vital energy of the Gospel God of his infinite mercy grant us all even for the sake and through the operation of his Son Jesus Christ that wonderful Counsellor that mighty God that Father of this Evangelical state that Prince and that God of peace to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed as is most due the honour the glory the power praise might majesty and dominion which through all ages of the world hath been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the Holy Spirit and to the Lamb for evermore Amen The II. SERMON MATTH 11.30 My yoke is easie and my burthen is light THat the Christian's Heaven should be acknowledged his only blissful state and yet they which pant for bliss never think fit to enquire after it That Christ the way to that heaven should be truly styled by one Prophet the desire of all Nations and yet they that look on him be affirm'd by another Prophet to see nothing in him that they should desire him That a rational creature should be made up of such contradictions as to desire life most importunately and yet as passionately to make love to death to profess such kindness to immaterial joyes and yet immerse and douz himself in carnal to groan and languish for Salvation i. e. an eternal state of purity and yet to disclaim and flie it whensoever any impure delight is to be parted with might have leave to exercise and pose a considering man were there not one clear account to be given of this prodigy one reason of this fury the many evil reports that are brought up of the way to this good land the prejudices fatal prejudices infused into us the vehement dislikes and quarrels to all Christian practice that only passage to our only bliss We have heard of an Angel with a flaming Sword at the gate of Paradise which our poetick fears and fancies have transformed into a Serpent at the door of the Hesperides garden that Angel fallen and turned into a Devil we have heard of the Cannibal Anakims in the confines of the promised Land that devour all that travel toward that Region and our cowardly sluggish aguish fancies have transplanted all these into Christendom made them but emblems of Christ's duri sermones the hard tasks unmerciful burthens that he laies on his Disciples yea and conjured up a many spirits and Fairies more sad direful apparitions and sent them out all a commanded Party to repel or to trash us to intercept or incumber our passage toward Canaan to pillage and despoil the Soul of all Christian practice of all that 's duty in Discipleship Three of these prejudices our Saviour seems to have foreseen and prevented in the words of this Text. 1. That there is no need of doing any thing in Discipleship Christ came to free from yokes to release from burthens the Gospel's made all of promises Obedience to precepts is a mere unnecessary And for the preventing of that prejudice you have here as a yoke and a burthen so both of Christ's owning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my yoke and my burthen A second prejudice of them that being forc'd to confess the necessity of Christian obedience do yet resolve it impossible to be perform'd discerning the burthens in my Text must have them unsupportable burthens no hope no possibility for us to move under them and then studium cum spe senescit their industry is as faint as their hope Desperation stands them in as much stead as Libertinism did t'other they are beholden to the weight of their burthens for a supersedeas for taking them up And for the preventing of that prejudice you have here this character of Christ's burthen not only supportable but light my burthen is a light burthen A third prejudice there is yet behind of those that having yielded the both necessity and possibility of Christian obedience are yet possest of the unpleasingness and bitterness of it like those in the Prophet cry out The burthen of the Lord the burthen of the Lord the yoke a joyless melancholick yoke the burthen a galling pinching burthen and to them hath our Saviour designed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here as the most significative epithet to express the nature of the Christian yoke We have rendred it but imperfectly my yoke is easie it signifies more richly my yoke is a benign yoke all pleasure and profit made up in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.4 signifies the bounty we render it the goodness of God that which immediately before is the riches of his bounty and proportionably the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gracious bountiful yoke a mine a treasure of bounty a good a joyous and a gainful yoke And he that is thus answered in all his objections confuted in all his fears and prejudices and excuses for Libertinism if he do not acknowledge the reasonableness of Christ's advice take my yoke upon you take it for its own sake though it were not laid upon you by Christ my necessary my light my gracious yoke he that will not accept of some office in the house of so good a Master I know not what kind of address to make to him I must leave him to Pythagoras's Sponde's that could cure a Mad man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectifie the errours of his appetite first and then his mind first of his spleen and then his brain before any portion of this bread of life will be diet for him I have drawn you the lines which lie folded up in this Text the filling each up with colours in the shortest manner I could devise would prove a work of more time than is now my portion The expedient I have resolved on is to leap over the two former and only fasten on my last particular as that which includes and supposes the two former as that which will bring its reward with it invite and feed your patience and in all probability obtain your belief because there is never an interest never a passion about you that it contradicts Your patience being thus armed with a fight of the guesses but one stage and that the smoothest you ever pass'd I shall presume you ready to set out with me and it is to consider that anticipation of the third prejudice in the Epithet affixt to Christ's yoke in the fulness of its significancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my yoke is a benign a gracious a pleasant a good and a gainful yoke Yea and that in this life at the taking the yoke upon you a present gooodness in it here though there were never a treasure of rewards never a heaven after it at least as the present paradise of a true Disciple is considered apart abstracted from that future expectation my yoke is a good yoke is for the present the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is hath an influence on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
hearts to bless us to bless this accursed miserable Kingdom this shaking palsie Church this broken State this unhappy Nation this every poor sinner soul by turning all and every one from his iniquities by giving us all that only matter of our peace and serenity here and pledge of our eternal felicity hereafter Which God of his infinite mercy grant us all for his Son Jesus sake whom he hath thus raised To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed as our only tribute the honour c. GOD'S Complaint against REVOLTERS The X. SERMON Prepared at Carisbrook-Castle but not Preach'd ISAIAH 1.5 Why should you be stricken any more you will revolt more and more IT is a heavy complaint of Gods and though express'd without much noise yet in a deep melting hearty passion not only in the verse next before my Text with heaven and earth call'd to be witnesses of the complaint but with a little varying of the expression every where else throughout the Prophets that Israel doth not know Gods people doth not consider All the arts of discipline and pedagogie had been used to teach them knowledge and consideration i. e. to bring them to a sight and sense of their estate Lectures warnings chidings blows shaking and rouzing and hazening them if it were possible to awake them out of that lethargick sensless condition The whole people used like that proud King of Babylon driven from men set to live and converse with the beasts of the field such were the Chaldeans whither they were carried captive if so be as it fared with him so it might possibly succeed with them the Field be a more gainful School than the Palace had been that by that means at least they might lift up their eyes to heaven and their understanding return to them Dan. 4. Turn'd from men into Beasts that that stranger Metamorphosis might be wrought on them a transformation from men into men from ignorant brutish into prudent considering men nay delivered up even unto Satan by way of discipline that Satan might teach them sense The plagues of Aegypt of Sodom of Hell let loose upon them to try whether like the rubbing and the smarting of the Fishes gall it might restore these blind Tobits to their eyes and souls again To work the same work if it be possible upon us is I profess my business and only errand at this time There hath been a great deal of pains taken by God to this purpose doctrine and discipline instructions and corrections and all utterly cast away upon us hitherto the whole head sick and the whole heart faint in the words next after my Text which you must not understand as ordinarily men do of the sins of that people that those were the wounds and bruises and purified sores give me leave to tell you that is a mistake for want of considering the context but of judgments heavy judgments diseases piteous diseases both on head and heart Epilepsies wracking pains in the head the whole Kingdom may complain in the language of the Shunamites Child O my head my head nay in the Prophets the crown is fallen from our head the crown of our head torn and fall'n from our head and the heart in terrible fainting fits every foot ready to overcome From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head from one extream part of the Nation to another nothing but distress or oppression suffering or acting direful Tragedies misery or impiety the latter the more fatal symptome the greater distress of the two and yet no man layeth it to heart England will not know will not consider The truth is the deformities which are in our selves we are such partial self-parasites that there is no seeing in a direct line no coming to that prospect but by reflection shall we therefore bring the Elephant to the water and there shew him and amaze him with the sight and ugliness of his proboscis the state of the Jews is that water where we may see the image of this present Kingdom most perfectly delineated in every limb and feature its prosperity its pride its warnings its provocations its captivities its contumelious using of the Prophets scorning the Messengers from God that came to reprieve them at length its fatal presages the deadly feuds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zelots and Brothers of the sword plowing it up to be sow'd with salt and brimstone and all this chargable culture and discipline cast away upon them uttterly mortifying in stead of sins and impieties nothing but the relicks of piety and civility and ingenuous nature a strange pestilential feaver feising upon their very spirits and souls and now nothing but a Roman Eagle or a Hell a Titus or a fiend left behind to work any reformation on them Thus all Gods thunderbolts being exhausted his methods of discipline pozed and nonplus'd and frustrated there is nothing behind but calling in and retracting those rods the no longer vouchsafing those thunderbolts a news that perhaps you would be glad to hear of a respite of punishments but that the most ominous direful of all others the most formidable of all Gods denouncings the last and worst kind of desertion Why should you be not embraced and dandled but scourged and smitten any more You will revolt more and more These words will afford you these four fields of plain and useful meditation 1. Gods custom of striking sinners and encreasing stripes on them in order to their reformation 2. The prime proper seasons for such striking 1. In case of revolt 2. In case of revolting more 3. The one only case in which striking becomes uncharitable when the more and the more God smites the more and the more the sinner revolts 4. And lastly the pitiful estate of the sinner when he comes to this when in this case God removes smiting for though it be an act of mercy in God yet 't is that which bodes very ill 't is an indication of the most desperate estate of the Patient Why should you be stricken any more I begin first with the First which lies not so visible and distinguishable in the Text but is the foundation that is supposed under it and on which all that is visible is superstructed and that is Gods pious and charitable design in smiting sinners and encreasing stripes on them though now on more prudential considerations they shall not be any more smitten If my children forsake my Law c. I will visit their offences with the rod and their sin◠with scourges saith God by the Psalmist God hath his visits for distempered children not only like that of St. Pauls in the spirit of meekness but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the rod and if that single engine of discipline will not do it there are sharper and more behind the flagella or scourges in the Plural And this by the way of prudent medicinal process of solemn deliberate dispensation according to
kind of mercy still though but a pitiful one and if God do not think fit to afford us this mercy if God do not give over smiting in this case this is then his greater severity yet And so I conceive the impenitents state brought to an extraordsnary issue that whatsoever God deal out to us the consequence is of a nature most exquisitely miserable If he take off his punishments we are in a desperate estate there 's nothing left in any degree probable to do any good on us and if he do not take them off they do but accumulate and heighten our future torments the mercy is a cruel mercy and the severity a cruel severity the first leaves us in a palsie or lethargy a dead stupid mortified state and the second encreases the Feaver adds fuel to the flames If he strike not we lie dead in sin as so many trunks and carkasses before him if he strike on he awakes us into oaths and blasphemies and so still more direful provocations And so as we are wont to say of an erroneous Conscience in case the commands are lawful which that thinks unlawful it sins which way soever it moves by disobedience against the duty of the fifth Commandment and by obedience against the dictate of conscience a sad exigence no way in the world to be avoided but by getting out of the prime fundamental infelicity getting the erroneous Conscience informed and rectified so is it in a manner with God towards this unhappy creature of his that hath not nor is like to edifie under stripes he wounds it mortally whatsoever he designeth toward it his desertion is cruel and his not deserting is cruel too Lay but the scene of this Kingdom at this time of which I may say 't is a stubborn unnurtur'd scholar of Gods a very ill proficient under stripes far worse and more hopeless now than when first it came under this discipline and I shall challenge the prudentest Diviner under Heaven to tell me rationally what 't were but tolerably charitable to wish or pray for it in respect of the removal of Gods judgments should we be respited before we be in any degree reformed thâ—â—â—t out of Gods School now we are at the wildest This were a woful change removing of Canaanites and delivering us up to the beasts of the field breaking down the inclosure and letting us out into the wilderness rescuing us out of purgatory and casting us into hell and never any Orate pro animâ prayer for deliverance out of those Poetick flames was so impious so unkind as this And whilst I have this prospect before me methinks I am obliged in very charity to pray Lord keep us in this Limbo still these but transitory afflictions of this life which in comparison with spiritual desertion or delivering up to our selves is a very chearful and comfortable condition And yet should God thus hearken to that prayer continue us under this discipline longer provide a new stock of Artillery and empty another Heaven another Magazine and Armory upon us and all prove but bruta fulmina still another seven years of judgments thrive no better with us than the last sad apprentiship hath done O what an enhansement would this be of our reckoning What a sad score of aggravations that is of so many mercies and graces so many wrestlings of his spirit with sin all griev'd and repell'd by us and consequently what a pile of guilts toward the accumulating of our flames what is the natural and the only salvo to this intricacy I suppose 't is prone to any man to divine why to reform the fundamental error which can no otherwise be repair'd after to begin if it be but now to edifie and to be the better for stripes to set every man to this one late but necessary resolution and not to be content to have done somewhat at home in private every man in mending one as they say though if that were done uniformly 't would serve the turn but every man whose heart the Lord hath strucken to be a convert-humble-mourner for the iniquity of his people for the provocations of this Church and Kingdom and for the plague of his own heart to go out and call all the idle by-standers in the field to draw as many more as 't is possible into that engagement and in this sense to bring into the service a whole army of Covenanters and Reformers every man vowing hostility against those wasting sins of his that have thus long kept a tortur'd broken Kingdom and Church upon the wheel which can never get off till we come whole sholes of suppliants and auxiliaries to its rescue nay till the sins that first brought it to this execution become the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be delivered up chearfully to suffer in the stead That this work be at length begun in some earnest you will surely give God and his Angels and your friends leave to expect with some impatience and 't were even pity they should any longer be frustrated If they may at last be so favour'd by us our state will be as great a riddle of mercy and of bliss as 't was even now of sadness and horrour Let God do what he please to us for the turning or for the continuing our Captivity 't will be matter of infinite advantage and joy to us If he continue us still upon the cross after the consummatum est after the work is done after it is a reform'd purifi'd Nation O that is a super-angelical state a laying a foundation in that deep for the higher and more glorious superstructure of joy and bliss in another world Nay if he should sweep us away in one akeldama this were to the true Penitent but the richer boon a transplantation only a sending us out a triumphant not captive colony to heaven Or if we be then taken down from the Cross and put into the quiet chambers or dormitories if there be seasons of rest and peace yet behind upon this earth in these our days O they will be rich seasons of opportunity to bring forth glorious proportionable fruits of such repentance a whole harvest of affiance and faithful dependence upon Heaven a daily continual growth in grace in all that is truly Christian In a word of rendring us a kingdom of angelical Christians here and of Saints hereafter Which whether it be by the way of the Wilderness or of the Red-sea by all the sufferings that a Villanous world can design or a gracious Father permit and convert to our greatest good God of his infinite mercy grant us all even for his son Jesus Christ his sake To whom with the Father c. SOME PROFITABLE DIRECTIONS BOTH FOR Priest and People IN TWO SERMONS Preached before these EVIL TIMES THE ONE To the CLERGY THE OTHER To the CITIZENS of LONDON By H. HAMMOND D. D. LONDON Printed MDCLXXXIII These Two following Sermons were subjoyned by the Author to the Review of his Annotations
