of the lower Region of the Aire as in Winter we see the breath that cometh out of the mouth to congeal and hang upon the beard and haires This hoare frost is answerable in the counter-point to the dew but lasteth much longer Verse 30. Quae aquae magno diuturno frigore congelascunt velut per 10 vel 20 annos continuos appeilantur chrystallus velut in Alpibus Et glacialem Oceanum The waters are hid at with a stone This is a further description of ice which is hard as a stone and clear as chrystal so great is the force of frost how much more then of God to do whatsoever he pleaseth And the face of the deep is frozen Some deep Rivers are ice to the bottom so that loaden carâ—s are driven over fires made upon them meat dressed c. as was here upon the Thames in the great Erost some forty five years since Yea some seas are over-frozen Juvenal speaks of the icy Ocean in the Northern part of the world the ice thereof when once thawed floteth in the waters like huge mountaines as in Greenland c. Verse 31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades That is Restrain the pleasantnesse of the Spring or asswage the sharpnesse of winter that cold and comfortlesse Quarter There is none beside God who can either forbid flowers to break forth in the Spring tide Averni temporis significatione or else cause them to flourish in winter The Pleiades otherwise called Virgiliae and the Hens are the seven Stars in the end of Aries They are in Hebrew called Chimah of Chamah to love ardently because of the fellowship and working together that appeareth in them They have all one name because they all help one another in the work which is to bring the Spring and like seven Sisters or Lovers so are they joyned together in one Constellation and in one company We see saith One that God will have the sweetest works in Nature to be perfected by mutual help The best time of the year cometh with these Pleiades and the best time of our life cometh when we enter into true love and fellowship Or lose the bands of Orion Which is a Star that ariseth in the beginning of Winter Nimbosus Orion Virg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turbare concitare and draweth foul weather after him as with bands these can no man â—â—â—e for Winter never rotteth in the Aire as the Proverb hath it nor is it fit it should for it is of very great use for mellowing of the earth killing of worms and 〈◊〉 c. Neither can the Spring come kindly till Orion have prepared the way God will have us suffer before we reigne The word Chesil here used sigâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to perfect because saith One by suffering and offering violence to our selves we enter into perfection Luke 13 32. If we would have a pleasant Spring of graces in our hearts we must first have a nipping winter The Spirit of Mortification must be like the cold Star Orion to nip our quick motions in the head and to bind all our unclean desires and burning lusts that they stir not in us and unless we do thus the delights of Pleiades or the seven Stars of comfort shal never appear to us Verse 32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth Or the Twelve Signes or the Southern Stars that bring in Summer Lucifer some render it others the Hyades and others again every one of the stars or signs It is like it was some one star very well known in those dayes as were likewise the rest here mentioned and put for the four seasons of the year Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons Or Bootes with his waine those Northern stars or Autumne with his yearly fruits the gift and work of God alone Of Arcturus Hierome observeth that semper versatur nunquam mergitur this is most true of Christs Church much tossed never drowned Verse 33. Knâ—west thou the Ordinances of heaven Either how to order them as Master over them Diod. or to comprehend what they are certainly and perfectly Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth As well in regard of the motion of the heavens which varieth the seasons of the year as of the influences and vertue which cometh from thence For they who think that the superior bodies have no power at all upon these inferiour do go against common sense and experience yea this and many other texts of Scriptures which yet make nothing at all for that Judiciary Astrology so much cryed up in these last and worst dayes of the world by some who would have the manners studies and events of every man to depend upon the stars yea the rise and ruine of Kingdomes Arts Religion c. Verse 34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds Thy commanding voice as Numb 9 23. Some render it Thy thunder Will the clouds obey thee and rain upon thee at thy pleasure Something thou maist get by thy prayers as Elias did James 5 17. and the thundering Legion in the Ecclesiastical history but nothing by command or compulsion The Monarch of Mexico is a mad man to take an Oath at his Coronation Lopez de Gomara that it shall be what weather soever he pleaseth all the time of his Raigne Verse 35 Canst thou send lightnings Nunquid emittes Canst thou send forth lightnings and thunder-bolts as hurtful Creatures out of the Cave wherein they are kept Or as so many souldiers or servants to do as thou commandest them The Poets faine that Mercury had once a mind to steal Jupiters thunder-bolts but durst not lest they should burn his fingers Histories tell us of a King of Egypt and of Caligula the Roman Emperor that they attempttd to thunder and lighten Admirari duntaxat potest efficere non potest Brent but with very ill success Job is here told that that is too hard a work for any creature to do Verse 36. Who hath put wisdome in the inward parts Hitherto God hath set forth his own admirable Power Wisdome and providence in making and governing the life-less creatures the Meteors especially Now he comes to declare the same in things endued with life and first with man his Master-piece who hath given him wisdom saith God in the inward parts or reines where the reasonable soul sitteth and soveraigneth The Hebrewes say That the heart understandeth and the raines deliberate They haue their name here from plaistering over or covering because they are over-covered with fat and flesh howbeit the Lord tryeth them Jer. 17.10 and hath given wisdome to man to moderate his affections and concupiscences which are here seated and to get truth into these inward parts Psalm 51.6 that this hidden man of the heart may be highly accepted in heaven 1 Pet. 3.4 Or who hath given understanding to the heart To the Cock saith the Vulgar Latine after the Talmudists and Jew-Doctors who teach their
Matth. 24.45 Not as he in the Emblem who gave straw to the dog and a bone to the Asse The good Word of God is well applyed is profitable to all things as is here hinted scil to help the powerlesse to save the strengthlesse to counsel the ignorant and to set forth things as they are that there may be no manner of mistake but then it must be wisely handled and the help of Gods holy Spirit must be implored verse 4. that it may be a Word of reconciliation a savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.16 and 5.19 and whatsoever else is said in commendation of it Psal 19.7 8 9 10. Mercer interpreting this verse and the two following Hâ—c de Deo accipio saith he These things I understand concerning God and it is as if Job had said to Bildad O how bravely helpest thou him that is weak and pleadest for him that is forlorn as if God wanted thy patronage and defence No question but thou art a man fit to advise him and to set him in a course that he cannot otherwise hit on This is a good sense also But what meant Brentius to bring in Job blaspheming here as thus Quem juvas impotentem salvas brachium invalidi Cui consulis insipienti c. Whom helpest thou O God the impotent savest thou the arm of the strengthlesse Whom counsellest thou the ignorant c. q.d. Surely thou shouldst do so by promise and it would well become thee to do so by me But alasse thou dost nothing less and hence it is that I still stick in the bryers c. Upon this gloss wee may write as the Canonists do sometimes Palea or Hoc non credo Verse 3. How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom q.d. Thou lookest upon me as a fool and an Atheist but this thou dost with far greater folly for I am not the man thou takest me for but can say as much for God as thy self and more too and if I were such as thou wouldst make of me I might so continue for any help I should have by thy counsel The like hereunto we may say to the Papists and other Seducers who pretend to tender our good to counsel us for the best and to wish our salvation And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is Heb. the Essence or the Reason or the naked truth q.d. What ado hast thou kept to tell me no mere then I knew before wherein thou hast fairly lost thy labour and missed of thy design if ever thou intendest to counsel and comfort me Very wisely hast thou done it I must needs say for thee Verse 4. To whom hast thou uttered words And as thou thinkest words weighty and worthy of all acceptation when in truth there is no such matter Bubbles of words they are and big swolne fancies sed cui bono What tack is there in them and to what good purpose are they Melancthon makes mention of a certain good man Manl. loc com 536. who reading Aristotles Discourse concerning the Rainbow conceited thereupon many strange speculations and wrote to a friend that he had far outdone Aristotle in that matter But coming afterwards to the University and disputing there upon that Subject he was found to be utterly out in those fancies of his which indeed were no better then a sublime dotage And whose spirit came from thee Or Came out of thee Was it by Gods Spirit that thou spakest or thine owne rather For there is a spirit in man but the Inspiration or the Almighty giveth them understanding Job 32.8 Job would not have Bildad think and term his discourses to be divine Inspirations or such admirable pieces Scult Ann. pag. 238 rare sayings being but vulgar and ordinary businesses Muncer the arch Anabaptist wrote a Book against Luther wherein he boasteth much of the Spirit and of Prophetical Light accusing Luther for unspiritual and one that savoured nothing but carnal things The Antinomians use to call upon their hearers to mark it may be they shall hear that which they have not heard before whenas the thing they deliver after so promising a preface is either false or what is taught ordinarily by others Some read the words thus Whose Spirit admired thee for the spirit goeth as it were out of it self after those things it admireth The Hebrewes expound it thus Whose Spirit hast thou quickned or confirmed by these thy words Who is the wiser or the better for them Quam animam per hac fecisti What soul hast thou gained to God by thy Doctrine Confer Gen. 12.5 the souls which they had made that is brought to the true fear and service of God Verse 5 Dead things are formed form under the waters Here Jobs tongue like a silver bell begins to found out the great things of God far better then Bildad had done Abbots beginning at the bottom and declaring that nothing is bred or brought forth whether animate or inanimate fish or other things in all the vast and deep Ocean but it is by his decree and power The Septuagint or Vulgar for dead and lifeless things render Giants and understand thereby Whales those huge Sea Monsters formed under the waters And the Inhabitants thereof That is saith One other fishes in general which are in the Seas where those Whales are For there is that Leviathan and there are creeping things that is smaller fishes innumerable And in particular certaine little fishes that are noted alwayes to swimme with the Whales as Guides of their way that they may not unawares coming into muddy places be miered there Aristotle calleth them Muscles Pliny Musticets Verse 6. Hell and destruction are before him Here beginneth a Magnifical and stately description of the Majesty of God and 1. from his Omniscience 2. From his Omnipotence For the first Hell and destruction are before him Not the grave only but the neathermost hell that most abstruse part of the Universe and most remote from heaven Gods Court. Of hel we know nothing save only what the Scripture saith of it in general that there is an hell and that the pains of it are endlesse easelesse and remedilesse c. but God only knoweth who are in hell and who is yet to be hereafter hurled into it It is the Saints happinesse that to them there is no such condemnation Rom. 8.1 that over them this second death hath no power Rev. 20.6 That if hell had already swallowed them up as they sometimes when deserted feel themselves to be in the very suburbs of it it could no better hold them then the whales stomack could do Jonas Luke 22.31 Satan hath desired to have thâ—e scil to hell but that he shall never have for they are the Redeemed of the Lord saved from the wrath to come and may triumphingly sing Death where a thy sting Hell where 's thy victory c. And destruction hath no covering that is Hell the place of destruction the Palace of
