. 12. they live partly in the Sea and partly on the land as do Crocodiles These also yeeld matter of Gods praise Vers 8 Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour This latter is the matter of those former meteors which hee purposely mingleth with those forementioned miracles of land and waters the more to set forth the power of God because these seem to have no setledness of subsistence and yet in them hee is made visible Stormy winds fulfilling his word The winds blow not at randome but by a divine decree and God hath ordered that whether North or South blow they shall blow good to his people Cant. 4.16 Hee saith to all his Creatures as David did to his Captains concerning Absolom Handle them gently for my sake Vers 9 Mountains and all hills These praise God by their form hugeness fruits prospects c. Fruitful trees These by the variety of their natures and fruits do notably set forth the wisdome power and goodness of the Almighty whilst they spend themselves and the principall part of their sap and moisture in bringing forth some pleasant berry or the like for the use of