must be acknowledged to have some obscurity in them V. 16. Desolate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anus one oft used for unigenitus an onely son doth also signifie a solitary and desolate person so Psal 68.6 God setteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the solitary in families i. e. gives them children that had none So Psal 22.20 deliver my soul from the sword 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my onely one i. e. my soul which is now left destitute from the power of the dog and so here as must be concluded from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and afflicted which is added to it Yet have the LXXII rendred it in the other signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely-begotten and so the Arabick onely son But the Latine more to the letter unicus pauper sum ego I am alone and poor V. 21. Integrity For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 integrity and uprightess in the abstract and singular the LXXII read in the concret◠and the plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the innocent and right and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep or preserve is by them rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stuck or adhered to me as if it were from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colligavit to be bound up in league with any But the Chaldee render it clearly Perfectness and uprightness shall preserve me And thus also 't is capable of two sences one in relation to himself the other to God If it refer to David himself then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will best be rendred simplicity that ingredient in Jacobs character as that is somewhat inferior to goodness which v. 8. is joyned with uprightness and both spoken of God besides whom none is good in that sense as Christ saith But it may not unfitly refer to God and then it will signifie perfectness in the highest degree and as that denotes the greatest goodness and mercy as when Christ saith be you perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect Mat. 5.48 't is Luk. 6.36 be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful and then as Psal 23.6 we have Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life referring questionless to Gods goodness c. so here it may well be Perfectness and uprightness i. e. Gods perfectness and uprightness his mercy in promising his fidelity in performing shall preserve me The Twenty Sixth PSALM A Psalm of David Paraphrase The Twenty Sixth Psam was composed by David as an appeal to God to vindicate his integrity and deliver him from his enemies 1. Judge me O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity I have trusted also in the Lord therefore I shall not slide Paraphrase 1. To thee O Lord I appeal for patronage and relief and to qualifie my self for so great a dignity am able only to say this for my self 1. That I have not injured them that invade me nor by any other wilful prevarication from my duty forfeited thy protection 2. That I have constantly and immutably reposed my full trust and dependance on thee my only helper 2. Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart Paraphrase 2. For these two I humbly offer my self to thy divine most exact inspection and examination even of my most inward thoughts and if thou seest good to thy casting me even into the furnace of affliction for the approving my sincerity herein 3. For thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Paraphrase 3. What ever thy trials are this thou wilt certainly find that I have never failed to meditate on delight in and repose all my trust in thy mercies and that I have sincerely performed obedience to all thy commandments 4. I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers Paraphrase 4. My conversation hath not been tainted with the evil examples of the world I have not been guilty either of falseness or treachery or any manner of base unworthy dealing 5. I have hated the congregation of evil doers and will not sit with the wicked Paraphrase 5. On the contrary I have detested and abhorred all assemblies of those that design such things and constantly eschewed entring into any of their consultations 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compass thine altar O Lord. Paraphrase 6. I have indeavoured daily so to prefere my thoughts and actions from all impurity that I might be duly qualified to offer my oblations to thee with confidence to be accepted of thee 7. That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works Paraphrase 7. To proclaim to all men in the solemnest manner thy abundant rich mercies to those that keep close to thee 8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Paraphrase 8. O what a pleasure hath it alwayes been to me to come and offer up my prayers before the Ark the place where thou art graciously pleased to presentiate and exhibite thy self 9. Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody Men. Paraphrase 9. This I hope may be ground of assurance to me that thou wilt not deal with me as with wicked and bloody men that thou wilt not permit me to fall under their fate to perish as they do 10. In whose hand is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes Paraphrase 10. Who design and consult and contrive nothing but injustice and spare no liberalities that may be useful toward that end 11. But as for me I will walk in mine integrity Redeem me and be merciful unto me Paraphrase 11. Out of such mens power and malice be thou pleased to rescue me who have never yet forfeited mine integrity 12. My foot standeth in an even place in the congregation will I bless the Lord. Paraphrase 12. I am constant and steady in my adherence and relyance on thee thou I know wilt support me and I will make my most solemn acknowledgments of it to thee Or And now what have I to do but to offer sacrifice to thee and bless and praise thee for ever in the publick assembly Annotations on Psalm XXVI V. 1. Slide The only difficulty in this verse is in what sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be taken The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to trip to totter to be shaken or moved to be ready to fall inconstant or not able to stand And it may be applyed either to the subject matter of his hope that he shall not be cast down by his enemies forsaken by God and that look't on as a reward of his hope and so our English understands it and accordingly infers it with the illative therefore Or else it may be applyed to the hope it self or David hoping and then it signifies the constancy of his unshaken hope that
I have nothing else to complain of in my present distresses 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a rock Paraphrase 5. Were I but returned to the Sanctuary I should look upon it and make use of it as of a refuge of perfect safety to which in any difficulty I might confidently resort and be secured by God as in a tower or fortress 6. And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing yea I will sing praises unto the Lord. Paraphrase 6. And as now it is though I am at present withheld from that felicity yet have I confidence that my prayers shall be heard that I shall be delivered from mine enemies power and exalted above them all and afforded all matter of joy and Sacrifices when I do come to Sion and abundant thanksgivings unto God 7. Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me Paraphrase 7. And therefore with this confidence I now offer up my Prayers to thee O Lord for mercy and compassion and gracious returns to all my wants 8. When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Paraphrase 8. Whatsoever supply I lack my heart directs me whither to apply my self by resounding in my ears those gracious words of thine seek ye my face calling all that want any thing to ask it of thee To thee therefore I make my address with thine own words of invitation in my mouth Thy face O Lord will I seek making all my application to thee and to none other 9. Hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation Paraphrase 9. Lord vouchsafe me thy wonted presence and favourable aspect withdraw all expressions of thy displeasure Thy former continued reliefs have ingaged me to hope for deliverance from none but thee O do not thou leave me for then I shall be utterly destitute 10. When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Paraphrase 10. It is one of thy wonderful works of mercy to provide for those whose parents have exposed and left them helpless the young Ravens Psalm 147.9 And the like I trust thou wilt do for me though all hmane aids should utterly fail me 11. Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain way because of mine enemies Paraphrase 11. Lord do thou instruct and direct me what course I shall take that mine enemies may have no advantage against me but that I may escape safe out of their hands 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breath out cruelty Paraphrase 12. Permit me not to fall into their power for as they have begun with slander and calumny so will they end if thou do not divert or with-hold them in injustice and rapine 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Paraphrase 13. Had I not had a full confidence that I should by Gods great mercy be supported in my distress and restored to those injoyments of rest and peace which God had faithfully promised me Here the Psalmist abruptly but elegantly breaks off the speech 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Paraphrase 14. O my soul do thou patiently expect Gods leasure be not discouraged with thy present evils but arm thy self with constancy and fortitude and never doubt of Gods seasonable reliefs Annotations on Psalm XXVII V. 2. Stumbled Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be in the Praeter tense yet 't is usual in the Prophetick writings that these should be taken in the future tense when the context inclines that way And so here it doth being a profession of his confidence in God that he will deliver him out of his present distresses as both the antecedents v. 1. and consequents v. 3. make evident And accordingly it is most probable that here thus it should be v. 2. and so the Jewish Arab reads they shall stumble and fall and so the learned Castellio renders it si invadant offensuri sunt atque casuri If they invade me they shall stumble and fall Though it be also possible that it may reflect upon his past experiences of Gods mercies as pledges of his future and then it may retain the praeter tense And therefore I deemed it safest to take that in also in the Paraphrase V. 6. Joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrifices of jubilation are those of the solemn feasts attended not only with the harmony and Musick of the Levites but the Hosannahs and acclamations of the people Hence Jeremy compares the military clamours of the victorious Chaldeans in the Temple to those that were formerly made there in the day of a solemn feast Lam. 2.7 They have made a noise in the house of the Lord as in a day of a solemn feast And this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or joyful sound which they that hear are by David pronounced blessed Psal 89.15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound V. 8. My heart For the meaning of this v. 8. little help will be had from the antient Interpreters The Syriack leave out a part of it unrendred and have only thus much My heart saith unto thee and my face shall seek thy countenance The LXXII and after them the Latine Arabick and Aethiopick in stead of Seek ye my face read I have sought thy face 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My heart said to thee I have sought thy face thy face Lord will I seek and other copies with some change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. My heart hath said to thee I will seek the Lord my face hath sought thee thy face Lord will I seek But the Chaldee keeps close to the Hebrew only for seek ye reads in the singular seek thou The full meaning of it will easily be gathered by reflecting on Gods mercy and kindness unto men ready to defend them if they will but call to him for his help This is conteined in this supposed speech or command of Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seek ye my face thereby inviting all to address their prayers to him This gracious speech of Gods David here meditates upon and on it founds his confidence and in his addresses to Heaven first minds God of this his command or invitation or incouragement to all to seek to him that is the meaning of My soul said to thee seek ye my face laying a
otherwise they should rejoyce over me when my foot slippeth they magnifie themselves against me Paraphrase 16. To thee therefore I make my petition that thou wilt not leave me to mine enemies will to rejoyce and triumph over me as they are very forward to do and to make their boasts what victories they have obtained over me if at any time any the least evil befalls me 17. For I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me Paraphrase 17. And now indeed this is my condition for I am in continual danger and expectation of ruine if thou be not pleased to support me 18. For I will declare mine iniquity I will i be sorry for my sin Paraphrase 18. And I must acknowledge and confess that they are my many grievous transgressions which have brought this anxiety upon me given me reason continually to fear lest by them I have forfeited thy protection and then there is nothing but ruine to be expected 19. But mine enemies are lively and they are strong and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplyed Paraphrase 19. And to this my fear agrees the prosperity of my unjust and causeless enemies who live and increase in strength their forces are daily multiplyed And this may well mind me of the increase of my sins to which this is imputable for otherwise I am sure I have not provoked them by any injury done to them only my sins against thee have thus strengthened them 20. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries because I follow the thing that good is Paraphrase 20. To them I have done nothing but good and yet they persecute me and make these unkind returns for all my kindness having no other matter of quarrel to me but my doing that which is just and good and never wronging them how much soever I am wronged by them 21. Forsake me not O Lord O my God be not far from me Paraphrase 21. O God of power do not thou leave me to their malice O Father of mercy and that to me thy sinful servant let not my sins remove thee from me 22. Make haste to help me O Lord my salvation Paraphrase 22. O thou whose title it is to save and deliver those that are in the greatest danger and even on sinners to have mercy and rescue them from the due reward of their sins and hast to me made most gratious promises of this kind I beseech thee no longer to defer but in my greatest extremity relieve me opportunely and speedily Annotations on Psal XXXVIII Tit. To bring to remembrance It is uncertain what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the title of this Psalm signifies Some of the Hebrews apply it to their Musick but give no clear account of their reasons or meaning herein That which seems most probable is that as the meat-offering Levit. 2.2.9.16 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a memorial an offering of sweet savour to God and elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a memorial Lev. 24.7 or rather as Gods remembring any man is his relieving and helping him so a prayer to God in time of distress may fitly be stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cause remembrance Thus this Psalmist elsewhere prayes Lord remember David and â—la his troubles Psal 132.1 and remember O Lord thy tender mercies Psal 25.6 Remember thy congregation Psal 74.2 and many the like And accordingly this Psalm and the seventieth which have this title are most earnest prayers for relief There Make hast O God to deliver me make hast make hast to help me O Lord c. and here O Lord rebuke me not c. in the beginning and forsake me not O Lord O my God be not far from me make hast to help me O Lord my salvation in the end What the distress was that caused so passionate a prayer for relief will be hard to define Particularly The outside of the words and expressions signifies a sharp and noysome disease And 't is not improbable that David should have his part in that kind of affliction who had so large a portion of other sorts or that since his persecutions have furnished the Church with so many excellent pieces of devotion his bodily afflictions should proportionably do so to especially since we see King Hezekiah both in his sickness and his recovery making attempts of this kind But 't is also possible that Davids other distresses of which we have more certain evidence in his story his persecutions under Saul and from his own Son Absalom might by a Psalmist in Poetick style be thus resembled and compared with the sorest and most noisome diseases And therefore I deemed it more safe to set the paraphrase with this latitude of signification applying the words to his streights in general store of which it is certain he had rather then to confine them to noisome diseases which we read not that he was visited with at any time V. 2. Stick From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendit are two words in this v. 2. distinguishable by the nouns to which they are applyed The former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applyed to arrows signifies going down i. e. entring deep into the flesh The LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latine and Syriack and Arabick infixae sunt mihi are fastened in me which is but a natural consequent of entring deep and so is set to paraphrase it The latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applyed to hand signifies to come down or descend with some weight to fall upon him This the Chaldee render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remained and the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and did rest as if they read it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rest But the LXXII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confirmasti saith the Latine thou hast confirmed thy hand upon me i. e. let it fall hard upon me the Arabick rightly express their meaning thy hand is become hard upon me and so this is a good paraphrastical explication of it V. 5. Wounds From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convenit sociatus est is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bruise from any blow because the blood or matur associates and gathers together in that place it signifies also a boyle or aposteme Here 't is in the former sense as caused by a blow or stroke and figuratively signifies any effect of Gods wrath or displeasure and it is said to putrifie and to stink for so the blood and humors thus congregated and standing still do putrifie immediately and will be noisome if they be not drawn out The LXXII therefore fitly render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vibices such as come from blowes but the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boiles in the other notion of it and so I suppose the Chaldee also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puduit pudefecit because such bruised parts look black and blew and are matter of shame