said our Hen. 7. should delight in War or take every occasion that is offered the World should never bee quiet but wearied with continual Wars Vers 31. Princes shall come out of Aegypt The Gentiles shall one day be called and caused Drum veruns cognoscere colere even Aegypt that Arch-enemy of the Church and Aethiopia the Off-spring of cursed Cham. And Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God Heb. Shall make her hands to run whereby is noted her speediness in giving or in receiving the Gospel Manibus pedibusque 〈◊〉 omnia faciat It is likely that that good Eunuch Acts 8. Terent. preached the Christian verity which himself had imbraced for goodness is diffusive and Birds when they come to a full heap of Corn will chirp Hist Aethiâ— cap. 137. and call in for their fellow The Habassines are still a kinde of Christians the Nubians have forsaken the Furtherance delivered and embraced instead of it partly Mahumetanism and partly Idolatry through lack of Ministers as Alvarro reporteth Vers 32. Sing unto God ye Kingdoms No such joy as that of the converted Isa 35.10 the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Song and everlasting joy upon their heads c. Bernard for a certain time after his Conversion remained as it were deprived of his senses by the excessive consolations hee had from God The like befell Cyprian Austin and others Vers 33. To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens i.e. the highest heaven Deut. 10.14 Which were of old And do still remain in the same state Lo he doth send out his voyce i.e. Thundreth as Psal 29. whensoever therefore we hear it thunder Sciamus Deum ipsum laqui hoc est sensibilem reddi Vers 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Altitonans Ascribe ye strength unto God The High thunderer acknowledge your own nothingness submit to his government His excellency is over Israel and his strength c. i.e. His glory shineth no less in Israel than the Thunder roareth in the Clouds Vers 35. O God thou art terrible out of thine holy places So the Sanctuary is called because divided into three parts and here hence God was terrible in his manifestations to his people and in his operations to his enemies See Psalm 67 2 3. Blessed be God Hereupon saith one God was called in Israel Baruc-hu the Blessed as Mark 14.61 with Mat. 26.63 See Luke 1.68 PSAL. LXIX A Psalm of David Quando rebellabat Sheba saith the Syriack made upon occasion of Sheba's rebellion presently after Absoloms Hence he cries out as one almost over-whelmed Vers 1. Save mee O God Thou who delightest to save such as are forsaken of their hopes The Fathers generally take this Psalm to be prophetical touching the passions of Christ and his praying then to the Father David had his troubles which gave occasion to the penning of this Psalm but those were all but as a picture and prelude of Christs farre greater sorrows Spiritus autem sanctus manifestè se prodit in hoc Psalmo For the waters are come in unto my soul Ever after Noahs flood that dismal destruction great and grievous afflictions were set forth by the rushing in of waters and overwhelming therewith Gods wrath was poured upon Christ as a mighty torrent of waters and therefore this expression applied to him hath a special Emphasis his soul was heavy even to the death Fluctus fluctum trudebat One deep called upon another c. O the soul of sufferings which his soul then suffered Vers 2. I sink in deep mire Heb. In the mire of depth or gulf as Babylon was afterwards called Isa 44.27 Here he stuck and under water and so must perish if he had not present help Vers 3. I am weary of my crying As a drowning man whiles he can be heard cryeth for help My throat is dryed Or parched raucitate laborant fancâ—â— Mine eyes fail With much weeping and long looking This is a peece of the curse Levit. 26.16 Christ became a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Vers 4. They that hate mee without a cause c. Christ besides his inward fears and griefs caused by the sense of his Fathers wrath for our sins was set against and assaulted both by men and Devils in that three hours darkness especially with utmost might and malice Then I restered that which I took not away Quod non rapâ—i reddebam Dâ—â—â—â— was dealt with as a felon or false-dealer Christ also was crucified for saying that he was the Son of God Job 19.7 though he held it no robbery to be equall with God Phil. 2.6 The Martyrs likewise were loaden with many 〈◊〉 and false criminations that they might seem to suffer not as Martyrs but as Malefactours Vers 5. O God thou knowest my foolishnese 〈…〉 Thou knowest mine innocency and how true I am of 〈◊〉 fâ—â—ly and those foul faults wherewith they falsely 〈◊〉 Vers 6. Let not them be ashamed for my sake Give mee not up to passions of dishonour to opprobrious practices whereby religion might be reproached or good people reviled and abused much lesse staggered and set at a stand by my sufferings Vers 7. Because for thy sake I have born repreach Whatever mine enemies pretend they strike at thee Lord through my sides and for thy sake alone it is that I am so bespattled that I am even ashamed to look any one in the face The most innocent may upon the fulnesse of an aspersion be put out of countenance Vers 8. I am become a stranger to my Brethren No otherwise than as if I were a Maâ—zer so the Hebrews call a Bastard that is a strange blet to the family Christ came to his own but they received him not yea his own brethren beleeved not on him Job 7. This when the Turks read in our Gospel they wonder and the Jews therefore slander his miracles for not so manifest as we conceive Vers 9. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten mee up Non amat qui non zelat Davids love to God much lesse the Lord Christs would not suffer him to bear with Gods dishonour and the contempt of his ordinances And this was it that procured him so much ill will and such a generall alienation from nearest friends and allyes And the reproaches of them that reproached thee Wicked men eftsoons set their mouths against Heaven and fall soul upon God himself This David and the son of David could not endure nec aliter amare didicit as Basit once answered those that blamed him for appearing so farre for his friend Chrysoft libâ— 2. d sacerdotâ— to his own great danger Vers 10. When I went and chastened my soul with fasting That I might thereby beat down my body and tame that rebel flesh of mine That was to my reproach They said I did it in hypocrisie and design So they dealt by the Baptist that crucifix of mortification Luk. 7.33 Vers 11. I made sack-cloath also
well knew that all this pretended curtesy was but drosse upon dirt ver 23. a fair glove drawn upon a foul hand a cunning collusion to undo him He therefore keeps aloof quia me vestigia terrent c. Come let us meet together Thus they called him to conference and consultation whiles the doores were not yet upon the gates purposely to take him off the work as the Fox diverts the Hunts-man from following the Hare and as our deceitful hearts do too often draw us away from the prosecution of good purposes by casting many other odde impertinent matters in our way In the plain of Ono Which was in the tribe of Benjamin chap. 11.30 31. near to Jerusalem that he might the sooner come and be the more secure so the Papists appointed Trent for their conventicle as near to the Reformed Churches inviting their Divines thereunto sub fide publicâ but that Councel was carried by the Pope and his complices with such infinite guil and craft without any sincerity upright dealing and truth as that the Protestants Calvin Bucer c. kept off as seeing that it was to no purpose to come amongst them But they thought to do me mischief To kill me or at least to captivate me Verse 3. And I sent Messengers unto them He went not but sent This was to be wise as a Serpent Matth. 10.17 God calleth us not to a weak simplicity but alloweth us as much of the Serpent as of the Dove and telleth us that a Serpents eye in a Doves head is a singular accomplishment Beware of men ver 18. bruitish persons skilful to destroy Ezek. 21.31 Blesse your selves from Machiavellians those matchlesse villanies and pray with David to be delivered from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue Psal 120.2 The Cardinal of Loraine the chief Engineer of the French Massacre sent to Christopher Duke of Wirtsberg a prudent and a valiant Prince that he and his brethren the Guises would embrace the Protestant Religion and desired to be enrolled in the number of the Protestant Princes but they knew him too well to trust him I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down I cannot intend it as having my hands more full of employment then that I can give heed to your complements There is a curse to him that doth the work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully And Lata negligentia dolus est saith the Civilian Remisnesse is a kind of perfidiousnesse Why should the work cease As it would or at least go but slowly on in his absence he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the driver on of the businesse as was likewise Boaz Ruth 2.3 who therefore followed it so close himself his eyes were upon the Servants reapers gleaners he lodgeth in the middest of his husbandry Let the Tempter ever find us busie and he will depart discouraged as Cupid is said to do from the Muses whom he could never take idle Standing water soon stinketh empty stomacks draw the humour that is next it so doth the idle heart evil motions An industrious Nehemiah is not at leasure to parle with Sanballat lest if he let any water go beside the Mill he should be a great loser by it His employment is as a guard or good Angel to keep him both right and safe Verse 4. Yet they sent unto me four times As thinking to prevail by their importunity This wicked men have learned of their Master Beelzebub the lord of Flies as the Name signifieth or Master-flie that will not off the bait till beaten and hardly then A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath oaded an impudency in some mens faces and it appears they are past all grace because shamelesse Et pudet non esse impudentes saith Austin And I answered them after the same manner Nehemiah stood immoveable as a rock He was homo quadratus not to be altered but firm to his principles resolute in his holy purposes We may stile him as Theodoret doth Athanasius the Bulwark of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Churches-champion Nec temerè nec timidè may seem to have been his motto neither temerarious nor timorous Verse 5. Then sent Sanballat the fifth time So restlesse are wicked persons their souls are violently tossed about as in a sling 1 Sam. 25.29 Etsi non aliquà docuissent c. Satan their task-master urgeth them and when thou seest them most importunate and outragious Scito quia ab accensore suo daemone perurgentur saith Bernard Know thou that the Devil pricks them and kicks them on to it With an open Letter in his hand Not sealed as the manner is for secrecy sake The Jews use to write upon the back of their Letters Nun Cheth Shin that is Niddui Cherem and Shammatha all sorts of excommunication to him that shall open them But this Letter was purposely sent open that whoso would might read it ere it came to Nehemiah's hand and be warned of having hand in the pretended treason Verse 6. It is reported among the Heathen And must therefore needs be true like as the common sort of Turks think that whatsoever is written in their tongue must of necessity be beleeved for truth But who knowes not that Rumour is a loud lyar Grand Sign Serag 171. and that every publike person needeth carry a spare hankerchief to wipe off dirt cast upon him by disaffected persons that seek to fly-blow their reputation and to deprave their best actions And Jashmu saith so Geshmu aliàs Geshem the Arabian ver 1.2 a worthy wight a credible witnesse Nehemiah might well have replyed as Seneca did in like case Malae de me loquuntur sed mali Gashmu's tongue was no slander for he was known to be mendaciorum artifex one that had taught his tongue the art of lying Jer. 9.3 5. and had taken fast hold of deceit Jer. 8.5 Such of late time were those loud and lewd liars Genebrard Scioppius Baldwin and Bolsecus who being requested by the Popish side to write the lives of Calvin and Beza is in all their writings alledged as Canonical though they know him to be according to the old Proverb a Friar a Lyar. That thou and the Jews think to rebel A likely matter but that matters not Any Authour serves Sanballats turn who for a need could have suckt such an accusation as this out of his own fingers See Ezra 4.13 For which cause thou buildest the Wall This was calumniari audacter as Machiavel taught aliquid saltem adhaerebit But if dirt will stick to a mudwal Speed 804 yet to marble it will not Nehemiah hath the Euge of a clear conscience and no Wise-man will beleeve this black-mouthed Blatero N. D. Authour of the three conversions hath made Sr. John Oldcastle the Martyr a Ruffian a Robber and a Rebel His authority is taken from the Stage-players of like conscience for lyes as all men know That thou maist be their King King of the Jewes As they
charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ c. 2 Tim. 4.1 So Saint Austin to his hearers Per tremendum Dei judicium vos adjuro I require and charge you by that dreadful day of judgement when that doomes-day book shall be opened c. It is a weaknesse to be hot in a cold matter but it is a wickednesse to be cold in a hot matter He that is earnest in good though he may carry some things indiscreetly yet is he far better then a time-server and a cold friend to the truth like as in falling forward is nothing so much danger as in falling backward Eli was too blame with his Do no more so my sonnes And so was Jehoshaphat with his Let not the King say so And the people in Ahabs time who when they were pressed to expresse whom they were for God or Baal they answered not a word 1 Kings 18.21 And yet how many such cold friends hath the truth now adayes Luke-warm Laodiceans Neuter-passive Christians c When Callidus once declared against Gallus with a faint and languishing voice Oh saith Tully Tu nisi fingeres sic ageres Would'st thou plead on that manner if thou wert in good earnest Mens faint appearing for Gods cause shewes they do but faine their coldnesse probably concludeth they do but counterfeit Mordecai plays the man and chargeth Esther to improve her interest in the King her husband for the Churches deliverance See here how he turneth every stone tradeth every talent leaveth no meanes unused no course unattempted for the Saints safety And this the Spirit of God hath purposely recorded that all may learn to lay out themselvs to the utmost for the publike to be most zealous for the conservation and defence of the Church when it is afflicted and opposed by Persecutours seeing they cannot be saved unlesse she be in safety neither can they have God for their Father unlesse they love and observe this their deare mother Vtinam iterùm autem utinam diligentiùs à cunctis ordinibus haec hodiè considerarentur saith one Cypr. Aut. l. de unit Eccles Oh that these things were duely considered by all sorts now adayes To make supplication unto him Heb. to deprecate displeasure and mischief as 1 Kings 8.28 Zech. 12.10 And to make request before him Ad quaerendum à facie ejus so Pagnine from the Hebrew to seek for good from his face an effectual smile a gracious aspect that they may live in his sight For in the light of the Kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16.15 The ancient Persian Kings were most fond of their wives doing them all the honour possible in Court as Partakers of all their fortunes and carried them and their children into their farthest warres by the presence of so dear pledges the more to encourage their mindes in time of battel Now therefore Esther whom Herodotus also witnesseth to have been Xerxes his best beloved is to try what she can do with him for her people who were haply grown too secure upon Esthers preferment as the French Churches also were upon the Queen of Navarres greatnesse and the promise of peace by that match God therefore shortly after shook them up not by shaking his rod only at them as here at these Jewes but by permitting that bloody Massacre Verse 9. And Hatach came and told Esther He acted the part of a faithful messenger so must Ministers those servants of the Churches declare unto the people all the minde of God Acts 20.27 and not steal Gods word every one from his neighbour Jer. 23.30 not deal deceitfully with it but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God let them speak in Christ and let them speak out not fearing any colours He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully saith God Jer. 23.28 Aarons Bells were all of gold the Trumpets of the Sanctuary were of pure silver they did not as those inverse Trumpets of Furius Fulvius sound a retreat when they should have sounded an alarm No more must Gods Messengers Whatsoever the Lord saith unto me 1 Cor. 11. Heb. 3.5 that will I speak saith Michaiah Paul as he received what he delivered so he delivered whatsoever he received Moses was faithful in all Gods house c. Verse 10. Again Esther spake unto Hatach Having before found him a fit and faithful messenger she further employeth him so those that minister well do purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldnesse in the faith which is in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 3.13 when others shall be laid by as broken vessels whereof there is not left a sheard to take fire from the hearth or to take water withal from the pit as the Prophet hath it Esay 30.14 Verse 11. All the Kings servants His Courtiers and Counsellours who haply were as very slaves to him Turk Hist 1153. as now the greatest Lords of the Court are to the great Turk no man having any power over himself much lesse is he Master of the house wherein he dwelleth or of the land which he tilleth but is in danger of being whipped upon the least displeasure of the Tyrant especially if he be not a natural Turk borne Ibid. 361. And the people of the Kings Provinces do know i.e. All both far and near this shewes that the Law here mentioned was no new Law procured by Haman to prevent Jewish Suppliants as Lyra would have it but long since made and known to all the Kings subjects That whosoever whether man or woman Yea though she be his dearest Consort who should cohabit with him and not be sundred for a season but by consent 1 Cor. 7.5 Shall come unto the King The Persians usually hid their King tanquam aliquod sacrum mysterium as some precious businesse and that for two reasons First for State and Authority lest familiarity with their subjects should breed contempt and make them over-cheap Philip the second King of Spaine was of the same minde and practice For after that he had gotten into his hands the Kingdome of Portugal and therewith the wealth of the Indies inclusit se in Curiale he shut up and immured himself in his Court Val. Max. Christ and was seldome seen of any though never so great a man but upon long suit and as a singular favour This made him to be adored as a demi-god Secondly for security and safety lest if all should be suffered to come that would the King should be assassinated and made away as Eglon was by Ehud Ishbosheth by Baanah and Rechab Gedaliah by Ishmael and many Kings of Israel and Emperours of Rome were by their own servants The Turks at this day suffer no stranger to come into the Presence of their Emperour but first they search him that he have no weapon and so clasping him by the armes Turk Hist under colour of doing him honour dissemblingly they
the ropes or manage the oares c. The self-seeker the private-spirited man may he be but warme in his own feathers regards not the danger of the house he is totus inse like the snail still within doors and at home like the Squirrel he ever digs his hole towards the Sun-rising his care is to keep on the warme side of the hedge to sleep in a whole skin to save one whatever become of the many From doing thus Mordecai deterreth Esther by an heap of holy arguments discovering an heroical faith and a well-knit resolution At this time There is indeed a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccl. 3.7 But if ever a man will speak let him do it when the enemies are ready to devoure the Church as Croesus his dumb son burst out into Kill not King Croesus For Zions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest c. Esay 62.1 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth c. Psal 137.5 6. That noble Terentius General to Valens the Emperour being bidden to ask what he would asked nothing but that the Church might be freed from Arians And when the Emperour Niceph. upon a defeat by the Gothes upbraided him with cowardise and sloth as the causes of the overthrow He boldly replied Your selfe have lost the day by your warring against God and persecuting his people Then shall their enlargement Heb. Respiration a day of refreshing should come from the Presence of the Lord. Confer Job 9.18 At present they could hardly breath for bitternesse of spirit And deliverance arise Heb. stand up as on its basis or bottome so as none shall be able to withstand This Mordecai speaketh not by a spirit of Prophecy but by the force of his faith grounded upon the Promises of Gods defending his Church hearing the cries of his afflicted arising to their relief and succour c. Mira profectò at omnibus linguis saeculis â—â—cisque commendabilis fides saith one A notable faith indeed and worthy of highest commendation Thorough the Perspective of the Promises those pabulum fidei food of faith a believer may see deliverance at a great distance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see it and salute it as those did Heb. 11.13 What though Sense saith It will not be Reason It cannot be yet Faith gets above and sayes It shall be I descryland Italiam Italiam laeto clamore salutar Virg. But thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed Here he thundereth and threatneth her if to save her self she shall desert the Church Mordecai's message like Davids ditty Psal 101.1 is composed of discords Soure and sweet make the best-sauce Promises and menaces mixed will soonest work God told Abraham that for the love he bare him Gen. 123. he would blesse those that blessed him and curse such as cursed him Their sin should finde them out and they should rue it in their posterity As one fire so one feare should drive out another And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom There is often a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1. God may have an end and an aime in businesses that we wot not of nor can see into till event hath explained it Let us lay forth our selves for him and labour to be publike-spirited such as fully satisfied him No man labour can be in vaine in the Lord. to see which way we may most glorifie God and gratifie our brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil 1.20 Verse 16. Thus Esther bade them returne Mordecai this answer A sweet answer and such as fully satisfied him No mans labour can be in 〈◊〉 in the Lord. Good therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the wise mans counsel In the morning sow thy seed 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 thy 〈◊〉 for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this 〈◊〉 that or whither they â—ath shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 Mordecai had filled his mouth with Argument and now God filled his heart with comfort Esther yields and resolves to obey him whatever come of it only she will go the wisest way to work first seeking God and then casting herself upon the King Ora labora God hath all hearts in his hand and will grant good successe to his suppliants Verse 16. Go gather together all the Jewes Great is the power of joynt prayer it stirres heaven and works wonders Oh when a Church-full of good people shall set sides and shoulders to work when they shall rouse up themselves and wrastle with God when their pillars of incense shall come up into his Presence Rev. 14.1 and their voices be heard as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder Rev. 14. What may not such thundring legions have at Gods hands Have it they will have it Coelum tundimus preces fundimus misericordiam extorquemus said those primitive Prayer-makers Rev. 9.13 the prayers of the Saints from the foure corners of the earth sound and do great things in the world they make it ring It was the speech of a learned man if there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart how much more then a volley of sighs from many good hearts together it filleth the eares of God so that God heareth nothing else And fast ye for me Who am now upon my life and for ought I know am shortly to appear before the Lord who requireth to be sanctified in all them that draw near unto him and wherein I may not look to have leave to erre twice Non licet in bâ—llo bis â—rrâ—re D. â—â—all Point therefore your prayers for me with holy fasting that they may pierce heaven and prevail Abstinence meriteth not saith a grave Divine for Religion consisteth not in the belly either full or empty What are meats or drinks to the Kingdome of God which is like himself spiritual but it prepareth best for good duties Full bellies are fitter for rest Not the body so much as the soule is more active with emptinesse Hence solemn prayer taketh ever fasting to attend it and so much the rather speedeth in heaven when it is so accompanied It is good so to diet the body that the soule may be fattened And neither eat nor drink three dayes c. That is saith Drusius two whole nights one whole day and part of two other dayes See the like expression Mat. 12 40. Others lay that in those hot countreyes they might fast three dayes as well as we two in these cold climates Tully in one of his Epistles telleth us Epist 10â— that he fasted two dayes together without so much as tasting a little water For the Romanes also and Grecians had their Fasts private and publike whether it were by a secret instinct of Nature or by an imitation of the Hebrewes Faciunt vespae favos The