on which the due interpretation of the whole Psalm depends The coming of God ordinarily signifies in Scripture any judicial proceeding of his Gods punishments and vengeance on his enemies see Psal 18. noted. But this Psalm seems peculiarly to look forward to the times of the Messias and so to denote some coming of his The Chaldee applies it to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of the great judgment But this phrase I suppose may be taken in some latitude in that Paraphrast not to denote the last judgment though thus St. Augustine will have this Psalm uderstood de judicio Dei novissimo of the last judgment of God but as their Paraphrase on v. 2. seems to interpret it some great destruction that was to be wrought in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginning of the creation of the age meaning I suppose by the age the age of the Messias which as 't is there said was to come out of Sion which is not applicable to any other age but that Now there be three comings of Christ exprest in the Scripture The first in humility by his being born in our flesh the last in glory for the judging of the whole world in the day of the universal doom And a middle coming which was not to be corporal but spiritual a mighty work wrought in the world by the power of that spirit which raised Jesus from the dead beginning in a terrible vengeance upon his crucifiers the notable destruction of the Jewish Temple and of Jerusalem and so of the Mosaical worship and the Judaical politie and proceeding to the propagation of the Christian Faith to all the world wherein were many glorious acts of Gods power and mercy and are all together oft stiled in Scripture the coming of Shiloh of the desire of all nations of the kingdom of God of the son of Man of Christ see note on Mat. 16. o. 24. b. Joh. 21. b. And this is it to which this Psalm most signally seems to belong as also Psal 96.10 11 12 13. and conteins these several stages or branches of it 1. the terrible manner of this his coming v. 3. Secondly the formality of it a judicature used in it v. 4. Thirdly the preservation and rescue of the believing Jews out of the common ruine v. 5 6. Fourthly the rejection of legal worship of sacrifices of beasts v. 8 9 10 11 12 13. Fifthly the establishing of the Christian service the spiritual oblation of Prayer and Thanksgiving v. 14 15. and Lastly the destruction of the impenitent Jews which having received the Law of God and entred into Covenant with him would not yet be reformed by Christs preaching v. 16. c. to the end V. 3. Silence The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath several significations But that which is most agreeable to this place is that of doing nothing being idle delaying tarrying as applied to the actions not the speech only So 2 Sam. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best rendred Why do you defer or delay to bring back the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the LXXII Why are you silent in that other notion applied to the tongue but the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word which belongs to the actions as well as words the learned Schindler there renders it cessatis cunctamini defer or delay The Syriack there renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath that signification among others of cessavit moratus tardatus fuit and is by the Latine translator rightly rendred haesitatis and so the Arabick appears there to understand it And so the context inforces by another phrase used there in the same matter v. 11. and 12. Why saith he are ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 last to bring back the King i. e. very backward and dilatory So the Arabick expresses that also Why do you defer or neglect And so Psal 28.1 the sense carries it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do not defer or neglect to answer me neglect me not saith the Arabick And thus 't will best be rendred here Our God shall come and not delay not neglect saith the Arabick as in the place of Samuel And the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which though it may signifie shall not keep silence yet it is also not defer or delay and so is determined here by the remainder of their paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to work vengeance for his people So the Jewish Arab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall not withhold or refrain from it And thus the phrase seems to be made use of and interpreted by the Apostle Heb. 10.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will come and not delay or tarry i. e. he will certainly come Which I suppose to be the reason of the learned Castellio's rendring this place veniet Deus noster sine dubio Our God shall come without doubt the coming and not delaying being all one with his certain coming The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is again used v. 21. and rendred by the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I stayed or expected that thou mightest repent which is a full proof of this notion of the word for delaying Where the Jewish Arab reads as here I withheld from thee adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delaying V. 11. Wild beasts For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beast the LXXII seem to read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beauty and render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine pulchritudo the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cock of the wood whose feet stand on the earth and his head touches the heaven of which Elias Levita in his Thisby p. 273. taking notice adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a new thing not without reason expressing his wonder at their rendring but the Syriack is clear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the beast The Fifty First PSALM TO the chief Musitian A Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba Paraphrase The Fifty first Psalm was composed by David after the commission of those many sins in the matter of Uriah 2 Sam. 11. when by Nathan the Prophet his message to him from God he was brought to a due humiliation for them which he exprest in this penitential Psalm and to make it the more publick to remove the scandal of so many notorious sins he committed it to the Prefect of his Musick to be solemnly sung 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Paraphrase 1. O thou Father of all mercies and compassions permit me thy most unworthy servant foully guilty of many horrid crimes to make mine humblest approach to thee and out of the riches of thy benignity out of the abundance of thy melting compassions to
O Gracious Father I have no other sanctuary but thee I will make all speed to implore thy mercy my condition is most sad and deplored the wide and squalid desert in which now I am is the liveliest emblem of it O that thou wilt please to succour and relieve me 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Paraphrase 2. To restore me to that dignity and comfort of serving thee in the Sanctuary where the Cherubims spreading abroad their wings for a covering are a signal emblem of thy presence 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Paraphrase 3. That mercy of thine which gives a value to life it self and without which that which is most pretious and desirable is nothing worth For this I that have so often tasted and so know the value of it shall be for ever obliged to magnify thy blessed name 4. Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name Paraphrase 4. And this will I do constantly and continually to the end of my life and in the experience of thy past mercies make my humblest addresses to thee for all that I can want for the future 5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Paraphrase 5. And thus by thy great mercy shall my life be divided betwixt imploring thy aids and receiving abundant satisfaction to all my wants and paying my chearfullest acknowledgments to so liberal a donor 6. When I remember thee in my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Paraphrase 6. And for this beside the offerings of the day frequently repeated the several divisions or watches or hours of the very night shall afford me fit seasons when after a little repose and sleep I frequently rouse my self and divert to that more divine and chearful imployment the meditation of thy manifold mercies toward me 7. Because thou hast been my help therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce Paraphrase 7. And thus conclude to my own unspeakable comfort and thy honour that that God which hath thus constantly relieved and supported me will for ever continue his watchful providence over me from which as I receive all security so I am in all reason to return him continual praise 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me Paraphrase 8. As I have cordially adhered to my obedience and faithful performance of all duty to thee so hast thou with thine especial care and providence supported me in all my distresses 9. But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth Paraphrase 9. As for my enemies that pursue me with mortal hatred and desire to take away my life they themselves shall fall into the destruction they designed to me 10. They shall fall by the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes Paraphrase 10. They pursue me to death as hunters do their game and they shall fall by the sword and be devoured by those wild beasts that others hunt and pursue or they shall be driven to desolate places as the most noxious beasts the foxes and wolves are when they are hunted and pursued 11. But the King shall rejoyce in God every one that sweareth by him shall glory but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped Paraphrase 11. Mean while I shall have all cause to bless and magnifie the name of God and not I only but every truly pious man who as he swears by the name of God so is most strictly careful to perform his oaths whereas on the other side all false perjurious men shall be destroyed Annotations on Psal LXIII V. 1. Longeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not elsewhere used in the Bible 't is here by the Chaldee paraphrastically rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desireth by the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intuitus est expectavit expecteth The LXXII read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quantum The fullest rendring of it may be had from the Arabick use of it among whom saith Golius 't is used not only for the dimness of the eyes which the Arabick Grammarians especially interpret of one born blind but also for faintness so when Kamus explains it by changing of colour mutabit colorem and abiit vel defecit intellectus his understanding was gone or failed both which change of colour and failing of understanding are tokens of faintness and being in ill condition for want of due nourishment And so it will here most fitly be rendred with analogy to the thirsting of the soul foregoing my flesh fainteth in a dry and thirsty land c. But from that other signification of blindness or dimness it may also here be taken according to that translations use mentioned by Alzamach-shari of being in a maze erring so as not to know whither to go or what to do The Jewish Arab here renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which agrees with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the notion of changing colour growing wan as also of great anguish being sick at heart V. 2. Sanctuary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holiness is evidently used for the Ark or Sanctuary 1 King 8.8 compared with a Chron. v. 9. And therefore the thing so vehemently here desired by David is to see and serve God in the Sanctuary And the same is the importance of seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy strength and glory for so both those words are used for the Ark Psal 78.61 he delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemies hand V. 10. Fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fluxit effusus est signifies in Hiphil they shall cause to be poured out or shall poure out The word is ordinarily applied to water 2 Sam. 14.14 Lam. 3.49 But here by the immediate mention of the sword it is restrained to the effusion of blood and being in the third person plural in the active sense it is after the Hebrew idiome to be interpreted in the passive sense they shall poure out by the hand of the sword i. e. they shall be poured out by the sword the hand of the sword being no more than the edge of the sword As for that which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may possibly be rendred the portion of foxes they shall be i. e. they shall be that which so frequently befalls foxes viz. hated and pursued and destroyed that which befalls that subtle and noxious creature shall befall them to perish by their wickedness or they shall be in the same condition with them driven forth into desolate places such as foxes use to walk in so Lam. v. 18. the mountain of Zion is laid desolate the foxes walk on it so Jarchi here
most unworthy O do thou afford me that pardon and that grace which I stand in need of and can hope for from none but thee 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy nation that I may glory with thine inheritance Paraphrase 5. That I may experimentally feel and taste the incomparable felicity of being in the number of thy favourites that I may have my part of that joyous blissfull state that all which sincerely serve thee enjoy even in this world as the present reward or result of their conscientious obedience and so for ever make one in that quire which sings Hosannahs and Hallelujahs to thee 6. We have sinned with our Fathers we have committed iniquity we have done wickedly Paraphrase 6. Meanwhile it is the present duty of every one of us to cast our selves down in all humility before this thy throne of grace to confess before thee the many great and crying sins transgressions and provocations that either every one of us or together this whole nation from our first rise and growth into a people have been most sadly guilty of 7. Our Fathers understood not thy wonders in Aegypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea even at the red sea Paraphrase 7. When thou hadst shewed so many signs and wonders in the sight of our forefathers in Aegypt which were abundantly sufficient to convince them of thy power and purpose to bring them safe out of those tyrannical masters hands yet in the very beginning of their march before they were out of the land as soon as the least danger approacht when they discerned the Aegyptians to follow and overtake them they were presently amated and faint-hearted and sore afraid Exod. 14.10 and in that fit of fear and infidelity reproached Moses and in him God himself for looking upon them in their oppressions for offering to disquiet them in their slavery deemed it much better to have served the Aegyptians than now to adventure themselves under God's protection And how many provocations have we severally been guilty of in not laying to heart the signal mercies bestowed on us by God evidences of his goodness and his power and in despight of all fallen off on occasion of every worldly terrour into murmurings at his providence and satiâ—ty of his service into infidelity and Practical Atheism 8. Nevertheless he saved them for his names sake that he might make his mighty power to be known Paraphrase 8. But though they thus provoked God and so well deserved to be forsaken by him though he had so little incouragement to shew miracles of mercy among those whom neither miracles could convince nor mercies provoke to obedience yet that he might glorify himself and give more evidences of his omnipotence to them and the heathen people about them he was now also pleased to interpose his hand in a most eminent manner for these unthankfull murmurers and by a new miracle of mercy to secure and deliver them 9. He rebuked the red sea also and it was dried up so he led them through the depths as through the wilderness 10. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy 11. And the waters covered their enemies there was not one of them left Paraphrase 9 10 11. For being now at the shore of the red sea and close pursued by the Aegyptians when there was no visible mean of their rescue from the rage of Pharaoh on one side or the sea on the other God then shewed forth his power divided the sea Exod. 14.16 caused it to retire and give passage to the Israelites who marcht through the midst of the sea in part of the channel as upon the driest firmest ground and when the Aegyptians assayed to follow them and were ingaged in the midst of the sea so far that they could not retire even the whole host of Pharaoh v. 23. first God encompassed his own people with a cloud that the enemy came not near them all night v. 20. secondly he troubled the Aegyptians host and took off their chariot wheels v. 24 23 so that they could neither pursue the Israelites nor fly out of the sea and thirdly he caused the sea to return to his strength and overwhelmed their chariots horsemen and whole army there remained not so much as one of them v. 28. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Aegyptians v. 30. 12. Then believed they his words they sang his praise Paraphrase 12. And this so visible a prodigie of mercy so seasonably and undeservedly afforded them did indeed at the time work upon them convinced them of the power and mercy of God they saw that great work and feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Exod. 14.31 and joyned with Moses in the anthem or song of victory that he composed on this occasion Exod. 15. blessing God for the wonders of this deliverance 13. They soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel 14. But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert Paraphrase 13 14. But after this when they came into the wilderness they fell a murmuring again first on occasion of the bitterness of the water at Marah Exod. 15.24 then in the wilderness of Sin ch 16. upon remembrance of their flesh-pots in Aegypt and when they had these so many convictions of God's power and providence over them which should in reason have charmed them into a full chearfull resignation and dependance on him they on the contrary without any consideration of any thing that God had wrought for them without ever addressing themselves humbly to God or his servant Moses to learn his pleasure and purposes concerning them were transported praecipitously by their own luxurious appetites and because they had not that festival plenty which could not be expected in the wilderness they again reproached Moses for having brought them out of Aegypt to die as they called it in the wilderness v. 3. and now forsooth God must shew more miracles not for the supply of their wants but to pamper and satisfy their lust Psal 78.18 he must give them fine festival diet in the wilderness Psal 79.19 or else they would no longer believe his power or serve him 15. And he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul Paraphrase 15. And at this time also God was pleased to magnify his power and providence among them at Marah he directed Moses to a tree which sweetned the waters Exod. 15.25 and soon after brought them to Elim where there were twelve wells c. and he rained down bread as it were ready baked from heaven a full proportion for all of them every day Exod. 16.4 and not onely so but in answer to their importunity for flesh he sent them whole sholes of quails which covered the camp Exod.
provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips Paraphrase 32 33. Before this is set down Num. 20. another murmuring of our Fathers against God occasioned by some want of water at Meribah a place so called from their chiding and contending with Moses where in their rage they wished they had died in that former plague Numb 11.13 And this their peevishness was a provocation to Moses who though he were a meek man brake out into a passionate speech v. 10. Hear ye now ye rebels shall we fetch you water out of this rock Wherein as he spake with some diffidence as if it were impossible to fetch water out of the rock when God had assured him v. 8. that at his speaking to the rock it should bring forth water sufficient for them all and is accordingly challenged of unbelief v. 12. so he seems to have assumed somewhat to themselves shall we and so did not sanctifie God in the eyes of the people of Israel v. 12. did not endeavour as he ought to set forth God's power and glory and attribute all to him And this passionate speech cost Moses very dear and was punished with his exclusion out of Canaan v. 12. Deut. 1.35 and 3.26 and 4.21 and 34.4 34. They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them 35. But were mingled among the heathen and learned their works 36. And they served their idols which were a snare to them 37. Yea they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils 38. And shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and of their daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan and the land was polluted with blood 39. Thus were they defiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions Paraphrase 34 35 36 37 38 39. After all this when at length they were come into the promised land and had received particular command Deut. 7.2 that they should utterly destroy all the idolatrous inhabitants thereof for fear they should be inveigled by them and drawn away to their idol-worship and those abominable pollutions they were infamously guilty of yet contrary to this express command of God's they did not execute this severity they spared them and drave them not out but permitted them to live amongst them Jud. 1.21 and so 't is oft mentioned through that book and by this means they were corrupted and brought into their heathen sins see Jud. 3.6.7 worshipt their Idols and false Gods and observed those abominable rites which infernal spirits had exacted of their worshippers the slaying and sacrificing of men innocent persons yea their own dearest children and so to idolatry and worship of the Devil they added blood-guiltiness of the highest degree the deepest dye even the most barbarous and unnatural and to all these yet farther adding fornication and those abominable sins that those nations were guilty of and for which the land spued them out Lev. 18.28 40. Therefore was the wrath of God kindled against his people in so much that he abhorred his own inheritance Paraphrase 40. This great sin adding to all the former provocations most justly inflamed the vehement anger and displeasure of God against this people of which he had before resolved and promised Abraham that he would own them for ever as his peculiar and so a long while he did and bare with them very indulgently but they growing still worse and worse 't was but reasonable and according to the contents of his not absolute but conditionate covenant at length to reject and cast them off or withdraw his protection from them 41. And he gave them into the hands of the heathen and they that hated them ruled over them 42. Their enemies also oppressed them and they were brought in subjection under their hand Paraphrase 41 42. And accordingly so he did he suffered the heathen nations about them to invade and overcome them the King of Mesopotamia Jud. 3.8 who had dominion over them eight years the Midianites and Amalekites Jud. 6.3 the Philistims and Amorites Jud. 10.6 the Philistims Jud. 13.1 43. Many times did he deliver them but they provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity Paraphrase 43. In each of these destitutions and oppressions God still reteined his wonted respect to them so far as from time to time to raise them up Captains to undertake their battels and to rescue them out of their oppressors hands but then still again they fell to their sinfull idolatrous courses and again forfeited and devested themselves of God's protection and were again subdued by the same or some other of their heathen neighbours 44. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry 45. And he remembred for them his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies 46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives Paraphrase 44 45 46. And yet then also he did not utterly destitute them but in their times of distress and flying to him for succour he looked upon them with pity again remembred the covenant made with their Fathers and in infinite mercy returned from his fierce wrath and so inclined the hearts of those that had conquered them that instead of increasing they compassionated their miseries 47. Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks to thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise Paraphrase 47. O blessed Lord be thou now pleased to return our captivity to reduce us from the hands of our heathen enemies that we may live to enjoy those blessed opportunities of making our most solemn acknowledgments to thee and blessing and magnifying thy holy name in this or the like form 48. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the Lord. Paraphrase 48. To the almighty Lord of heaven and earth that hath made good his covenant of mercy to all his faithfull servants be all honour and glory from all and to all eternity And let all the world join in this joyfull acclamation adding every one his most affectionate Amen and Hallelujah Annotations on Psal CVI. Tit. Praise the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here no part but onely the title of this Psalm This appears by two competent evidences 1. By the joint suffrage of all the ancient Translators of which the Syriack renders it not at all but in stead of it gives as their use is a large syllabus or contents of the Psalm but the Chaldee retein it as a title and the LXXII and Latin retein the Hebrew words putting them into one in the direct form of a title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alleluja and the Arabick more expresly such a Psalm noted with the title of Alleluja 2. By express testimony of Scripture 1 Chron. 16. There we reade v. 7. On that day David delivered first not this Psalm as we
vengeances as on so many accursed Malefactors whose lives and estates being forfeited to the law their widow'd wives and orphan children shall become vagabonds over the face of the earth covetous and griping and beggerly for ever 11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the stranger spoil his labour 12. Let there be none to extend mercy to him neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children Paraphrase 11 12. And as they corrade and indeavour to get together the wealth of others so shall others when they have any thing to be seis'd on plunder and rifle and pillage them rob them of all these gainings and no man take any compassion on them or their posterity in their sufferings be they never so cruel 13. Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out 14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 15. Let them be before the Lord continually that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth Paraphrase 13 14 15. As for the principal instruments in these wicked rebellions and treasons against David and the son of David they shall certainly come to untimely deaths so did Achitophel 2 Sam. 17.23 and Absalom c. 18.14 and Saul 1 Sam. 31.5 and Doeg Psal 52.5 and so Judas Matth. 27. and their posterity shall not last beyond the next age They shall be cursed by God and all the punishments due to their fathers sins shall be so visited on this their wicked progeny that they shall soon come to utter eradication and extirpation 16. Because that he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart Paraphrase 16. And this a most just reward for their uncharitable and cruel dealing with him whose distresses might justly have extorted their greatest kindness and assistance but found nothing but bloody pursuits from them This seems especially to refer to David at Nob and Ahimelech and the priests slain by Doeg 17. As he loved cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 18. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oile into his bones 19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually Paraphrase 17 18 19. 'T is to be expected from the all-just retributions of heaven that as they were willing to mete to others it should be meted back to them They were for nothing but mischief and cruelty and they are to expect no least mixture of compassion or mercy They delighted in slandering and cursing wishing and speaking ill of them that least deserved it and the bitter water that causeth the curse Numb 5.21 that maketh the thigh to rot and the belly to swell shall enter as water is wont into one that is overwhelmed with it into his stomach belly bowels and make them as the bitter water did to swell and burst so it happened literally to Judas Act. 1.28 and probably to Achitophel see note on Matt. 27. a. and in effect to the others also in their untimely excision And as oile which is more piercing than water penetrates the very flesh veins nerves and bones so shall this the most inward parts of them seise upon their very spirits and souls so it did remarkably on those two Achitophel and Judas and the same every such wicked man is to expect and never be gotten out again but within afflict and without incompass them and cleave to them for ever 20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord and of them that speak evil against my soul Paraphrase 20. Thus will God certainly punish them that either so rebelliously or so bloodily and cruelly set themselves against me and so those hereafter that oppose and crucifie the Messias 21. But doe thou for me O God the Lord for thy names sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me Paraphrase 21. As for me I have no other solicitude than to repose my self in God's hands he is a God of most abundant goodness and mercy and his honour is ingaged in vindicating my cause in maintaining me whom he hath set on the throne against all opposers He is also an omnipotent Lord whose power can soon overrule and calme all these tempests To him therefore I humbly address my self for his seasonable interposition and relief referring the way and means to his all-wise disposal 22. For I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me 23. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth I am tossed up and down as the locust Paraphrase 22 23. And of this his mercy I am very confident being a most seasonable object of it at this time brought to great want to a sorrowfull deplorable condition every day growing lower and lower like the shadow about sun-set driven from my home and by the same danger that drove me thence removed from place to place like the silly impotent locusts that are carried without any aim design or conduct whithersoever the tempest drives them 24. My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness 25. I am become also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads Paraphrase 24 25. We are now quite wearied out ready to faint and fail and accordingly are lookt on by our enemies with scorn and derision making no question but we shall soon fall into their hands to be destroyed and devoured by them 26. Help me O Lord my God O save me according to thy mercy 27. That they may know that it is thy hand and that thou Lord hast done it Paraphrase 26 27. To thee therefore O God of all power which hast obliged and insured thy particular mercy to me I humbly address my self be thou pleased seasonably to relieve and rescue me that it may be visible to all that this so opportune interposition of thine hath wrought the deliverance for us 28. Let them curse but bless thou when they arise let them be ashamed but let thy servant rejoyce Paraphrase 28. Though they rail and defame and rise up against me yet I shall be secure of thy benediction and this shall be sure to give me the victory when they are put to flight and dissipated 29. Let my adversaries be cloathed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle Paraphrase 29. And this shall certainly be their portion and consequently nothing but shame and confusion of face for all their malicious successless enterprises 30. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of
applied because as the Jewish Doctors tell us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Levites repeat not the song of the oblation but onely over the drink-offering Yet there was also the more private in their families the cup of thanksgiving or commemoration of any deliverance received This the master of the family was wont to begin and was followed by all his guests S. Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cup of blessing that which was drank as a symbol of thanksgiving and blessing and had forms of commemoration and praise joyned with it and so by the Fathers Justin Martyr c. used of the Sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wine that hath thanksgiving said over it The use of it was either daily after each meal or more solemn at a festival In the daily use of it they had this form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed be our God the Lord of the world who hath created the fruit of the vine But on festival days there was joyned with it an hymn proper for the day as upon the Passeover for the deliverance out of Aegypt as we see Matt. 26.30 where the Paschal commemoration or postcoenium advanced by Christ into the Sacrament of his bloud was concluded after the Jewish custom with an hymn And so here with the cup of salvation is joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a calling upon the name of the Lord. And both the more private and the solemn performance of this with all the magnificent rites of solemnity belonging to it is called the paying of vows to the Lord that thanksgiving and acknowledgment which men in distress may be supposed to promise upon condition of deliverance or if they promise not are however bound to perform as a due return or payment for their deliverance V. 15. Precious The notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place for rare or precious must be so taken as not to signifie that which is spoken of to be desirable to or in the presence of the Lord for it is the life not the death of his servants that is precious in that sense to God the preserver of their lives But for their death to be precious is in effect no more than that it is so considered rated at so high a price by God as that he will not easily grant it to any one that most desires it of him Absalom here hostilely pursued David and desired his death he would have been highly gratified with it taken it for the greatest boon that could have befallen him but God would not thus gratifie him nor will he grant this desire easily to the enemies of godly men especially of those that commit themselves to his keeping as David here did and therefore is called God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see note b. on Psal 86. for to such his most signal preservations do belong peculiarly The Jewish Arab here reads Precious with the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the putting to death his saints or giving up to death The Hundred and Seventeenth PSALM The hundred and seventeenth is a solemn acknowledgment of God's mercy and fidelity and an exhortation to all the world to praise him for it 1. O Praise the Lord all ye nations praise him all ye people 2. For his mercifull kindness is great toward us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever Praise ye the Lord. Paraphrase 1 2. All the heathen nations of the world and all the people dispersed over the face of the earth have a singular obligation as well as the children of Israel Abraham's seed according to the flesh to praise and magnifie the name of God see Rom. 15.11 and that especially for his great and transcendent mercy toward them in the work of their redemption and the promulgation of his Gospel to them wherein his promise of mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever i. e. to his true spiritual posterity to the sons and heirs of his Faith unto the end of the world shall be most exactly performed and therein his fidelity as well as mercy manifested Annotations on Psal CXVII V. 1. Nations That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the nations here and in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all people signifie in the greatest latitude all the nations and people of the Gentile world even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole creation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole world Mar. 16.15 appears both by Matt. 28.19 where parallel to those phrases in S. Mark is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the nations here but especially by Rom. 15. where for a proof of God's purpose that the Gentiles should be received into the Church and joyn with the believing Jews in one consort of Christian love and faith and praise God together in the same congregation the proof is brought as from several other texts so from these words in this Psalm And this not onely by express citing v. 11. And again Praise the Lord all ye nations and laud him all ye people but also in the front of the testimonies by the phrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the truth of God v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the mercy or pity of God v. 9. both which are here mentioned v. 2. For thus the discourse there lies Christ was a minister of the circumcision i. e. was by God appointed an instrument of the Jews greatest good preaching the Gospel first to them calling them to repentance c. and this for the truth of God i. e. to make good God's fidelity or performance of covenant to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confirm the promises made to the fathers i. e. to Abraham c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the Gentiles for his mercy might glorifie God where though this preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was a work of mercy not so much as promised to or lookt for by them and so there is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pity compassion toward them yet is this an effect of that ministery of Christ which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the truth of God i. e. a completion of that promise made to Abraham that he should be the father of many nations which had never its perfect completion till the Gentiles came and sat down with Abraham became sons of this faith of Abraham in this kingdom of heaven the Church of Christ And exactly to this sense the second verse of this Psalm is to be understood as the reason why all the Gentile world is to praise and magnifie the name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. because the mercy of God is strong upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was confirmed say the LXXII and Latin and the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grew strong was in full force upon us i. e. all that mercy which is promised to Abraham for his spiritual as well as carnal seed is fully made