19. This was to walk worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 This was to make a proportionable return for we are Gods soile and our thanks his crop Verse 21. To establish this among them scil by a law that they should yearly on those two dayes rest and repeat among themselves that signal deliverance propagating the remembrance of it to all posterity Mordecai well knew that eaten bread is soon forgotten that deliverances are usually but nine dayes wonderment that it is easie and ordinary with people to rob God and wrong themselves by their unthankfulnesse which forfeiteth former mercies and forestalleth future he therefore setleth it upon them saith the text statuendo eis ut facerent he exacteth it of them by vertue of his office That they should keep the fourteenth day and the fifteenth day Both dayes nam gaudet produci haec sclennitus as Austin said of the feast of Pentecost such a solemnity should be drawn out to the full length as the silk-worm stretcheth forth her self before she spinneth her finest thread Jehosaphat and his people shewed themselves unsatisfyable in their praises which they presented again and again 2 Chron. 20.26 27. And good Hezekiah when he observed in his subjects such a float of affections at the Passeover and that they were in so good a frame took counsel with them to keep other seven dayes and they kept other seven dayes with gladnesse 2 Chron. 30.21 22 23. See with what a flood of words holy David poureth forth his soul in prayer Psal 145.1 to 8. as if therewith he would even fill up the distance between God and himself Sometimes he seemeth to forget himself in point of praising God for he will like a bird having got a note record it over and over as Psal 136. And in the last Psalme there are but six verses yet twelve Hallelujahs He concludeth Let every thing that hath breath or Let every breath praise the Lord let it be as the smoke of the Tabernacle when peace-offerings were offered Tam Dei meminisse opus est quà m respirare saith Chrysostom we have as much need to remember God as to take breath Verse 22. As the dayes wherein the Jewes rested from their enemies And therefore they in thankfulnesse would consecrate the same as an holy rest unto the Lord calling the fourteenth day Festum sortium minus the lesser festivity of lots and the fifteenth day Festum sortium majus the greater festivity of lots as Drusius telleth us And the moneth They thought the better ever after of the moneth Adar that magnificent moneth wherein was that golden day of their deliverance O dieculam illam c. dexter sanè prae laetitia mihi salit oculus said he Oh that joyful day Oh that the Calendar of my life might be filled with such festivals Which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy As God remembred poor Joseph and turned his fetters into a chaine of gold his rags into robes his stocks into a charet his prison into a Palace his brown bread and water into manchet and wine And as he had turned again the captivity of his people as the streams in the South Psal 146.4 So here he had made a great alteration bringing them from the jawes of death to the joys of a glorious deliverance turning their sadnesse into gladnesse their sighing into singing their musing into musick their teares into triumph luctum in laetitiam saccum in sericum jejunium in epulum manuum retortionem in applausum c. And this is no new thing in the Church Verse 23. And the Jewes undertook to do as they had begun Which yet they could not do unlesse God gave them an heart to do it Holy David understood this and therefore when he found that heat and height of good affections in his people he prayed O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and stablish their heart unto thee 1 Chron. 29.18 And when he had at another time undertook for himself that if God would deliver him from blood-guiltinesse his tongue should sing aloud of Gods righteousnesse he subjoynes by way of correction as if he were sensible that he had promised more then was in his power to perform O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 51.14 15. The Hebrew or rather Chaldee word here rendred Vndertook is of the singular number to shew that every particular Jew undertook for himself and for his posterity to all perpetuity And indeed they keep this feast annually to this day and exceedingly please themselves in the reading of this history counting and calling all such Princes and States as crosse them Hamans and wishing that they may be able one day to be avenged of them as their fathers were of these Persians c. Verse 24. Because Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite c. In detestation of whose wicked plot the Jewes at this day when at this feast of Purim they read the book of Esther in their synagogues as oft as they hear mention of Haman Anton. Meraanta lib. de Jud. cerem they do with their fists and hammers beat upon the benches and boards as if they did knock upon Hamans head Lavater saith the Papists in some countreyes do the like on Good-friday when in the reading of the Gospel mention is made of Iudas the Traitour But as for Faux Digby Piercy Catesby and the rest of that hellish crue of Popish Hamans treacherous Judasses these they have crowned with fresh Encomiasticks and little lesse then sainted Garnet that boutefeau hath his picture set among the rest of Rome's Saints Cornè á Lap. in Apoc. 7.3 Ger. ◠Apol. Cont Jesuet in the Jesuites Church at Rome with this Inscription Voluisse sat est Prodigious impudency And had cast Pur But found to his cost that there is no inchantment against Jacob Ut contereret eos neither any divination against Israel but that according to this time it should be said of Jacob and Israel said by way of wonder at Gods doing on their behalf what hath God wrought Numb 23.23 To consume them Heb. to crush them as a thing crushed to pieces as the lesser beasts are crushed by the Lion or as things are broken with a maule Verse 25. But when Esther came Heb. when she came This was the subject of the Jewes discourse upon those dayes which they spent not in idle chat but in telling one another what great things the Lord had done for them relating all the particulars All honourable mention was then made of Esther and Mordecai neither was Hamans malice instanced without utmost detestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Memoria ejus sicut vinum Libani say the Jewes of those they honour Bud. Pand. Herod l. 2. So true is that of Solomon Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed or is with praises as
do gracelesse men that draw not their knowledge into practice but detaine the truth in unrighteousnesse it swimmeth in their heads but sinketh not into their hearts it maketh them giddy as wine fuming all up into the head but never coming at the heart to cheare it Such a man may cast out divels and yet be cast to the divel he may go to hell with all his unprofitable knowledge like as a Bull with a coronet and garland goes to the slaughter Unlesse a man heare and know for himselfe he shall find no more comfort of it then a man doth of the Sun when it shineth not in his own Horizon or then a traveller doth of the fatnesse of a farre Country which he only passeth through and taketh a light view of If therefore thou bee wise be wise for thy self Prov. 9.12 Let thy knowledge be not only apprehensive but affective â—illightning but transforming 2 Cor. 3 ult discursive but experimental and practical For hereby we know that we know him if we keepe his commanaments 1 John 2.3 CHAP. VI Verse 1. But Job answered and said ELiphaz thought he had silenced him and set him down with so much reason that he should have had nothing to reply yet Job desirous to disasperse himself and to clear-up his reputation answered and said For indeed Negligere quid de se quisque sentiat non solum arragantis est sed dissoluti saith one that is altogether to neglect what others think or speak of a mans self and not to make apology is the part not only of a proud but of a dissolute person â— silence sometimes argueth guiltinesse or at least it strengtheneth suspition Verse 2. Oâ— that my griefe were throughly weighed Heb. were weighed by weighing The word rendred griefe signifieth also Angâ—â— and is thâ— same with that wherewith Eliphaz began his speech chap. 5.2 where he saith Wrath killeth the foolish man pointing at Job as an angry man exalting folly Here therefore Job beginneth his refutation wishing that that anger or griefe of his so hardly censured were duely weighed in an even ballance for then it would appeare that there was some reason for his passion that he had enough upon him to cry for and that he had not complained without a cause We read of a certaine Philosopher who hearing of his sons death brake out into a loud lamentation for which being reproved Permitâ—â—â—e inquit ut homo sim suffer me I pray you said he to shew my self to be a man that is sensible of my sufferings And my calamity laid in the balances together That is that my calamity were accurately set against my grief my laments and my torments equally poised it would then appear that I have not yet grieved or complained up to the height or weight of those calamities which are upon mee Even to day is my complaint bitter saith he elsewhere in answer to Eliphaz too interpreting his complaints to be rebellion against God My stroake is heavier theâ— my groâ—ning chap. 23.2 Verse 3. For now it would bâ— heavier then the sand of the sea How light soever thou O Eliphaz esteemest it as being in a prosperous condition It is easie to swim in a warm bath and every bird can sing in a sunshine-day But grief lieth like a load of lead upon the soule heavy and cold afflicting it as an unsupportable burden doth the body It so oppressed the poor Israelites in Egypt that they had no mind to hearken to Moses Eâ—eâ—d 6.9 Solomon cryes out A wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18. â—4 My soule is very heavy and exceeding sorrowful even unto death saith our blessed Saviour Matth 26.37 38. then when the Father made all our sins to meet upon him and be bare our griefs and carried our sorroweâ— Isa 13.4 12. Sure it is that had he not been God as well as man he had beene utterly crushed by that unconceivable weight of sin and wrath that he then groaned under Oh what will all Christ lessâ— persons do in hell where God shall lay upon them and not spare they would faine fly out of his hand Job 27.22 bur that cannot be Therefore my words are swallowed up Vix loqui possum vox faucibus haevet I want words which yet if I had them at will would be far too weak to utter the grief of my mind Broughton rendreth it Therefore my words fall short they are semesa saith Junius half-eaten before spoken I am as it were gagg'd with grief or my words are even smothered up with sighs and sobs Thus Job rhetoricates and yet thinkes himself greatly word-bound Verse 4. For the arrowes of the Almighty are within me What marvel then though his flesh had no rest but he was troubled on every side sith without were fightings within were feares 2 Cor. 7.5 The arrowes not of a mighty man as Psal 127.4 but of an Almighty God Troubles without and terrours within David felt these arrowes and complaineth of them heavily Psal 38.1 2. He shall shâ—ot as them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded saith he of those his enemies who had bent their bow and shot their arrowes at him even bitter words Psal 64.3 7. God will make his arrowes drunk with the blood of such persons Deut. 32.42 But the arrowes Job here complaines of were poisoned or invenomed arrowes The poison whereof drinketh up my spirits Dryeth them up and corrupts the blood in which the spirits are sprinkling in my veines a mortall poison working greatest dolour and destemper The Scrâ—hians and other nations used to dip their darts in the blood and gall of Asps and Vipers the venemous heat of which like a fire in their flesh killed the wounded with torments the likest hell of any other and hereunto Job alludeth The terrours of God do set themselves in array against me i. e. the terrible strokes of God who seemeth to fight against me with his own hand to rush upon me as the Angel once did upon Balaam with a drawn sword in his hand threatning therewith to cut off my head as David did Goliah's yea to send me packing to hell in the very suburbs whereof methinks I feel to be already and shall not I be suffered to complain a galled shoulder will shrink under a load though it be but light and a little water is heavy in a leaden vessel But the word here used for terrors noteth the most terrible terrors hellish terrors and worse for they are the terrors of God surpassing great 2 Cor. 5.11 which made Jeremy pray so hard Be not thou a terrour to me O Lord and then I care not greatly what befalleth me Whiles I suffer thy terrors I am distracted saith Hemun Psalm 88.15 Adde hereunto that these terrours of God had set themselves in array they were in a military manner marshalled and imbattailed against him as Jer. 50.9 God afflicted Job methodically and resolvedly he led up his army as a Reverend man phraseth it exactly