good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon us in which respect those words Rom. 15.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confirm the promises of the fathers may reasonably be thought to refer to these words in this Psalm the making good of God's mercy to us being as in words so in sense parallel to confirming the promises to the Fathers and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever i. e. God's fidelity which consists in an exact performance of his promise endureth to the end of the world because though the Jews for their unbelief were cut off yet the Gentiles the seed of Abraham's faith were grafted in and so God's promise of making him a father of many nations fully performed in the vocation of the Gentiles at the time of the Jews obduration and apostasie Thus much is manifest yet perhaps it may be farther observable that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong here attributed to the mercy of God is the known title of the Messias Isa 9.6 For though the late Jews have endeavoured to interpret that place of Hezekiah whom they there style 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord of eight names Talmud tract Sanhedr c. Chelek yet the Targum and others have resolved it to belong to the Messiah and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be two of his names And so indeed the mystery of our Redemption is to be looked on as an eminent exertion of the power of God Act. 2.33 the Incarnation is shewing strength with God's arm Luk. 1.51 and the Angel that brings the news of it and as the Jews tell us hath his name correspondent to the imployment he manages is Gabriel from this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong And so above all the power was remarkable in his Resurrection which was wrought by God's right hand Act. 2.33 and v. 31. to this add that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which follows is taken notice of to be another of the names of the Messiah and the Midrasch Tehillim observes that that word comprehends all the letters in the Alphabet × the first מ the middlemost and ת the last as Rev. 1.8 he is called Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end The Hundred and Eighteenth PSALM The hundred and eighteenth Psalm seems to be a gratulatory hymn to David upon his full and most undisturbed possession of the Kingdom after the Ark was brought to Jerusalem as may be conjectured from ver 19 20 26 27. and was probably appointed to be sung at the Feast of Tabernacles v. 15. some parts of it in the person of the people and others by way of alternation in the person of the King himself the most joyfull solemnity in the whole year as about which time the armies returned home from the field and Hosanna v. 25. the acclamation then used of course though no extraordinary accident had happened It is applied both by our Saviour Matt. 21.42 and by S. Peter 1 Pet. 2.4 to Christ the Son of David as by his ascension he was installed to be the King and so the head corner stone of the Church and it is therefore made up of lauds and praises to God for all his mercies 1. O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever 2. Let Israel now confess that his mercy endureth for ever 3. Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for ever 4. Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Paraphrase 1 2 3 4. It is now a fit season for all people and Priests especially for all truly pious men the most concerned and interessed persons to laud and magnifie the great goodness and constant mercies of God toward us let all therefore joyn uniformly in the performance of it 5. I called unto the Lord in distress the Lord answered me and set me in a large place Paraphrase 5. When I was brought into great distress may David now say I addrest my prayers to God for deliverance and he presently sent me a most seasonable relief 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can doe unto me Paraphrase 6. And having God to take my part I have no reason to apprehend the power or malice of man whatsoever it is 7. The Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me Paraphrase 7. As long as he is on my side to support and assist me I shall not fear to meet an whole host of enemies 8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in man 9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes Paraphrase 8 9. He that reposeth his whole trust in God hath thereby a far better security than all the Princes or men in the world can yield him 10. All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them 11. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them Paraphrase 10 11. Let all the men and nations in the world begirt me never so close and leave me no way in humane sight for mine escape and relief yet I have my confidence in God and being thus fortified with ammunition and auxiliaries from heaven I shall make no doubt to repell and destroy them all 12. They compassed me about like bees they are quenched as the fire of thorns for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them Paraphrase 12. Let them swarm about me as thick as bees seise on me with the same violence that the fire doth upon chaff or thorns which it presently sets a flaming and consumes yet being thus armed as I am with a full trust and reliance on the omnipotent power of God I shall escape their fury and cut them off in stead of being destroyed by them 13. Thou hast thrust fore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me Paraphrase 13. Mine enemies violence was so great that I had no power to resist it but was just ready to fall and sink under it and just then when my distress was greatest God interposed for my relief 14. The Lord is my strength and my song and is become my salvation Paraphrase 14. On him have I always depended as my onely support him have I always acknowledged and praised and exprest my confidence in him and accordingly now in time of my want he hath rescued me and set me in perfect safety 15. The voice of rejoycing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly 16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly Paraphrase 15 16. And thus it is with all that adhere stedfastly to their obedience to and trust in God their whole
Annotations on Psal CXXXV V. 14. Judge The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies frequently not onely to judge or give sentence of punishment but to contend in judicature and that again not onely as an accuser or Plaintiff in the notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerable to it for suing 1 Cor. 6.1 but also as Defendant or Advocate and so 't is to plead or take ones part and patronize his cause and so to bring sentence of mulct or punishment against the adversary In this notion of defending or pleading for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oft used see Psal 7.8.10.18.26.1.35.24.43.1.72.4 And so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also so Gen. 30.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath judged me saith Rachel and heard my voice i. e. taken my part given me a son whose name therefore she called Dan a word from this theme So Deut. 32.36 whence this whole verse is verbatim taken In like manner the nouns both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doing are not so fitly rendred doing judgment as pleading a cause So Psal 140.12 I know that the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will plead the cause of the afflicted and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right of the poor And so Psal 9.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast pleaded my right and my cause to which is there added thou sattest in the throne judging right not as the same again but differing from it as the part of a Judge doth from that of an Advocate the Psalmist there signifying that God had taken both parts first contended for him then judged the controversie on his side defended him and so pleaded his cause and overthrown his enemies which was the passing of right judgment for him for that seems to be the full importance of that Verse And so we know our Saviour is both our Advocate and our Judge and herein our happiness consists that he which is our Judge is our Advocate also Then for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that may be either from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to grieve and then 't is duly rendred will repent himself or else from another if not contrary notion of the same word for taking comfort and so by the LXXII 't is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be comforted and so by the Syriack takes comfort but by the Latin deprecabitur This rendring of the Latin as it may seem to be an imitation of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not in the notion of being comforted but intreated and so to be in a passive though unusual sense deprecabitur shall be deprecated yet doth it well sort with the former notion that of repenting for so God is said to doe when he is intreated for his people and removes their punishments from them So the Jewish Arab understood it who renders it will spare or pardon his servants And to this notion of repenting the context both here and Deut. 32.36 where we have the same words inclines it viz. God's repenting himself of his anger of which we often reade i. e. returning to mercy and favour toward those with whom he was formerly displeased and so the whole verse shall signifie God's returning from punishing to assisting and taking the part of his people and that the Chaldee hath of all others best exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall return in mercies or compassions toward his just servants And then pleading for and such returning do perfectly accord V. 17. Neither is there any breath That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a nose is unquestionable and that it so signifies here is first the affirmation of the Chaldee who render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrils and so of the Arabick also which thus interprets it and transcribes the following verse also from Psal 115. and herein recedes from the LXXII contrary to their use And secondly when 't is considered that here it comes in conjunction with mouths and eyes and ears there will be less doubt of this rendring And thirdly when 't is evident the foregoing verses do clearly answer the fourth and fifth and part of the sixth verse of Psal 115. and there follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a nose to them or they have a nose and they smell not there will remain no question but so it is to be rendred here also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a nose i. e. a nose they have they have no breath in their nostrils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having no peculiarity to signifie the mouth in distinction from the nose their no breath being fairly equivalent to no smelling no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 smell The Hundred and Thirty Sixth PSALM The hundred thirty sixth is the magnifying of God's continual mercies in the exercise of his power in the creation of the world redemption and preservation and advancement of his people and is one of them which is intitled Hallelujah which probably it had in the front though now it be placed in the close of the former Psalm both in the Hebrew and Chaldee and is by the Jews called the great Thanksgiving 1. O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Paraphrase 1. Let the whole world in a most solemn humble devout manner acknowledge the great bounty and liberality of God and the continual exercises of his mercy which is not nor ever shall be at an end but is constantly made good unto his servants in all the motions of their lives 2. O give thanks unto the God of Gods for his mercy endureth for ever 3. O give thanks unto the Lord of Lords for his mercy endureth for ever Paraphrase 2 3. Let them adore and worship and praise him with all possible expressions of veneration and admiration as the onely and supreme Governour of the whole world infinitely above all the heathen most adored deities and above the greatest potentates on earth and withall as a most gracious Father of infinite never-failing mercies toward those that adhere to him 4. To him who alone doeth great wonders for his mercy endureth for ever Paraphrase 4. There is nothing so difficult which he is not able to bring to pass all nature is subject to his power as it is not to any other whose essence and power both are finite and limited and overruled by him and this power of his most signally exercised for the supporting and assisting of his servants 5. To him that by wisedom made the heavens for his mercy endureth for ever Paraphrase 5. A work of that power it was by which he at first created the upper part of the world the body of the heavens and air and in the fabrick thereof was infinite wisedom exprest as well as power yea and infinite mercy also to us men for whose uses and benefit that stately fabrick
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voluptuous or pleasurable drew but drops or lappings but will yield the illuminate Christian full streams of all the real joy and Epicurism in the world Which as it shall be the sum of my present Address to you so of my Prayers to God for ever for you that he that knows best how to chuse for us will not suffer us to do it for our selves will answer the necessities of our health and not the importunities of our appetites that he will take our Soul's part against our enemy Flesh and not our Bodies our Estates our Satans against our Souls will teach us that patience and that joy that tranquillity and that Serenity that courage and that Anthem of his three Martyr-children that we may sing also in the midst of flames denudate us of all when that may fit us for our prizes prescribe us any the scorchingst Fornace here which shall prove most instrumental to our present Reformation and future bliss to our life of obedience here and of glory hereafter Which God of his infinite mercy grant us all for his Son Jesus Christ his sake To whom with the Father c. John Baptist's Warning The IV. SERMON MATTH 3.2 Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand TWO Difficulties there are in these few words what is meant by the Kingdom of heaven and what by Repentance and then one plain matter of Practical Divinity that results from the union of them The Difficulties must be explained or else the Doctrine will not be come by the Earth removed ere the Ore be sprang the Veil be rent and then the Oracle will appear The former what is the importance of the Kingdom of heaven as being more disputable I shall propose more civilly and tenderly and unconcernedly as willing to give an Example of that meekness and that charity that in matters of Opinion will keep a Christian from noise or quarrel but the latter being more practical to which your eternal weal is more closely consequent a little mistake in Repentance being like the losing of a pin in a Watch the Actions and Motions of the whole life even the success of every temporal enterprize or hope depending on it you must give me leave to be more dogmatical to affirm confidently and if need be contend and quarrel you out of such errors To begin with the first Difficulty The Kingdom of heaven in this place I conceive to have a peculiar critical sense different from what belongs to it in many other places and to signifie the destruction of the Jews that remarkable vast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or final subversion of that Church and State wherein the power and so Kingdom of Christ was most illustriously visible against his persecutors And if you must have the reasons of my conceit I will give you a taste to them First The parallel use of the phrase in some other places not to trouble you with many In the 21 Luke where our Saviour having mentioned the beginnings of sorrows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginnings of their throes of travail and prolusions of this so bloody day Jerusalem encompast with Armies and the Prodigies that should be observable about that time the signs in the Sun and Moon c. ver 25. parallel to the relations in Hegisippus and Josephus and predictions in Joel The Sun shall be turn'd into darkness and the Moon c. he then concludes in the words of this Text When ye see these things come to pass know yee that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand A second Argument you may take from the Preacher the Baptist whose office it was to warn the Jews of this destruction as you may see Mal. 4.5 6. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet i. e. John Baptist a prophesying before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord and he shall turn the hearts of the Fathers c. directly the Sermon of Repentance Conversion in my Text lest I come and smite the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the Scripture phrase peculiarly the land of Judaea with a curse the clear interpretation of this Kingdom A third Argument you may have from the consequents in this Text where the Baptist saith it over again to the Pharisees in other words the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wrath ready to come and the axe laid to the root of the trees and so it seems this Kingdom was a heavy slaughtering hewing Kingdom And so indeed the propriety of the word will bear which will serve for a fourth Argument there being two notions of a Kingdom the one as it signifies reigning the other as executing judgment the first ruling the second coercing or punishing the first the golden sceptre the second the iron rod that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 royal Officer of God being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. an avenger or executioner for punishment And for the matter in hand the case is most clear Christ was never so demonstrably a King as in that royal act of revenge upon his Crucifiers then was his standard set up his ensign displayed the sign of the Son of man appearing in Heaven and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Matt. 24.30 Once more There is but one interpretation of this Kingdom of Heaven that can pretend against that which we have now given you and that is that it should signifie the preaching of the Gospel which at John Baptist's Sermon was not yet present but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was at hand But how could that be the thing meant when Christ himself who was this King and his preaching this Kingdom doth still continue the same style Matt. 4.17 Jesus began to preach and say Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand the other Kingdom was already come in Jesus preaching but still this Kingdom is to come yet future though 't were at hand Yea and when the Apostles were sent out a preaching which sure was the presence of that Kingdom the same style was still continued by them Luke 10. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of God is at hand upon you and then immediately to give the interpretation of that Kingdom they shake off the dust against them a direful ceremony and it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that City v. 12. the destruction that Sodom met with was more supportable than this I will now flatter my self that I have given you some hints and 't is in kindness to my Auditory that I do no more to acknowledge it not improbable that the Kingdom of heaven may have a peculiar separate notion in this and some other few places from that which it ordinarily signifies and so denote the fatal final day to the Jews and that will give our Baptist a preacher of Repentance just as Jonas and Noah were God's oeconomy the same and the style but little
either of those sins bring in to any man he should think fit to venture that dismal payment in another world And now my Brethren to conclude this reasoning and your task of patience together when you are likely to have so little excuse in perishing so no colour of reason for so wild an option of chusing death in the errour of your wayes when you must be so out of countenance when you come to that place of darkness so unable to give an account to any fiend that meets you why you should cast away all the treasures in the world for that so sad a purchase and act that really which the Rabbins feign of the Child Moses prefer the coal of fire before the ingot of gold chop it into your mouths and so singe your tongue not to make you stammer with him but howle with Dives for ever after and not get one drop to quench the tip of that tongue which is so sadly tormented in those flames when I say you are likely to come so excuseless to your torments so unpitied and so scorned so without all honour in your sufferings as having but your petitions granted you advanced to your vengeance as to your preferment optantibus ipsis whilst Heaven was look'd on as a troublesome impertinent suiter and you would not be happy only because you would not O remember then the Disciples farewel when they gave over the Jews and turn'd to the Gentiles Behold you despisers and wonder and perish But before you do so if it be possible give one vital spring and if but for Pythagoras's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the reverence if not the charity for the honour and awe you owe to your own souls if not to save them yet to save your credits in the world to manifest that you are not such abject fools retract your choice call back the hostages you have given to Satan and set out on a more rational more justifiable voyage You have heard of the rich Spaniard that had put all his estate into jewels how he was ready to run mad with the fansie of thinking what a condition he should be in if all men next morning should awake wise that he should become not only the arrantest Begger but the most ridiculous Fool. And believe it that last Trump when it begins to sound will have the faculty thus to make all men wise to disabuse and inspire the whole world with a new sense Those that are in the flames before you will reproach your madness count you but Bedlams to come thither Poor Dives if he had but a Messenger would long since have sent you a hideous report and admonition that whatever it cost you you should not venture coming to that place of torments O let Saint Pauls reasoning do it to us here that we make not such piteous bargains pay not so sad a price for so pure a nothing Let us be wise now that we may be happy eternally which wisdom the only way to that happiness God of his infinite mercy grant us all to whom c. The blessing influence of CHRIST's Resurrection The NINTH Being An Easter SERMON at S. Maries in Oxford A. D. 1644. ACTS III. 26 God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities T WERE but a cold unequal oblation to so blessed so glorious a festivity to entertain you with the story of the Day to fetch out the napkin and the grave-cloaths to give you that now for news that every seventh day for sixteen hundred years hath so constantly preach'd unto you 'T is true indeed what Aristotle observes in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the every-day wonders are the greatest the perfectest miracles those that by their commonness have lost all their veneration he speaks it of a circle which is of all things most common and yet of all things most strange made up of all contraries and so the mother of all prodigies in art of all the engines and machines in the world And the same might be resolved of this yearly this weekly revolution the greatest but common'st festival in the Christians Calendar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Queen-day as S. Chry. calls it I and that Queen all glorious within a many saving miracles inclosed in it and yet this Queen of most familiar condescendings is content to be our every weeks prospect and after all this as glorious still as ever no gluts no satieties in such beholdings But supposing this I must yet tell you one precious gemm there is in this jewel one part of the great business of this day which is not so commonly taken notice of and that is the blessing saving office of the day to us the benign aspect the special influence of the rising of Christ on the poor Sinners soul the use the benefit of the Resurrection and to discover this unto you let me with confidence assure you there is not a vein in this whole mine a beam in this whole treasure of light a plume of those healing wings of the Sun of righteousness a Text in this whole Book of God able to stand you in more stead than this close of S. Peters Sermon That our justification is more dependent on his resurrection than his death it self is sometimes clearly affirmed by S. Paul he was delivered up for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Rom. 8.34 and so for salvation it self And being made perfect he became the Authour of eternal salvation Heb. 5.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being consummate and crown'd as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the crowning of Martyrs or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being consecrated to his great Melchisedech-priestly office as the context enforceth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint imports in either sense a denotation of the resurrection of Christ peculiarly and in this capacity considered he became the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Author of our salvation But for all this compacted together and the distinct explication of the manner how all this is wrought by Christ's resurrection this is a felicity reserv'd the peculiar prerogative of this Text brought out now and prepared for you if you can but have patience till you see it open'd God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless c. In these words one fundamental difficulty there is the clearing of which will be the first part of my task and ground-work of my future discourse and that is to enquire what is meant by sending Christ to bless which when we have open'd there will remain but two particulars behind The time of this sending and the interpretation of this blessing the time of this sending after his resurrection God having raised up sent him The interpretation of this blessing or wherein it consists In turning every one
difficulties about it please you to take it in these few Propositions 1. That the Crucifixion of Christ was a Sacrifice truly propitiatory and satisfactory for the sins of the whole world and there 's nothing further from this Text or our present Explication of it than to derogate from the legality the amplitude extent or precious value of this sacrifice Yea and 2. that Christ himself thus willingly offering delivering up himself for us may in this be said a Priest or to have exercised in his death a grand act of Priesthood But then 3. this is an act of Aaronical Priesthood which Christ was never to exercise again having done it once Heb. 7.27 and so far distant from his eternal Priesthood Or to speak more clearly an act of Christ this as of a second Adam a common person order'd by the wisdom of God to bear the chastisement of our peace the Scape-goat to carry all our sins on his head into the wilderness into a land not inhabited Deut. 16.22 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our Creed to which he went and so though it were typified by all the sacrifices of the Priests and though in it that whole body of rites were determin'd no more Aaronical Priests seasonable after this one sacrifice yet still this is no part of the eternal regal Melchisedech-priesthood that of powerful intercession that of blessing us in the Text for though the death of Christ tend mightily toward the blessing of us though there were a wonderful act of intercession on the Cross Father forgive them yet that powerful intercession that for grace to make us capable of mercy that blessing in this Text the power of conferring what he prays for this 't was to which the resurrection instal'd him 4. If all this will not satisfie why then one way of clearing this truth farther I shall be able to allow you that the death of Christ consider'd as a sacrifice may under that notion pass not for an act of a Priest in facto esse but for a ceremony of his inauguration in fieri thus in the 8. of Levit. at the consecrating of Aaron and his sons you shall find sacrifices used the Ram the Ram of consecration ver 22. and apportion'd to that this Lamb of God that by dying taketh away the sins of the world may pass for a Lamb of consecration the true critical importance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.10 that the Captain of our salvation was to be consecrated by sufferings This death of his that looks so like an act of Aaronical-Priesthood is the preparative rite of consecrating him to that great eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech and this preparative most absolutely necessary both in respect of Christ and us of Christ who was to drink of the brook of the way before his head should be lifted up humbled to death c. Phil. 2. wherefore God hath also highly exalted him for that suffering crown'd him Yea and in respect of us too Heb. 2.9 who were to be ransom'd by his death before we could be bless'd by his resurrection deliver'd from the captivity of Hell before capable of that grace which must help us to heaven which seems to me to be the descant of that plain song Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren i. e. as the 18. verse explains it to suffer being tempted to undergo the infirmities and mortality of our flesh that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest c. his infirmities and effusion of his blood are not this Priesthood of it self but the qualifying of the second person in the Trinity to become a high Priest and that a merciful and faithful one merciful to pardon slips and faithful to uphold from falling and so a Priest such as it is most for our interest to have And so once more the dream is out that Artemidorus mentions of one he dream'd he was crucified and the consequent was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was taken up to be a Priest of Diospolis And by the way let me tell my Clergy Brethren if that shall prove the consequent of our Priesthood which was the presage of Christs the pains the contumelies yea and death of that Cross what is this but a blessed lot that hath brought us so near our Christ and a means to consecrate us too to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Kings and Priests for ever in Heaven I have thus far labour'd to clear this doctrine calculated the time of Christs enstalment to his eternal Priesthood and found it exactly the same with the aera here in this Text not till after the resurrection to which I shall only add one final grand proof of all which will sum up all that hath been hitherto said That parting speech of Christs Mat. ult All power is given unto me both in heaven and earth that you know was after the resurrection and so from thence that power was dated and that commission of blessing that here we speak of The act of his eternal Priesthood is his intercession that his powerful intercession that his giving of that grace which he interceeds for that the blessing in this Text and so the commission of blessing was given him not till after the resurrection And believe it though it look all this while like a rough sapless speculation there is yet somewhat in it that may prove very useful and ordinable to practice a hint if not a means of removing one of the harmful'st scandals and impediments of good life that is to be met with We are Christians all and by that claim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on rank and on march toward eternal life and yet many of us live like so many Mahometans or China-infidels quite out of all form of obedience to the commands of Christ we do not reverence him so much as to pretend toward serving him not advance so far as but to be hypocrites in that matter live in all the sensuality and vileness in the world and yet live confidently resolve we have done what is required of us by Christ can justifie our state for such as God is pleased with And if we be called to account the anchor of all this unreasonable false hope of ours is most constantly this that Christ our Priest hath propitiated for us we fly to our City of refuge till our Priest be dead and then we are quit by proclamation out of the reach of the avenger of blood 'T is the death of Christ we depend on to do all our task for us his priestly not regal office we are resolved to be beholding to In that we have Christ the Sacrificer Christ the Reconciler Christ the Satisfier and these are Christs enough to keep us safe without the aid of Christ the King that Judaical unedifying notion of a reigning Messias and then quis separabit what sin what devils what legion what act what habit what
dumb act of revocation bequeaths his soul to God and his Executor must see it paid among other Legacies and all this passes for legal in the Court and none of the Canons against the ancient Clinici can be heard against them The greatest wound to duty that ever yet it met with among Christians Thus do our vain phansies and vainer hopes joyn to supplant duty and good works and dismiss them out of the Church and if all or any of this be Orthodox Divinity then sure the duty of alms-giving will prove a suspected phrase haeretici characteris of an heretical stamp and then I am fallen on a thankless argument which yet I must not retract or repent of but in the name of God and S. Paul in this way that these men call heresie beseech and conjure you to worship the God of your Fathers For this purpose shall I make my address to you in Daniels words Dan. 4.27 Break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor righteousness and mercy the two degrees of alms-giving that I told you I hope that will not be suspected when he speaks it Shall I tell you what duty is what is now required of a Christian and that in the Prophet Micah's phrase Mic. 6.8 And now what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God justice and mercy the two degrees of alms-giving again that I told you of and I hope it will not prove offensive when he speaks it Shall I tell you of a new religion and yet that a pure one and the same an old religion and yet that an undefiled for so the beloved disciple calls this duty of charity a new Commandment and an old Commandment 1 Joh. 2. it shall be in S. James his words Jam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widow in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Shall I tell you in one word that though heaven be given us freely yet alms-giving is the consideration mentioned in the conveyance that men are acknowledged the blessed of God and called to heaven upon the performance of this duty that although it pretend not to any merit either ex congruo or condigno yet 't is a duâ—y most acceptable in the sight of God that alms-giving is mentioned when assurance is left out charity crown'd when confidence is rejected I love not to be either magisterial or quarrelsom but to speak the words of truth and sobriety to learn and if it be possible to have peace with all men only give me leave to read you a few words that S. Matthew transcribed from the mouth of Christ Mat. 25.35 Then shall the King say to him on his right hand who should the King be but Christ himself Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat Tell me in the name of truth and peace who now were they for whom the Kingdom was prepared from the foundation of the world who were there the objects of that great dooms-day election his Venite benedicti If Christ do not tell you neither do I the Text is of age let it speak for it self For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat If all this will justifie the doctrine and make this Text Christian perswade your judgments that charity may be the Queen of heaven maxima autem harum charitas the greatest of these is charity without affront or injury done to any other grace I hope it will be seasonable for your practice also as it hath been for your meditation become your hands as well as it doth now your ears And to infuse some life some alacriousness into you for that purpose I shall descend to the more sensitive quickning enlivening part of this Text the benefit arising from the performance of this duty Dicas coram Domino then thou shalt or mayest say before the Lord thy God And in that I promised you two things 1. To shew you in thesi that confidence or claiming any thing at Gods hands must take its rise from duty in performance 2. In hypothesi to give you the connexion betwixt this confidence and this performance claiming of temporal plenty upon giving of alms 1. In thesi That confidence or claiming any thing at Gods hands must take its rise from duty in performance If there be any doubt of the truth of this I shall give you but one ground of proof which I think will be demonstrative and 't is that that will easily be understood I am sure I hope as easily consented to that all the promises of God even of Christ in the Gospel are conditional promises not personal for the Law descends not to particular persons and in this the Gospel is a Law too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of faith nor absolute as that signifies irrespective or exclusive of qualifications or demeanure for that is all one with personal and if either of those were true then should Christ be what he renounces a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accepter of persons and individual Entities and so the mercies of heaven belong to Saul the Persecutor as truly as Paul the Apostle Saul the injurious as Paul the abundant labourer Saul the blasphemer as Paul the Martyr It remains then that they be conditional promises and so they are explicitly for the most part the condition named and specified 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out and be you separate and touch not the unholy thing a the condition you see set foremost in the Indenture and then I will receive you and therefore most logically infers the Apostle in the next words the beginning of c. 7. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Had the Promises been of any other sort but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these i. e. conditional Promises the Apostles illation of so much duty cleansing and perfecting had been utterly unconclusive if not impertinent So Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good to whom to them that love God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that are called according to purpose the word called a noun in that place not a participle noting a real not only intentional passion those that are wrought upon by Gods call and are now in the catalogue of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lovers of God and that is the condition in the subject and then to them that are thus qualified belongs that chain of mercies predestination vocation to a conformity with Christ justification glorification immediately ensuing You see the proof of my ground by a taste or two Now what condition this is that is thus prefix'd to Gospel-promises that is not obscure neither Not absolute exact never sinning
20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And do thou O Holy Jesus which hast loved us and given thy self for us love us still and give thy self to us Thou which hast been born in the World to save sinners vouchsafe again to be again Incarnate in our Souls to regenerate and sanctifie sinners Thou which art the Theme of our present rejoycing become our Author of perpetual spiritual rejoycing that our Souls may conceive and bring forth and thou maist conceive and regenerate our Souls that we may dwell in Christ and Christ in us And from the Meditation of thy Mortal flesh here we may be partakers with thee of thine Immortal glory hereafter Thus have we briefly passed through these words and in them first shewed you the real agreement betwixt Matthew and Isaiah in the point of Christ's Name and from thence noted that Jesus and Emmanuel is in effect all one and that Christ's Incarnation brought Salvation into the World Which being proved through Christ's several Incarnations were applied to our direction 1. To humble our selves 2. To express our thankfulness 3. To observe our priviledges 4. To make our selves capable and worthy receivers of this mercy Then we came to the Incarnation it self where we shewed you the excellency of this Mystery by the effects which the expectation and foresight of it wrought in the Fathers the Prophets the Heathens the Devils and then by way of Vse what an horrible sin it was not to apply and imploy this mercy to our Souls Lastly We came to another birth of Christ besides that in the flesh his Spiritual Incarnation in Man's Soul which we compared with the former exactly in eight chief Circumstances and so left all to God's Spirit and your Meditations to work on Now the God c. SERMON V. LUKE IX 55 You know not what spirit you are of OF all Errors or Ignorances there are none so worthy our pains to cure or caution to prevent as those that have influence on practice The prime ingredient in the making up a wise man saith Aristotle in his Metaphysicks is to be well advised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what doubts must first be made what ignorances earliest provided for and there is not a more remarkable spring and principle of all the Scripture folly that is wickedness among men than the beginning our Christian course unluckily with some one or more false infusions which not only are very hardly ever corrected afterward like the errors of the first concoction that are never rectified in the second but moreover have an inauspicious poysonous propriety in them turn all into nourishment of the prevailing humour and then as the injury of filching some of that corn that was delivered out for seed hath a peculiar mark of aggravation upon it is not to be measured in the garner but in the field not by the quantity of what was stoln but of what it would probably have proved in the Harvest so the damage that is consequent to this infelicity is never fully aggravaâ—ed but by putting into the Bill against it all the Sins of the whole life yea and all the damnation that attends it Of this kind I must profess to believe the ignorance of Gospel Spirit to be chief an ignorance that cannot choose but have an influence on every publick action of the life So that as Padre Pâ—â—lâ— was designed an handsome office in the Senate of Venice to sit by and observe and take care nequid contra pietatâ—m so it were to be wished that every man on whom the Name of Christ is called had some assistant Angel some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be it conscience be it the remembrance of what I now say unto him to interpose in all especially the visible undertakings of the life nequid contra spiritum Evangobi that nothing be ventured on but what is agreeable to the spirit of the Gospel Even Disciples themselves may it seems run into great inconveniences for want of it James and John did so in the Text ignoâ—â— de 〈◊〉 frâ— from Heaven on all that did not treat them so well as they expected but Christ turned and reproved them saying You know not what spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what kind of spirit you are of and that with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you Disciples you Christians You know not what spirit you are of In the words it will be very natural to observe these three Particulars 1. That there is a peculiar Spirit that Christians are of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. That some prime Christians do not know the kind of spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so James and John You know not c. 3. That this ignorance is apt to betray Christians to unsafe unjustifiable designs and actions You that would have fire from Heaven do it upon this one ignorance You know not c. I begin first with the first of these That there is a Peculiar Spirit that Christians are of a spirit of the Gospel and that must be considered here not in an unlimited latitude but one as it is opposite to the Spirit of Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wilt thou do as he did It will then be necessary to shew you the peculiarity of the Gospel Spirit by its opposition to that of Elias which is manifold for instance first Elias was the great assertor of Law upon which ground Moses and he appear with our Saviour at his transfiguration So that two things will be observable which make a difference betwixt the Legal and the Gospel Spirit 1. That some Precepts of Christ now clearly and with weight upon them delivered by Christ were if in substance delivered at all yet sure not so clearly and at length and intelligibly proposed under the Law You have examples in the fifth of Matthew in the opposition betwixt the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what was said by Moses to the Ancients and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs sayings to his Disciples which if they be interpreted of Moses Law as many of the particulars are evidently taken out of the Decalogue Thou shalt not kill commit adultery perjury Christs are then clearly superadditions unto Moses or if they refer to the Pharisees glosses as some others of them possibly may do then do those glosses of those Pharisees who were none of the loosest nor ignorantest persons among them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for their lives the strictest and they sit in Moses Chair and whatever they teach that do for their learning most considerable argue the Mosaick Precepts not to be so clear and incapable of being misinterpreted and so still Christ's were additions if not of the substance yet of light and lustre and consequently improvements