My lovers and friends stand aloof c. they looked on him and so passed by him as the Priest and the Levite did the wounded passenger Luke 10.32 But God takes it ill that any should once look upon his afflicted unlesse it be to pity and relieve them Obad. 12.13 and hath threatned an evil an only evil without the least mixture of mercy to such as shew no mercy to those in misery Jam. 2.13 But he hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty Which wheresoever it is in the power of it frameth a man to all the duties both of piety and charity Oâ—adiah feared God greatly and it well appeared by his pity to the persecuted Prophets Cornelius feared God and as a fruit of it gave much almes Acts 10.2 Not so Nabal that saplesse fellow whose heart was hardened from Gods holy fear nor Judas the traitor who had no bowels of compassion toward his innocent master and therefore he burst in the midst wâ—â—h an huge crack and all his bowels gusht out by a singular judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.18 There are many other readings of this text as that of the â—igurine translation It were fit for friends to shew kindnesse to their friend that is in misery but the feare of the Almighty hath forsaken me as you please to say See what Eliphaz had said to this purpose chap. 4.6 with the Note Others read it thus to him that is afflicteâ— should reproach be given that he hath forsaken the feare of the Almighty q.d. Must a man therefore be reviled as irreligious because he is calamitous The vulgar translation runnes thus He that taketh away pity from his friend hath forsaken the fear of the Almighty c. Verse 15. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brooke Even you whom I esteemed as my brethren for to them he applyeth this speech verse 21. prove hollow and helplesse to me like the river Araris that moveth so slowly that it can hardly be discerned saith Caesar whether it flow forward or backward or rather Cas de bell Gal. l. 1. to a certaine fish in that river Araris called Scolopidus which at the waxing of the Moon is as white as the driven snow and at the wayning thereof is as black as a burnt coal Job here elegantly compareth them not to a river which is fed by a spring and hath a perennity of flowing but to a brook arising from rain or melted snow the property whereof is in a moisture when there is least need of them to swell in a drought when they should do good to fail It is reported of the river Novanus in Lombardy that at every mid-summer-solstice it swelleth and runneth over the bankes but in mid-winter is quite dry Such were Jobs deceitfull brethren good summer-birds c. The same Author telleth us that in that part of Spaine called Carrinensis Plin. lib. 2. cap. 103. Idem ibid. there is a river that shewes all the fish in it to be like gold but take them into thine hand and they soon appeare in their natural kinde and colour Job found that all is not gold that glistereth And as the stream of brooks they passe away i. e. as an impetuous land-flood they faile me and now that I have most need of their refreshments they yeild me none but the contrary rather like as land-floods by their sudden and violent overflow doe much hurt many times to corn and cattle I can goe to these streames of brookes saith Job and shew my friends the face of their hearts in those waters Verse 16. Which are blackish by reason of the ice Or frost a black-frost we call it which deceiveth those that tread upon it Or if hard enough to beare up passengers it promise to be a store-house of preserving snow and water against the scortching time of Summer yet there 's no trusting to it for these waters as they are in winter lock'd up with frosts so they will be in Summer exhaled and dried up by the Sun Verse 17. What time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot c. Lo such is the fruit of creature-confidence of making flesh our arme of trusting in men or meanes whereas Deo coâ—fisi nunquan confusi they that trust in the Lord shall never be disappointed This thou canst never do unlesse unbottomed of thy self and the creature thou so lean upon the Lord as that if he fail thee thou sinkest and not otherwise Verse 18. The paths of their way are turned aside i. e. They being as it were cut into divers small rivers running here and there by little and little Beza and being resolved into vapours at length quite vanish away They go to nothing and perish Metaphâ—ra insignis Hieroglyphicum saith an Interpreter this is an excellent metaphor and a lively picture of the vanity of such as make a great shew of piety and charity which yet floweth not from the spring of true faith and therefore cannot but after a while go to nothing and perish A failing brook saith another is a cleare emblem of a false heart both to God and man Lavatâ—r thus explaineth the comparison 1. As brookes run with waters then when there is least need of them so falfe friends are most officious when their courtesie might best be spared 2. As the ice of such brooks is so condensed and hardened that it beareth men horses and other things of great weight so counterfeit friends promise and pretend to be ready to doe their utmost to suffer any thing for our good and comfort 3. But as those brookes are dried up in summer and frozen up in winter so that we can set no sight on them in like sort these are not to be found when we are in distresse and affliction 4. As brooks in winter are covered with snow and ice so these would seem to be whiter then snow when their aâ—fections towards us are colder then ice 5. Lastly as the ice that was hard and firm upon a thaw breaketh and melteth so false friends leave us many times upon very small or no dislikes as being constant only in their unconstancy Verse 19. The troopes of Tema looked the companies of Sheba waited for them The troops that is the travellers the Caravan or company of merchants from those parts passing through dangerous and dry deserts expected reliefe from those brooks which they had marked out for themselves against summer But with what successe Verse 20. They were confounded because they had hoped c. Heb. They blushed or they were abashed because disappointed and defeated of their hope and expectation See Jer. 14.3 4. Joel 1.10 11. Gods people have a promise that hoping in him they shall never be ashamed Joel 2.26 Rom 9.23 Their hope is unfallible Rom. 5.5 because founded upon â—aith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Hence they are commanded to rejoyce in hope Rom. 12.12 and to conceive gaudium in re gaudium in spe gaudium de possessiâ—e
power so infinite is the distance betwixt God and the greatest Noble that it is an honour that they may be suffered to live in his sight Exod. 24.10 11. And it is all one with God whether against a man or a nation Job 34.29 Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Instance but any one whether tongue-smitter or hand-smiter that could ever boast of the last blow or could cry Victoria Quis dura locutus est â—i so some render it Who ever uttered hard speeches Jude 15 stout words Mal. 3.13 against God and prospered scaped scot-free as we say and had not his full payment Blasphemers set their mouths against heaven witnesse Pharaoh Sennacherib Julian c. dealing with Almighty God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lonicer theat histor as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune Caligula with his Jupiter whom he dared to a duel or the three sons trying their archery at their fathers heart to see who can shoot nighest But shall they thus escape by iniquity No In thine anger cast down the people O God Psalm 56.7 The wall of Aphek did execution upon the blasphemous Syrians the Angel of God upon the Assyrians his visible vengeance fell upon Julian Arius and Olympius an Arian bishop who denying the Trinity was struck with three thunderbolts and killed in a bath Others understand here the word Libbo and read it thus who hath hardened his heart against him c. Surely if men harden their hearts God will harden his hand and hasten their destruction See Prov. 29.1 Isai 6.10 11. Rom. 2 5. and get thy flinty heart made fleshy sith an hard heart is in some respect worse then hell which is the just hire of it sith one of the greatest sins is far greater in evil then any of the greatest punishments Verse 5. Which removeth the mountains and they know not For further proof of Gods power first and then afterwards of his wisedome Job produceth divers particular acts of his upon the creatures both unreasonable and reasonable Elâ—phaz had said somewhat to this purpose chap. 4. se hîc admirandus est Job saith Merceri Job doth it admirably his tongue like a silver trumpet sets forth the high praises of God far more plainly plentifully and magnificently then any of his friends who yet have done it very well too God to shew his power removeth the mountains saith Job sc by stupendious earthquakes and otherwise at his pleasure Nahum 1.5 Psalm 97.4 5. Isa 40.15 he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing he can remove mountains with a wet finger as we say though so mighty in bulk and strongly founded Dionysius thinketh that in thus speaking Job aimeth at that which was done in the time of Noahs flood when the waters with their mighty force galled and bare down many great mountains but that 's uncertaine Great things God will do by the fire of the last day when mountains shall melt rocks rent and the earth with the works therein shall be all burnt up 2 Pet. 2.10 And what desolations he hath made in sundry parts of the earth by terrible earth-quakes as at Antioch often which was there-hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because so visited by God in divers places of Italy Sicily Burgundy Helvetia Joseph Cedren Plin l. 2. cap. 83. Camb Lritan and here in Hereford-shire mention is made in Pliny Stumpsius Jovius and other historians all making good this of Job and that of the Psalmist The mountains will skip like rammes and the little hills like lambs when the Lord is displeased Psalm 114.4 And they know it not Dicto citiùs it is done with a trice speedily and secretly before the mountains if they could at all know could know what is done to them or before the mountaineers or the neighbourhood could foresee and avoid the danger of being overwhelmed and buried alive Which overturneth them in his anger Or that he overturneth them in his anger Men are not sensible of Gods anger for sin no not in the greatest commotions such is their stupidity but will needs swelter and pine away in their iniquities as if nothing could awake them Lev. 26 39. Verse 6. Which shaketh the earth out of her place By mighty earthquakes dislocating the earth some part of it for the whole was never removed though God can take up the whole Globe as a man would do a hall tossing the very center it self whereon it is established 2 Sam. 22.8 c. There is a twofold power of God 1. Absolute 2. Actual By the former he can do more then he doth By the latter whatsoever he willeth that without impediment he effecteth As for the earth as God upholdeth it by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 so he hath poised it meâ—â—ly by its own weight that it should not be removed for ever Psalm 104.5 For if you imagine that the earth could be removed out of its natural place which way so ever it be removed it shall move towards heaven and so shall naturally ascend but to do so is utterly repugnant to the nature of the earth which is to bear downward All which notwithstanding the God of nature as he is in the heaven so he doth whatsoever he will in heaven and earth Verse 7. Which commandeth the Sun and it riseth not God in framing the world began above and wrought downward but Job in describing the great works of God here began below and now goes upward from earth to heaven It is as natural to the heaven to move as to the earth to stand still Copernicus his opinion that the earth turns round and heaven stands still is worthily exploded round the earth is indeed notwithstanding the hills and vallies as an apple is round notwithstanding some knots and bunches in it and being round it is naturally apt for motion the Pythagoreans held that the earth was naturâ suâ mobilis as the heavens are but God hath fixed and made it unmoveable whiles the heavenly bodies are restlesse in their courses The Sun the glistering Sun as the word here signifieth rejoyceth as a strong man to run his race Psalm 19.5 De ascensâ—nent in Deum grad 7 Bellarmine saith that in the eighth part of an hour the Sun runneth 700 miles But God the Soveraign of the Sun can speak to it and it riseth not If he do but give the word of command to the Sun not to rise the morning shall be made darknesse Amos 4.13 and the day dark with night Amos 5.8 Was it not so in that three dayes darknesse in Egypt in that miraculous standing still of the Sun in Joshua's dayes Exod. 12.21 Josh 10.13 when the Sun rose not with the Antipodes one morning and the stars were sealed up part of the night in that dismal darknesse mentioned by Lavater upon this text March 12. 1585 lasting for a quarter of an houre and being so like the night that the fouls went to roost at noon
thee sith thou art set and so wedded and wedged to thine own will and way that thou canst not be removed and rectified but by an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven O therefore that God would speak and open his lips against thee and for us for so Zophar doubts not but he would do but if it proved otherwise chap. 42. Job was justified and these three condemned because they had not spoken of God or to God as in this text the thing that was right verse 7. but had been Satans instruments to discourage Jobâ— and to drive that good man to many passionate speeches Some men and women too as Sarah Gen. 16.5 are over-hasty to send for God as it were by a post to decide their controversies who if he should come at their call would certainly pronounce against them Psal 37. Eccles 5.2 Fret not thy self therefore to do evil be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing in this kind before God or to interest him in thy quarrels and controversies for he will surely passe an impartial sentence â—either is there any iniquity with the Lord our God nor respecting of persons nor recâ—iving of gifts 1 Chron. 19.7 One Interpreter from this wish of Zophar noteth that it is an ordinary practice of hereticks Satans factors to mention God as approving of their errors if by speaking he would from heaven declare himself plainly and that therfore we should take heed of those that labour to work upon us this way when by right reason they are able to evince nothing that they say Vers 6. And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisedome This may be understood of Gods law saith Diodate or of the hidden wayes of his providence which if God would shew Job he should at once see that he mistook much and knew little of those many mysteries that are both in the word and works of God in all divine dispensations which are such as none can unriddle but God himself neither can we see them till he shew them It is well observed that the word here rendred shew signifieth to interpret and expound that which is dark mysterious and enigmatical and till God shew us in this sort we remain ignorant both in the book of the creatures and in the book of the Scriptures Oh pray that ye may be all taught of God that he would show you great and mighty things which you know not Jer 33.3 that he would so open your eyes that ye may behold wondrous things out of his Law Psalm 119.18 c. That they are double to that which is Sunt enim Deo judiciorum duo genera so the Tigurines translate the words for God hath judgments of two several sorts viz. open and secret such as thou with all thy skill canst not dive into The Hebrew is dovbles to the being that is saith one manifold more then is by thee apprehended and although God hath afflicted thee according to what he hath revealed yet he might afflict thee more if he should proceed according to the height of his secret wisedome thy plagues should be double to that which is if God should deal rigorously with thee there is reason therefore thou shouldst be patient sith thy sins are far more then thy sufferings Know then that God exacteth of thee lesse then thine iniquity deserveth This is a meditation that may be of special use as to humble us so to stanch murmuring and to strengthen patience under present pressures See Ezra 9.13 with the Note Junius rendreth it acknowledg at least that God exacteth somewhat of thee for thine iniquity somewhat it is and but somewhat sith hell is the just hire of the least sin and it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Lament 3.22 Verse 7. Canst thou by searching find out God i. e. The nature of God or the course of his providence and the reason of his proceedings thou canst never do it Neither did Job ever take upon him to do it but had excellently and accurately set out the same things chap. 9.4 c. that Zophar here doth so that he might well have spared his pains in this discourse as to Job but that being too pertinacious in his evil opinion of him he chose rather to thwart him then to close with him as contentious people use to do Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection No nor the brightest Angel in heaven the highest graduate in glory Find him we may possibly but not find him out much lesse find him out to perfection Tantum recedit quantum capitur Orat. 1. saith Nazianzen The nearer you draw unto God the further off he is from you De mirabil auscult and you are as much to seek as ever he is indeed like the pool Polycritus writeth of cited by Aristotle which in compasse at the first scarce seemed to exceed the breadth of a shield but if any went in to wash it extended it self more and more A Country fellow thinks if he were upon such a mountain he could touch heaven and take a star in his hand but when he comes thither heaven is as far off as it was c. So it is here eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Chrysostome speaking of Gods love in Christ saith I am like a man digging in a deep spring I stand here and the water riseth up upon me and I stand there and still the water riseth upon me What the Apostle saith of this infinite love of God that it passeth knowledge as having all the dimensions Ephes 3.18 19. the same is true of the wisedome of God as Zophar setteth forth in the following verses Verse 8. It is as high as heaven what canst thou doe And much higher it is as the highnesses of heaven so the Hebrew hath it which is so high that one would wonder we should be able to behold the starry skie which yet is but as the marble wall round about the palace and the very eye not be tired in the way See the Note on Prov 25.3 How high that second heaven is may hereby be gathered in that the stars whereof those of the first magnitude are said to be every one above 107. times as big again as the whole earth do yet seem to us but as so many small sparks or spangles but how high the third heaven is above them cannot be conjectured Ephes 4.10 And yet the wisdom of the Almighty is far above that But what meaneth Zophar by these cutted questions of his What canst thou doe and what canst thou know He thought belike that either Job considered not what he had said when he so set forth Gods wisedom and his own shallownesse or else that he contradicted himself when he nevertheless stood so much upon his own integrity and complained so greatly of his misery as of an injury Deeper then hell Which where-ever it is appeareth by this
appeareth And in length of dayes understanding By reason of their much observation and frequent experience together with their ability to draw other things out of those they have observed and from former events to presage future This is to be understood of such old men as are like flowers which have their roots perfect when themselves are withering as with roses keep a sweet savour though they lose their colour as with the Sun shine most amiably at their going down But lest we should attribute too much to such sages Job shewes in the next verse that all their wisedome is but derivative and that all their understanding is but a spark of Gods flame a drop of his Ocean Verse 13. With him is wisedome and strength c Wisedome strength counsel and understanding are all concentred in the Ancient of dayes compleat he is in all excellencies and perfections all which do meet in him and continue alwaies in the highest degree The mighty God fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding Isai 40.28 He is also no lesse good then great and wise good original universal all-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and fitting for our soul which as it was made by him and for him so it is never at quiet till it resteth in him See chap. 9.4 He hath counsel and understanding Counsel he hath but without consultation Wisedome but without experience Knowledg but without discourse Decree but without deliberation Aug. Loquimur de Deo c. we speak of God saith one not as we ought but as we are able And these things we speak of God saith another Father because we find not what better to speak of him But Job hath a mind to say the utmost that may be said Verse 14. Beheld he breaketh down and it connot be built again As he did the old world Sodom and Gomorrah many Monarchies and Empires the Tower of Babel and other castles and houses which now live by fame only If at all If God have a mind to mine these who shall raise or repair them Julian the Apostate in spite to the Christians Am. Marcel lib. 23. Socrat. 3. Theod. Ruffin set the Jewes awork to reedifie the Temple at Jerusalem but they could never effect it by reason of a terrible earth-quake that slew the workmen and marred the materials The Arian Bishops held a second Council at Nice with purpose to have abolished the memory of the first together with the Nicene Creed Func and to have established Arianism but God disappointed them and sent them packing thence by a huge earth-quake which overturned a great part of that city and destroyed a number of people Constans Nephew to Heraclius the Greek Emperour Theophanes Zonaras Cedrenus Job de Columnae in Mari historiarum Gen. Chronol and three hundred years after him Othe Emperour of Germany indeavoured but in vain to make Rome the seat of their Empires as anciently it had been God would not suffer it so to be saith Genebrard because the Kingdom of the Church foretold by Daniel was to have its seat there If he had said the kingdome of Antichrist foretold by Paul and John the Divine he had hit the nail on the very head He shutteth up a man and there can be no opening He clappeth him up close prisoner as Manasseh Zedekiah Bajazet Boniface the 8. c or fasteneth him to his bed by some chronical disease as he did Abimelech Ahaziab Asa Aeneas Acts 9.33 or otherwise straiteneth him that he knows not how to help himself as he did Pharaoh Saul when the Philistims were upon him of every side those refractaries in Isaiah chap. 9.2 and shall do the whore of Babylon Rev. 18. when her lovers shall bewail her but not be able to bestead her ver 9 10. For when God shutteth up any in this sort they must lie by it till he please to release them and extricate them as he did Joseph Jehoshaphat David Peter Valentinian and many others when they were even forsaken of their hopes Verse 15. Behold he with-holdeth the waters and they dry up He not only when he pleaseth imprisoneth men but waters also that they cannot get out of the clouds those bottles of rain those airy sponges vessels as thin as the liquor that is contained in them it is from the power of God that they dissolve not upon us at once and overwhelm us Bartholinus reports that in the year of grace 1551. a great number of men and cattle were drowned by the sudden breaking of a cloud divers vine-yeards De meteor li. 2. stone walls strong houses were destroyed and ruined At sea sometimes ships are by the same means sunk sea-men call it a spoâ—t Again it is by the anger and judgments of God that the clouds are sometimes so closed up that they yeild no more water then iron or adamant If I shut up heaven saith he that there the no rain 2 Chron. 7.13 and Deut. 28.23 24. God threateneth as a punishment of mens sin that the heavens over their heads shall be brasse and the earth under them shall be iron that the rain of their land shall be made powder and dust from heaven shall it come down upon them c. by exceeding great drought grains of dust shall ascend into the air with the wind and come down as the drops of rain in a shower when it is kindly weather Thus it was in Aâ—obe dayes 1 King 18. See Joel 1.20 with the Note And they dry up The rivers fruits of the earth roots of trees all dry up languish and perish feavers also and other acute diseases abound Also he sendeth them out and they overturn the earth They did so with an accent in the general deluge and in Deucalious flood in Thessaly besides many other great tracts and parts of the earth over-turned by water Pliny and Seneca give us sundry instances of towns and countries laid waste by water What great hurt was lately done about Amsterdam by water and what breaking down of bridges mills and other houses Prin. Nat. hist lib. 2. cap. 90.92 Sen. Nat. quast lib. 6. cap. 23. by excessive rain and floods thereupon besides marring of grounds and rotting of cattle in many places amongst us needeth not here to be related Verse 16. With him is strength and wisedome i. e. Such strength as he exerciseth most wisely mightily and righteously Sic volo sic 〈◊〉 saith the Tyrant Right or wrong thus it shall be Volumus â—uâ—emus saith that man of sin wee will and command c. neither must any one mute or say so much as what dost thou upon pain of damnation When Constantius would have Paulinus Lucifer and other Bishops subscribe against Athanasius and communicate with the Arians he yeilded to no other reason but this Quod ego volo pro canone fit Do as I bid or get you into banishment But God though he hath all power in his hand and may do