by which to make a judgment of Gods decree concerning us I say if we will believe God hath elected us 't is impossible any true Faith should be refused upon pretence the person was predestined to destrustion and if it were possible yet would I hope that Gods decrees were they as absolute as some would have them should sooner be softned into mercy than that mercy purchased by his Son should ever fail to any that believes The bargain was made the Covenant struck and the immutability of the Persian Laws are nothing to it that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. iii. 15 Wherefore in brief let us attend the means and let what will or can come of the End Christ is offered to every soul here present to be a Jesus only do thou accept of him and thou art past from death to life there is no more required of thee but only to take him if thou art truly possessor of him he will justify he will humble he will sanctifie thee he will work all reformation in thee and in time seâ—l thee up to the day of redemption Only be careful that thou mistakest not his Person thou must receive him as well as his promises thou must take him as a Lord and King as well as a Saviour and be content to be a subject as well as a Saint He is now proclaimed in your ears and you must not foreslow the audience or procrastinate To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts He holds himself out on purpose to you and by the Minister wooes you to embrace him and then it nearly concerns you not to provoke so true so hearty nay even so passionate a friend if he be not kissed he will be angry Lastly if in this business of believing so vulgarly exposed there yet appear some difficulties in the practice to be overcome before it prove a possible duty If self-denial be incompetible with flesh and blood if delights and worldly contentments if an hardned heart in sin and a world of high Imaginations refuse to submit or humble themselves to the poverty of Christ if we cannot empty our hands to lay hold or unbottom our selves to lean wholly on Christ then must we fly and pray to that spirit of power to subdue and conquer and lead us captive to it self to instruct us in the baseness the nothingness nay the dismal hideous wretchedness of our own estate that so being spiritually shaken and terrified out of our carnal pride and security we may come trembling and quaking to that Throne of Grace and with the hands of Faith though feeble ones with the eye of Faith though dimly with a hearty sincere resigning up of our selves we may see and apprehend and fasten and be united to our Saviour that we may live in Christ and Christ in us and having begun in the life of Grace here we may hope and attain to be accomplished with that of Glory hereafter Now to him which hath elected us c. SERMON XII ACTS XVII 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent THE words in our English Translation carry somewhat in the sound which doth not fully reach the importance of the Original and therefore it must be the task of our Preface not to connect the Text but clear it not to shew its dependence on the precedent words but to restore it to the integrity of it self that so we may perfectly conceive the words before we venture to discuss them that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle phrases it first represent them to you in the bulk then describe them particularly in their several lineaments Our English setting of the words seems to make two Propositions and in them a direct opposition betwixt the condition of the ancient and present Gentiles that God had winked at i. e. either approved or pitied or pardoned the ignorance of the former Heathens but now was resolved to execute justice on all that did continue in that was heretofore pardonable in them on every one every where that did not repent Now the Original runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is in a literal construction God therefore passing over the times of ignorance as if he saw them not doth now command all men every where to repent Which you may conceive thus by this kind of vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sensible proceeding in God God always is essentially and perfectly every one of his Attributes Wisdom Justice Mercy c. but yet is said at one time to be peculiarly one Attribute at another time another i. e. to be at one time actually just at another time actually merciful according to his determination to the object As when God fixes his Eyes upon a rebellious people whose sins are ripe for his justice he then executes his vengeance on them as on Sodom when he fixes his Eyes upon a penitent believing people he then doth exercise his mercy as on Nineveh Now when God looks upon any part of the lapsed World on which he intends to have mercy he suffers not his Eye to be fixed or terminated on the medium betwixt his Eye and them on the sins of all their Ancestors from the beginning of the World till that day but having another account to call them to doth for the present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look over all them as if they were not in his way and imputing not the sins of the Fathers to the Children fixeth on the Children makes his Covenant of mercy with them and commandeth them the condition of this Covenant whereby they shall obtain mercy that is every one every where to repent So that in the first place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must not be rendred by way of opposition he winked then but now commands as if their former ignorance were justifiable and an account of knowledge should only be exacted from us And in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word read but this once in all the New Testament must be rendred not winking at but looking over or not insisting upon as when we fix our Eyes upon a Hill we suffer them not to dwell on the Valley on this side of it because we look earnestly on the Hill Now if this be not the common Attical acception of it yet it will seem agreeable to the penning of the New Testament in which whosoever will observe may find words and phrases which perhaps the Attick purity perhaps Grammar will not approve of And yet I doubt not but Classick authorities may be brought where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall signifie not a winking or not taking notice of but a looking farther a not resting in this but a driving higher for so it is rendred by Stephanus Ad ulteriora oculos convertere and then the phrase shall be as proper as the sense the Greâ—k as authentical as
their own industry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Leo in his Tacticks Will be more forward to undertake any valiant enterprize to recover that reputation which their Ancestors Cowardice and unworthy Carriage forfeited So doth it nearly concern the Son of a Bankrupt to set upon all the courses of Thrift and stratagems of frugality to get out of that hereditary poverty in which his Fathers improvidence had ingaged him Thus is it also in the poverty and bankrupt estate of the Soul they who come from prodigal Ancestors which have embezled all the riches of Gods mercy spent profusely all the light of nature and also some sparks out of the Scriptures and whatsoever knowledge and directions they meet with either for the ordering of their worship or their Lives spent it all upon Harlots turned all into the adoring of those Idol-gods wherein consists the spiritual Adultery of the Soul Those I say who are the stems of this ignorant profane Idolatrous root ought to endeavour the utmost of their powers and will in probability be so wise and careful as to lay some strict obligations on themselves to strive to some perfection in those particulars which their Ancestors fail'd in that if the Gentiles were perversly blind and resolutely peremptorily ignorant then must their Progeny strive to wipe off the guilt and avoid the punishment of their ignorance Now this ignorance of theirs being not only by Clemens and the Fathers but by Trismegistus in his Paemander defined to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a prophaneness an irrational sleep and drunkenness of the soul in summ an ignorance of themselves and of God and a stupid neglect of any duty belonging to either this ignorance being either in it self or in its fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wickedness of the soul and all manner of transgression The only way for us the Successors of these ignorant Gentiles â—o repair those ruins to renew the Image of God in our selves which their Idolatrous ignorance defaced must be to take the opposite course to them and to provide our remedy antiparallel to their Disease i. e. in respect of their simple ignorance to labour for knowledge in respect of the effects of their ignorance idolatry prophaneness and all manner of wickedness to labour for Piety and Repentance Briefly if their ignorance of God was an heinous sin and virtually all kind of sin then to esteem repentance the greatest knowledge to approve and second the force and method of S. Paul's argument to prescribe our selves what ever God commands For so here in this Chapter having discourst over their ignorance he makes that a motive of our repentance and that back't with a special Item from God Who now commands every man every where to repent We have heretofore divided these words and in them handled already the ignorance of the ancient Heathen which in the justice of God might have provoked him to have pretermitted the whole World of succeeding Gentiles We now come to the second part the mercy of God not imputing their ignorance to our charge whosoever every where to the end of the World shall repent And in this you must consider first Gods Covenant made with the Gentiles or the receiving them into the Church deduced out of these words But now commands for all to whom God makes known his commands are by that very cognizance known to be parts of his Church and with all these he enters Covenant he promiseth Salvation upon performance of the condition required by his Commands Repentance Secondly the condition it self in the last words to repent And then lastly the extent of both the latitude of the persons with whom this Covenant is made and from whom this condition is exacted all men every where And first of the first the Covenant made with the Gentiles or the receiving them into the Church noted in these words But now commands c. 'T is observable in our common affairs that we do not use to lay our commands on any but those who have some relation to us a King will not vouchsafe to imploy any in any peculiar service but those whom he hath entertained and by Oath admitted into his Court. And 't is the livery by which one is known to belong to such a Family if he be employed in either common or special service by the Master of it To express it more generally they are call'd natural members of a Kingdom who are tyed to Obedience to all laws or customs national who are engaged in the common burthens as well as priviledges the services as well as benefits of a Subject The Ecclesiastical Canons are meant and exhibited only to those who are either in truth or profession parts of the Church the Turk or Infidel profess'd is not honoured so much as to be bound to them The orders and peculiar Laws of a City or Country are directed to those who are either Cives or Civitate donati and our Oaths and obligations to these or these local Collegiate statutes argue us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be members of this or that foundation Now to whomsoever these Laws and commands do belong whosoever is thus entertained and admitted into services is partaker also of all advantages which belong to a member of a Family and is by Covenant to receive all emoluments in as ample a manner as any other of his quality And this briefly is the state of the Gentiles here in the Text who in that God commands them here to repent which is the law and condition of the New Testament are judged upon these grounds to be received into the Covenant of the New Testament and consequently made members of the Church For as once it was an argument that only Jury was Gods people because they only received his Commands and the Heathen had not knowledge of his Laws so now was it as evident a proof that the Heathen were received into his Church i. e. into the number of those whom he had culled out for Salvation because he made known his Ordinances to them entertained them in his service and commanded them every one every where to repent Appian observes in his Prooeme to his History that the Romans were very coy in taking some Nations into their Dominions they could not be perswaded by every one to be their Lords he saw himself many Embassadors from the Barbarians who came solemnly to give themselves up to the Roman greatness ambitious to be received into the number of their Dominions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the King would not receive such low unprofitable servants 'T was esteemed a preferment which it seems every Nation could not attain to to be under the Roman Government and commanded by the Roman Laws and there were many reasons if we may judge by the outside why the Gentiles should not be likely to obtain this priviledge from God to be vouchsafed his commands For first they had been neazled up in so many Centuries of ignorance
they had been so starved with thin hard fare under the tyranny of a continued superstition which gave them no solid nourishment nothing but Husks and Acorns to feed on that they were now grown horrid and almost ghastly being past all amiableness or beauty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good for nothing in the World We see in Histories that perpetual Wars hinder Tillage and suffer them not to bestow that culture on the ground which the subsistence of the Kingdom requires Thus was it with the Gentiles in the time of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their hostility with God they generally bestowed no trimming or culture on the Soul either to improve or adorn it and then receiving no spiritual food from God all passages being shut up by their Idolatry they were famished into such a meagerness they were so ungainly and Crest-faln that all the fat Kine of Aegypt according to Pharaoh's Dream all heathen learning could not mend their looks they were still for all their Philosophy like the lean Kine that had devoured the fat yet thrived not on it they were still poor and ill favoured such as were not to be seen in all the land of Jury for badness Gen. xli 19 2. They had engaged themselves in such a course that they could scarce seem ever capable of being received into any favour with God Polybius observes it as a policy of those which were delighted in stirs and Wars to put the people upon some inhumane cruel practice some killing of Embassadors or the like feat which was unlawful even amongst Enemies that after such an action the Enemy should be incensed beyond hope of reconciliation So did Asdrubal in Appian use the Captive Romans with all possible Cruelty with all arts of inhumanity fley'd them cut off their Fingers and then hanged them alive to the end saith he that thereby he might make the dissentions of Carthage and Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not possibly to be composed but to be prosecuted with a perpetual hostility This was the effect of Achitophels counsel to Absalom that he should ly with his Fathers Concubines and this also was the Devils Plot upon the Gentiles who as if they were not enough Enemies unto God for the space of 2000. years Idolatry at last resolved to fill up the measure of their Rebellions to make themselves if it were possible sinful beyond capability of mercy and to provoke God to an eternal revenge they must needs join in crucifying Christ and partake of the shedding of that blood which hath ever since so died the Souls and cursed the successions of the Jews For it is plain 1. by the kind of his death which was Roman 2. by his Judge who was Caesaris Rationalis by whom Judaea was then governed or as Tacitus saith in the 15. of his Annals Caesars Procurator all capital judgments being taken from the Jews Sanhedrim as they confess Joh. xviii 21 it is not lawful for us to put any one to death 3. by the Prophecy Mat. xx 19 They shall deliver him to the Gentiles by these I say and many other arguments 't is plain that the Gentiles had their part and guilt in the Crucifying of Christ and so by slaying of the Son as it is in the Parable provoked and deserved the implacable revenge of the Father And yet for all this God enters League and Truce and Peace with them thinks them worthy to hear and obey his Laws nay above the estate of Servants takes them into the liberty and free estate of the Gospel and by binding them to Ordinances as Citizens expresseth them to be Civitate donatos coelesti within the pale of the Church and Covenant of Salvation They which are overcome and taken Captives in War may by Law be possest by the Victor for all manner of servitude and slavery and therefore ought to esteem any the hardest conditions of peace and liberty as favours and mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Marcus in Polybius they which are conquered must acknowledge themselves beholding to the Victor if he will upon any terms allow them quarter or truce Thus was it above all other Sinners with the Gentiles of that time after 2000. years War with the one God they were now fallen into his hands ready to receive the sorest strokes to bear the shrewdest burdens he could lay on them had it not been then a favour above hope to be received even as hired Servants which was the highest of the Prodigals ambition Luke xv 19 Had it not been a very hospitable carriage towards the Dogs as they are called Mat. xv 26 to suffer them to lick up those crums which fell from the childrens table Yet so much are Gods mercies above the pitch of our expectation or deserts above what we are able or confident enough to ask or hope that he hath assumed and adopted these Captives into Sons And as once by the counsel of God Jacob supplanted Esau and thrust him out of his Birth-right so now by the mercy of God Esau hath supplanted Jacob and taken his room in Gods Church and Favour and instead of that one language of the Jews of which the Church so long consisted now is come in the confusion of the Gentiles Parthians Medes Elamites and the Babel of tongues Act. ii 9 And as once at the dispersion of the Gentiles by the miracle of a punishment they which were all of one tongue could not understand one another Gen. xi 9 so now at the gathering of the Gentiles by a miracle of mercy they which were of several tongues understood one another and every Nation heard the Apostles speak in their own language Acts ii 6 noting thereby saith Austin that the Catholick Church should be dispersed over all nations and speak in as many languages as the world hath tongues Concerning the business of receiving the Gentiles into covenant St. Austin is plentiful in his 18. Book de Civit. Dei where he interprets the symbolical writing and reads the riddles of the Prophets to this purpose how they are called the children of Israel Hos i. 11 as if Esau had robbed Jacob of his name as well as inheritance that they are declared by the title of barren and desolate Esa liv 1 whose fruitfulness should break forth surpass the number of the children of the married wife To this purpose doth he enlarge himself to expound many other places of the Prophets and among them the prophecy of Obadiah from which Edom by a pars pro toto signifying the Gentiles he expresly concludes their calling and salvation but how that can hold in that place seeing the whole prophecy is a denunciation of judgments against Edom and ver 10. 't is expresly read For thy violence against they brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut out for ever How I say from that place amongst others this truth may be deduced I leave to the revealers of Revelations and
signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the first i. e. Paul was the chief of all Converts and Paul was the first that from so great a Persecutor of Christ was changed into so great so glorious an Apostle For so it follows in the Verses next after my Text For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Christ Jesus might shew forth all long suffering c. The issue of all is this that Saul unconverted was a very great Sinner yet not the greatest of Sinners absolutely but for ought we read in the New Testament the greatest and first that was called from such a degree of infidelity a Blasphemer a Persecuter to so high a pitch of Salvation a Saint an Apostle yea and greater than an Apostle whence the observation is that though Saul were yet every blasphemous Sinner cannot expect to be called from the depth of sin to regeneracy and Salvation Although Saul being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief of sinners was called and saved yet Saul was also in another sense for ought we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perhaps the last that from so great a riot of sin obtained so great Salvation Wherefore O Sinner be not presumptuous from Pauls Example but from Pauls single Example begin to suspect thy state and fear that such a miracle of Salvation shall not be afforded thee There hath been an opinion of late reviv'd perhaps original among the Romans that the greatest Sinner is the more likely object of Gods mercy or subject of his grace than the mere moral man whom either natural fear or the like not spiritual respects hath restrained from those outrages of sin The being of this opinion in the primitive Romans and the falseness of it is sufficientâ—y prov'd by that expoâ—â—ulation of St. Paul Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid In answer to some who hearing that Christ came into the world to save sinners thought that the excess of sin was the best qualification and only motive to provoke and deserve a more abundant grace and certain salvation As if that spirit which once to manifest its power called Saul in the midst of his madness breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the Church would not call any but those who had prepared themselves by the same degree of madness but required that men should make themselves almost Devils that they might be called into Christians as if that God which could out of stones could not also out of men raise up Children unto Abraham as if that Christ which raised up Lazarus being dead four dayes and as they thought stinking in his grave could not as easily have heal'd him whilst he was yet alive whereas we read that Christ dealt more on the cures of the impotent than resurrections of the dead that is in a spiritual application heal'd more from the Bed of languishment of their weaknesses and diseases than he raised out of the graves of trespasses and sins though some also hath he out of death quickned to exalt the power and miracle of his mercy Yet hath not this doctrine too been most confidently maintained among some of our times That there is more hope of the debauch'd man that he shall be called or saved than of the mere moral honest man who yâ—â— is in the state of unregeneracy Have not some men defining this moral man by the formal hypocrite set him in the greatest opposition to Heaven As if that degree of innocence or rather not being extremely sinful which a moral care of our ways may bestow on us were a greater hindrance than promotion toward the state of grace and the natural man were so much the further from God the nearer he were to goodness and no man could hope to come to Heaven but he that had knockt at Hell-gates I confess indeed that the Holy Ghost where he means to inhabit hath no need of pains to prepare him a room but can at his first knock open and cleanse adorn and beautify the most uncouth ugly and unsavory heart in the World That omnipotent convincing spirit can at the same instant strike the most obdurate heart and soften it and where it once enters cannot be repuls'd by the most sturdy habituate sin or Devil I confess likewise that some have been thus rather snatch'd than call'd like the fire-brands out of the fire and by an ecstasy of the spirit inwardly in a minute chang'd from incarnate Devils into incarnate Saints So was Mary dispossest of seven Devils who was after so highly promoted in Christs favour that she had the honour to be the first witness of the Resurrection So that Gadarene who had intrencht and fortified himself among the Tombs and was garrison'd with an Army of Devils so that he brake Fetters and Chains and could not be tam'd or kept in any compass yet in a minute at Christs word sent forth a Legion of Fiends sufficient to people and destroy a Colony of Swine And so was Paul in my Text in a minute at Christs Call delivered of a multitude of blasphemous malicious spirits and straight became the joy of Angels the Apostle of the Gentiles Yet mean time these miraculous but rarer Examples must not prescribe and set up must not become a rule and encourage any one to Sauls madness on confidence of Pauls Conversion to a more impetuous course of sinning that he may become a more glorious Saint 'T is a wrong way to Heaven to dig into the deep and a brutish arrogance to hope that God will the more eagerly woo us the further our sins have divorc't us from him If some as hath been said have been caught or strucken in the height of their Rebellions or in the fulness of the evil spirit called to a wane as Diseases in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or top-pitch are wont to decay and weaken into health again if there have been some of these as my Apostle rais'd from the depth of sin as Lazarus from the stench of the grave yet these in respect of others more softly and ordinarily called are found few in number and such as were appointed for the Miracles as well as the objects of Gods mercy Hence it is that a strange disorder hath most times accompanied this extraordinary conversion of more violent outragious Sinners Our Apostle to go no farther was to be cast into a trance and his regeneration not to be accomplisht without a kind of Death and Resurrection whereas others who are better morally qualified or rather are less hardned in the sins of unregeneracy do answer at the softest knock or whispering'st call of the Spirit and at his becken will come after him More might be said of this point how St. Paul was most notably converted that he had the alleviation of ignorance for which cause as he says himself he found mercy and that others are not probably to expect the like miracle who have not those insuperable prepossessions from custom
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies two things 1. to incline or decline and 2. to stretch out extend distend But how in either of these notions it shall be joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here it will not be easie to judge The LXXII render it in the former notion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bow'd down evil things on thee and the Latine declinaverunt in te mala and the Syriack seems to accord rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Arabick they bow'd down If this be the notion of the word then it will best be rendred they wrested or perverted evil things against thee as Exod. 23.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to decline and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pervert is used and again v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt not pervert i. e. by perverting or distorting thy words framed accusations calumnies which are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil or wicked words or things Matth. 5.2 against thee In the second notion it is ordinarily applied to lines and curtains and then to spread evil against any may be a phrase taken from the spreading of nets as Psal 140.5 they spread a net with cords for the insnaring of any But the Chaldee which render it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies first to beat out and compress and thence to machinate contrive or forge in the brain in which sense it best agrees with imagining that follows make it probable to be taken from the Metallists who beat out and so extend or distend their metals and so frame them into any fashion from whence by an easie metaphor it may be drawn to that of designing or forging any evil against another V. 11. Make them turn their backs That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a shoulder or shoulder-blade there is no question Scapula that part of the body which from the neck reacheth on both sides before and behind to the arm But what the meaning is here of the Poetical phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt set them a shoulder is not so easie to resolve The Chaldee reads it Thou hast set them to thy people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one shoulder The sense of it seems to be best fetcht from that which follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thy strings from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nervous a bow-string Psal 9.2 The LXXII seem not to have understood it rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy remainders as if it were from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reliquus fuit But sure it signifies the strings of a bow as the instrument of shooting or wounding and then whether we joyn that to the precedent words Thou shalt set them a shoulder for thy bow-strings or to the subsequent words Thou shalt set them a shoulder with thy bow-strings thou shalt prepare against the face of them the latter part must have some influence on the former and then either way the setting them a shoulder will be either the setting them in aray drawing them up in a full and fair battalio that so his arrows may freely play upon them which in the end of the verse are said to be prepared against the face of them or to the same sense thou shalt make them as one neck so the Jewish Arab. renders it for slaughter Somewhat parallel to this we have Hos 6.9 where it is said of the Priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they killed shoulder-wise or by the shoulder The Chaldee render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one shoulder in the same words as here they use to expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shoulder which shews it to be a proverbial form to signifie sure and uniform slaughter This the learned Castellio saw and paraphrastically but very significantly exprest Nam tu eis pro scopo collocatis rectâ in eos tuis nervis collineabis For thou shalt set them as thy butt or mark and with thine arrows aim straight at them And this sure is the perspicuous meaning of this dark place For the Souldier in procinctu both in the antient and modern wars was and is wont to oppose only the shoulder to the enemy that being the most commodious posture both for defence and offence Thus the Phalanx was drawn up thus our stand of Pikes are accustomed to charge thus the Archers draw the bows the Musketiers give fire so the Swordmen receive the enemy covering the left shoulder with the buckler and they that use no buckler yet stand upon a guard of like nature and hold it for a rule never to leave open the whole body to the opposite All which gives the account clearly why the phrase of setting them a shoulder is here used because that was the military posture Abu Walid interprets it thou shalt set them as one side or on one side viz. to deal with them all alike comparing the use of it here with that in Hoseah c. 6.9 The Twenty Second PSALM TO the chief Musitian upon Aiieleth Shahar A Psalm of David Paraphrase The Twenty Second Psalm was composed by David on occasion of his own flying from his persecutors and the calamities that befell him at that time and belongs mystically to the Crucifixion of Christ and was therein most literally fulfilled in several passages see Matth. 27.35.43 and was by Christ recited upon the Cross either all or at least some part of it Matth. 27.46 The Psalm thus composed by David was committed to the Praefect of his Musick 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Paraphrase 1. O my God O my God I am forsaken by thee mine enemies prevail against me and all my loudest and most importunate cryes to thee for help bring me no relief How long wilt thou thus leave me to this state of destitution I beseech thee at length to look upon me This was farther completed in Christ upon the Cross when his Divine Nature suspended the exercise of his omnipotence so far as to deliver up his body to that reproachful death and real separation from his Soul Matth. 27.46 2. O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent Paraphrase 2. O my God I call and cry unto thee continually day and night and thou givest me no redress nor least cessation to my afflictions 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Paraphrase 3. Yet am I not discouraged by this I am sure that thou continuest faithful and true such as canst not forget thy promises thou art he that hast and wilt continue to do all wonderfull things for thy people and even when for a time thou permittest them to be opprest by their enemies thou art still most worthy to be magnified and praised by them 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted
and thou didst deliver them Paraphrase 4. We thy people have had long experience of thy mercy and fidelity our fathers before us in all their distresses have placed their full affiance in thee for rescue and deliverance and never failed to receive it from thee 5. They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Paraphrase 5. Upon their humble and constant and importunate addresses to thee they continually obtained deliverance from thee and never were discomfited or put to shame in their trusting or relying on thee 6. But I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying 8. He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Paraphrase 6 7 8. Mean while I am an abject weak contemptible person reviled and set at nought by the vulgar and baser sort All that behold my present low condition think that I am utterly forsaken and so mock me and scoff at me for trusting in God or relying on any aid of his or taking any comfort or ground of hope from my being in his favour That these three verses have a largest and most literal completion in Christ in his crucifixion see note e. 9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers brests 10. I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly Paraphrase 9 10. But all this doth not discourage me I know thy protection hath hitherto supported me in my greatest distresses and weaknesses Thou broughtest me out of the womb of my Mother which duly considered was a greater deliverance than that I now want from thee and from that time didst sustain and uphold me when I was not able to do the least for my self When I came forth into the World I had no inheritance but thy special providence and preservation which if it had been but one minute suspended or withdrawn from me I had been immediately lost but this thou hast from my first conception thus long continued to me and thereby testified to me convincingly that as I have none to depend on but thee so I may on thee confidently repose my trust 11. Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help Paraphrase 11. Now therefore in the approach of the greatest straits and the most absolute destitution of all humane aids be thou seasonably pleased to interpose thy assistance and not to forsake me utterly 12. Many bulls have compast me strong bulls of Basan have beset me round Paraphrase 12. My enemies are very strong and puissant and have besieged me very close brought me to great straits 13. They gaped upon me with their mouth as a ravening and a roaring Lion Paraphrase 13. And now are they ready to devour me and therefore as a Lion when he is near his prey makes a terrible roaring by that means to astonish the poor creature and make it fall down through the fright before him so do they now rave and vaunt and threaten excessively 14. I am poured out like water and all my bones out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels Paraphrase 14. My outward estate cannot better be resembled than by a consumptive body brought extreme low dayly pining and falling away very fast the bones starting one from the other see v. 17. and the very heart and most vital parts quite dissolved 15. My strength is dryed up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death Paraphrase 15. The radical moisture so dryed up that there is no more left than in a brick or tile that comes scorcht from the kiln the tongue dry and not able to speak and the whole body ready to drop into the grave 16. For dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me they pierced my hands and my feet Paraphrase 16. For my enemies come about me as fiercely as so many dogs to rend and tear me a multitude of malitious people like a ravenous Lion have now got me into their power beset me and inclosed me on design to wound and destroy me This was most eminently fulfilled in Christ at his crucifixion that being a real piercing of his hands and feet and that caused by the importunate clamors of the Jewish fanhedrim and people and a more literal accomplishment of the words than belonged to David 17. I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me Paraphrase 17. My civil state I say is as low as their state of body who have no flesh left on it whose bones consequently are so wide and distant one from another that they may be numbred as Christs were to be on another accasion by being naked and distended on the Cross and are thereupon lookt on as a prodigy and scoft at by all beholders as Christ also was upon the Cross Mat. 27.39 18. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture Paraphrase 18. They look on me as their prey and all that I have as their lawful spoil or pillage to be divided as by lot and distributed among them This also was more literally fulfilled in Christ John 19.23 24. when the soldiers having divided his upper garments into four parts finding his inner garment to be without scam would not tear it but rather cast lots who should have it 19. But be not thou far from me O Lord O my strength hast thee to help me Paraphrase 19. But be thou O Lord who art my only aid in a special manner present and with speed assistant to me 20. Deliver my soul from the sword my darling from the power of the dog Paraphrase 20. Rescue me now I beseech thee that am left destitute and helpless from the power and malice of these bloody men Or as applied to Christ thou shalt deliver me out of the grave and not permit the very jaws or power of death though it seize on me to detain me under its dominion 21. Save me from the Lions mouth for thou hast heard me from the horns of the Unicorn Paraphrase 21. And as formerly thou hast answered my prayers and preserved me from the strongest enemies when they most insolently exalted themselves against me so be thou now pleased to deliver me from those violent men who now are ready to devour me And thus was it fulfilled to Christ in his Resurrection 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee Paraphrase 22. And this shall give me continual matter of rejoycing and proclaiming thy wonderful goodness toward me and of making the most publick mentions of these thy unspeakable