here to trees which are said to turn themselves and their roots after a sort to take in the smel of the water and thereby refreshed to bud and bring forth boughs like a plant This is check to those that live under the droppings of the ordinances and yet are like the Cypress-treâ— which the more it is watered proves the lesse fruitful and being once out down it never springs again whence the Romans who believed not a resurrection were wont to place a Cypresse-tree at the threshold of the house of death as Pliny and Serâ—iâ—s tell us Serv. in Virg. l. 4. Plin. lib. 16. cap. 32. Verse 10. But man dieth and wasteth away Heb. strong and lusty man Homo quantumvis rooustus Vat. dieth and wasteth away or is cut off sc worse then a tree for he growes no more or is discomfited vanquished as Exod. 17.13 and 32.18 sc by death and so carried clean out of this world Yea man giveth up the ghost Homo vulgaris plebeius All of all sorts must die whether noble or ignoble as Rabbi Abraham here observeth Job is very much in this discourse about death and surely as Nazianzen wisheth of hell so could I of death Vtinam ubique de morte dissereretur oh that it were more in mens minds and mouths then it is And where is he q. d. No where above ground or if he be putrefit teterrimè olet he putrifies and stinks filthily and as his life is taken away so is his glory yea being once out of sight he growes by little and little out of mind too little thought of less spoken of many times not so much as his name mentioned or remembred in the next generation Eccles 1.11 There is no remembrance of former things or men neither shall there be any remembrance c. So Eccles 2.16 and 8.10 and 9.5 Hence the state of the dead is called the land of forgetfulnesse Psalm 88.12 And Psalm 31.12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind Heathens also say the same Hor. lib. 4. Carm. 7. Cum somel occideris de te splendida Minos Fecerit arbitria Non Torquate genus non te facundia non te Restituet pietas Verse 11. As the water fall from the sea He sets forth the same truth by an elegant similitude drawn from the drying up of waters Look how these after some exundation of the sea or some great river are separated and left upon the reflux thereof behind the rest upon the land which cannot return for then they must ascend which is impossible to nature nor continue but do utterly dry up Sanctius Abbot and evaporate So c. verse 12. Others read it thus As when the waters from the feafail the flood decaieth and dryeth up so when mans life is taken away it returns no more while this world lasteth God hath made in the bowels of the earth certain secret wayes passages and veins through which water conveigheth it self from the sea to all parts and hath its saltnesse taken away in the passage Thence are our springs and from them our rivers but in hot countryes and dry seasons springs are dry and rivers want water exceedingly as at this time they do March 7. 1653. So when natural moisture decayeth in man he faileth and dieth the radical humor that supplement and oyl of life is dried up and can be no more renewed till the last day when yet it shall not be restored to the same state and moisture but instead of natural rise spiritual 1 Cor. 15. Verse 12. So man lieth down sc in the dust of death or in the bed of the grave his dormitory till the last day Vt somnus mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri And riseth not scil To live again among men so Psalm 78. Man is compared to a wind which when it is past returneth not again If it be objected that we read of three in the old Testament and five in the new raised from death to life besides those many that arose and came out of the graves after Christs resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many Matth. 27.52 53. It is answered 1. These few raised by Gods extraordinary power do not infringe the truth of what the Scripture here and elsewhere affirmeth of all mankind according to the ordinary course of nature 2. Even those men also afterwards died again and vanished no more to return or appear again in this world Till the heavens be no more i. e. Never say some interpreters to wit vi suâ by his own strength and to a better condition in the land of the living so the word until is used 2 Sam. 6.13 Matth. 5.26 and 1.25 ut piè credimus How sound and clear Job was in the point of the Resurrection we shall see chap. 19. and because he falls upon it in the words next following here some understand these words thus They shall not rise till the general resurrections when these heavens shall be changed and renewed Psalm 102.25 26. Isaiah 65.17 2 Peter 3.7.10 11. Rev. 21.1 They shall not awake Out of the sleep of death nor be raised viz. by the sound of the last trump till the last day But raised they shall be and sleep no more viz. when the heavens shall be no more And till that time the bodies of the Saints are laid in the grave as in a bed of down or of spices to mellow and ripen this is matter of joy and triumph Isa 26.19 Dan. 12.2 when they were to lose all so Heb. 11.35 The wicked also sleep in the grave Dan. 12.2 but shall awake to everlasting shame and contempt ib. their sick sleep shall have a woful waking for they shall be raised by vertue of Christs judiciary power and by the curse of the law to look upon him whom they have pierced and to hear from him that dreadful discedite Depart ye cursed c. Verse 13. O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave As in a sweet and safe repository sanctuary Sepulchrum est quasi scrinium vel capsa in quam reponitur corpus my soul mean-while living and raigning with thee in heaven expecting a glorious Resurrection and saying How long Lord Holy and True The fable or fancy of Psychopannychia hath been long since hissed out though lately revived by some Libertines that last brood of Beelzebub our Mortalists especially who say that the body and soul die together But what saith the Apostle Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Now that Job thus woos death and petitions for the grave it is manifest that he saw some good in it and that he promised himself by it Malorum ademptionem bonorum adeptionem freedom from evil and fulnesse of good we should learn to familiarize death to our selves and put the grave under the fairest and easiest apprehensions think we hear God
in the dark cast into straits inextricable plunged into sorrowes inexplicable and yet all these are but the beginning of sorrows For How oft cometh destruction upon them Utmost destruction irresistible ruine that comes on in manner of a black cloud or fierce storme undoing calamity overflowing scourge a tempest from which there is no covert The Vulgar renders it thus How oft is there an inundation upon the wicked God distributeth sorrowes in his anger Gives them their lot of greatest sorrowes as by a line Luke 12.46 such sorrowes as a travelling woman suffereth Spec. bell sac or such as were those of Monsieur Mylius an ancient Minister at Heidelberg when taken by the Spaniard first they abused his daughter before his eyes and then they tyed a small cord about his head which with truncheons they wreathed about till they squeezed out his braines The Text implyeth that though in this world many sorrowes are to the wicked yet these are no supersedias to their sufferings in hell Psal 32.10 but now they receive only a small portion or part of their punishments there they shall be paid to the full here they sip of the top only of Gods cup there they shall suck up the dregs thereof though they have eternity to the bottom This shall be the portion of their cup and but a portion Psal 11.6 Verse 18. They are as stubble before the wind Lest any man should say How can these things befal those that are so strongly set firmly built Well enough saith Job sith when they are best bottomed or underlaid they are but as stubble before the wind c. Haec consideranda saith Mercer these things would be laid to heart for hereby it appeareth that the wicked shall be destroyed suddenly and certainly certò citò penitus Isai 17.13 That they can no more stand before a punishing God then thistle-down before a whirle-wind or a glasse-bottle before a Cannon-shot Verse 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children that is the punishment of his iniquity whilst he visiteth the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Exod. 20.5 Neither doth this contradict that of the Prophet Ezekiel The son shall not dye for the iniquity of his farher chap. 18.17 Nor that of the Apostle Every man shall bear his own burden Gal. 5.6 for the meaning of those worlds is that no man be damned for the sin of his father nor one man for the sin of another unlesse by commission or approbation or some way or other he make it his own But for temporal punishments there is none but by occasion of others sins may have their portion in them and wicked parents leave Jobs Legacy to their children see 2 Sam. 3.29 yea though they prove to be good children 1 King 14.12 13. for whom God layeth up their parents iniquity in the treasures of his justice to be produced in due time He rewardeth him For every transgression and disobedience that is every Commission and Omission receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb 2.2 God will abate him nothing And he shall know it Know it to his cost Vexation shall give understanding he that before this judgement came would know nothing of the bitter effect of sin upon him and his now hath his eyes forced open as the blind Mole is said to have by the pangs of death and cryes out with the Lyon in the snare Si prascivissem Oh! if I had foreknown the mischief c. The wicked are wise too late the fool passeth on and is punished he knows not the evil of sin till he feels it Verse 20. His eyes shall see his destruction His slaughter saith the Greek his breaking to pieces saith the Chaldee this he shall see with his eyes the destruction of his person and ruine of his Family The sight of evil is a grief to see as well as the feeling of it is a pain and that 's complete destruction which is not only felt but seen Zedekiah first saw all his children slain and then had his eyes put out Mauricâ—us had the like woful sight and then was stewed in his own broth by the Traytor Phâ—â—as And he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Heb. The scalding hot wrath worse than that Cup of boyling Lead turned down the throat of a certain drunken man by the command of the Turkish Bashaw Jerusalem drank wrath to drunkenness and had none to guide her as a drunken man had need to have Isa 51.17 The Nations were to drink it to madness Jer. 25.10 Babylons brats shall drink of the wine of God's wrath Rev. 14.10 Poyson in wine works more furiously than in water their irreparable ruine is set forth to the eye as it were when Rev. 18.21 an Angel a mighty Angel taketh a stone a great stone even a milstone which he casteth and with impetuous force thrusteth into the bottom of the sea whence it cannot be buoyed up Now what is a mighty Angel to the Almighty God who hath his Name Shaddai from destroying as some are of opinion Verse 21. For what pleasure hath he in his house after him Hoc est Omnia impiorum etiam post mortem eorum maledicta erunt saith Brentius All that belongs to the wicked shall be accursed even after their death though some are so desperately set upon wickeness that they will have their swinge whatsoever come of it either to themselves or their children after them Sic fere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt improbi so unnatural they are many of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sueton de Tâ—berio that so they may satisfie their own sinful and sensual desires let their posterity sink or swim let them shift as they can they care not Dives in Hell seemed somewhat careful of his brethren but self-love moved him to it for he knew well that if they were damned he should be double damned because they had sinned by his example and encouragement When the number of his months shall be cut off in the midst Mortis periphrasis that is when he shall die saith one But that 's not all Impius moritur importunè The wicked dieth in an ill time for himself then when it were better for him to do any thing then to die Many of them live not out half their dayes Psal 55.25 Eccles 7.17 God cut off Elies two sons in one day and further threatned their father that there should not be an old man left in his house for ever 1 Sam. 2.32 Hezekiah when he thought he should die complained that he had cut off his life like a Weaver Esa 38.12 who cuts off the Web from the Thrum But the Saints such as he was die not till the best time not till that time when if they were rightly informed they would even desire to die Verse 22. Shall any teach God knowledge None but a presumptuous Fool will take upon him to do that such
shall overflow the Land again as that then it shall some would gather from this Text. Verse 11. The Pillars of heaven tremble i.e. the Angels say some who tremble out of conscience of their own comparative imperfections The best of Saints on earth say others according to Gal. 2.9 Rev. 3.12 Prov. 9.1 2. who tremble at Gods Word Isai 66.2 and have many concussions by afflictions But better understand the Firmament of heaven Hag. 26 7. Matth. 24.29 The Powers of heaven shall be shaken they shall quake with the loud check of his Thunder claps Or the high and mighty mountaines whereon the heavens seeme to rest as on so many pillars shaken by Earth-quakes and sometimes with great astonishment removed out of their places And are astonished at his reproof As all the beasts of the field are at the roaring of the Lion Lavat Vt quis a gravi magnae potâ—statâ— vire objurgatus iremit â—â—hementer solicitus est as a slave chidden by a Prince trembleth and is aghast Verse 12. He divideth the sea with his power i.e. With his strong winds causing tempests see the like Isai 51.15 so that it lyeth as it were in ridges the top of one wave far from another Jer. 31.35 That was a strange thing that is reported to have fallen out at London the last week On Munday Aug. 14 1654. Sever. Proceed of State affirm p. 4033. by reason of the great winds the Tide was so low in the Thames that boyes waded over it from the one side to the other the old Watermen affirming they never saw it so before And by his understanding he smiteth through the proud Heb. Pride or Rahab which is oft put for Egypt as Psal 87.4 and 89.10 Isai 51.9 whence some would have Pharaoh meant others the Divel others the Whale dashing against a Rock or driven to shore where he is taken others the proud waves of the sea He hath the sea in as great awe as a Giant hath a Pigmee as chap 38.11 disabled by God to stir more as a man mortally wounded is to fight longer An instance hereof we have in the history of Jonas and another in the Gospel Mat. 8. and 14. As God is powerful enough to raise stormes so he is wise enough to lay them again Psal 107.25 29. Verse 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens Spiritu ejus coeli sunt ipsa pulâ—â—â—cudo By his Spirit the heavens are beauty it self so Vatablus rendreth it That Three â—â— One and One in Three wrought in the Creation see Psal 33.6 Adoravit decoravit pulchrcfecit Hins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of his mouth Here Jehovah his Word and his Spirit are noted to be the Maker of the world so Gen. 1. The Heathens had some blind notions hereof as appeareth by Plutark who reporteth that in Thebe a Town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortal but how painted they him Plut. de Ifid Ofirid Var. dere rust lib. 2. c. 1. In the likenesse of a man blowing an egg out of his mouth to signifie that he made the round world by the Spirit of his mouth Upon the heavens especially God hath bestowed a great deal of skill and workmanship as appeareth Heb. 11 10. and Psal 8.3 where heaven is called The work of Gods fingers a curious divine work a Metaphor from them that make Tapestry Garnished it is with Stars as a Palace is with stately Pictures besides the inward beauty which is unconceivable There is something of a Saphir in the Hebrew word here rendred Garnished and Revel 21. search is made through all the bowels of the earth to find out all the precious Treasures that could be had Gold Pearles and precious Stones of all sorts and what can these serve to only to shadow out the glory of the walls of the new Jerusalem and the gates and to pave the streets of the City See also Isai 54.11 12. His hand 〈◊〉 formed the crooked Serpent Enixe est peperit hath â—â—oughâ— forth as by birth hath formed the most deformed and dreadâ—â—â— Creature in the earth Or those flaming Dragons flying in the Aire Meteors â— mean Or the Constellation in heaven called the Dragon betwixt the two Beares and not far from the North-Pole Est hos sane maximum maxime conspicuum in coelo fidus c. Or lastly those Sea-Dragons the Whales which Mercer thinketh most likely to be here meant and compareth Isai 27.1 Psal 104.26 Job 40.20 Neither need we wonder saith he that the beginning of the verse is of heaven and the end of the sea for Job would shew and set forth two admirable works of God in two extremes of the world viz. in heaven above and in the waters under the earth his Power and Wisdome shineth every where in the Creatures neither can a 〈◊〉 easily sook besides a miracle Job therefore insisteth not long upon particulars but as one lost in the labyrinth of Admiration at so great things he 〈◊〉 shuts up Verse 14. Lo these are parts of his wayes Or rather Particles of his Works Extrema sunt viarum ejus so the Tiguâ—â—es translate it these are the ends extremities or utmost parts of them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Paul calleth it that which may be known of God par 〈◊〉 treaturaruâ— Rom. 1.19 20 as the Sun may bee seen in the water after a soft but in roâ—â— as the Schooles speak in the Cirele where in it runs we are not able to behold him so something of God may be seen in his Works in his Word his back parts we may see and live as Moses Exod. 33. Quam exigultatem Piscat Parvaâ—â— stillam Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. Sept. Paucuâ—â— de pâ—nco pusillum parum admilum Merc. His truth in the Temple as 〈…〉 But how little a portion is heard of him Heb. What a 〈◊〉 or shâ—â— of a word or thing is heard of him As when one heareth the latter end only of a 〈◊〉 that which the eccho resoundeth and no more it is 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 cannot know we are as narrow mouthed vessels Ye are not able to 〈◊〉 what I have to say to you saith Christ to his Apostles John 16.12 And to the people hâ— spâ—ke as they were able to hear Mark 4.33 and not as he was able to have spoken Lequimur de Deo non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus saith Gratian the Emperor We speak of God Iâ— Epist ad Ambros not so much as we should but so much as we can We prophecy but in part and what wonder sith we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. In humane things the wisest men have professed that the greatest part of what they knew was the least of that they knew not how much more in things divine By no expressions do we so fully set
them and gripple after them are many much-worms heaping apriches and not knowing who shall gather them Psal 39.6 laying up as if their lives were riveted upon eternity or were sure to leave it to their Children who yet shall never enjoy it This is a great vanity saith Solomon and yet such dust-heapes as these are to be found in every corner And prepare raiment as the clay Tantum vestium quantum est luti saith Vaâ—ablus that he have as great store of suits in his wardrobe as he hath dirt in his ditches Verse 17. He may prepare it but the just shall put it on Well may he prepare it so Broughton Let the wicked men toyle and take pains for it God hath prepared for him an executour never mentioned in his Will God gave the Egyptians and Canaanites Goods to Israel Nabals to David Humanâ— to Mordecai See Prop. 28.8 Eccles 2.26 This plague among the rest God threatneth the disobedient with Deut. 28.30 Sed haec non semper saith Mercer although we see not this alwayes so to fall out but the contrary yet it is easie to observe that many spend their strength and waste their wits in congerendo converâ—endâ— in getting and gathering these outward things and then when to possess them might leem a happiness thev die and leave them to uncertain heirs as did Absolom and Alexander the Great who left his Ring to Perdiccâ— Plut. but his Dominions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that should best deserve them And the innocent shall divide the silver Shall share it among them as their Childs-Portions Solet enim Deus dividere aliis dona aliis 〈…〉 lucium saith Brentius here God gives gifts unto men even to the rebâ—llâ—â—â— but the use and enjoyment of those gifts he bestoweth upon the righteous The former have 〈…〉 sure and trouble therewith Juvenal Prov. â—â— 16 Miserâ—est 〈…〉 The later have howsoever contented godliness and though they gather less of this Manna here below yet they have no waâ—â— Verse 18. He buildeth his house as a moth Which lodgeth it self in some stately garment and thinks there to 〈…〉 which he hath feathered as the silk-worm endeth his life in his long wrought clew but is fool 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 so shall the oppressor be cast out of his 〈◊〉 buildings which he hath with much cost and care erected rather for 〈…〉 It is 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—ful to build houses only men must not build 〈…〉 with 〈◊〉 and hurt to others 〈…〉 so this word it 〈…〉 long custome received never build any thing sumptuously for their own private 〈◊〉 but conâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 with 〈…〉 Turk hist f. 342 or Vineyard who setteth him up a Booth Cabin or Cottage to defend him from the parching heat of the Sun which lasteth only for one summer at utmost so here The experience whereof we have had abundantly in these late desolation wars for how many gallant houses have been utterly ruined Vt praeter nomen solum nihil amplius extet Verse 19. The rich man shall lye down That is the wicked rich man as Jam. 5.1 Magna cognatio ut rei sic nominis divitiis vitiis He shall lye down viz. in the streets as being left house-less But he shall not be gathered i. e. Taken into house or harbour by any man but abhorred by all for his former cruelty He openeth his eyes and he is not He looketh about him on every side but findeth no succour There are that understand it of death The rich man shall lye down Tigur sc in the dust of death but shall not be gathered that is nec honorifice funerabitur he shall not have the honour of a comely burial Besides he openeth his eyes and he is not upon his death-bed he looks about for comfort the Mole they say never openeth her eyes till the pangs of death are upon her but in stead thereof shall see that three-fold terrible spectacle Death Judgement Hell and all to be passed through by his poor Soul Hence and no wonder Verse 20. Terrours take hold on him as waters Abundantly suddenly irresistibly he is even swallowed up by them and over-whelmed as he that is plunged into a deep pit full of water or that hath the proud surges going over his soul Psal 124. The misery of it is That these waters are fiery and Hell is a lake but a burning lake and such also as hath eternity to the bottom A tempest stealeth him away in the night i. e. Furtim repontè horribiliter Night is it self full of terrour but much more when a tempest is up and theeves are abroad c. Oh! it must needs be a terrible time indeed when death shall come with a Writ of Habeas Corpus and the Devil with another of Habeas animam upon a man at once Petrus Sutorius speaketh of one that preaching a funeral Sermon on a certain Canon at Paris and giving him large commendations Pet Sutor de vit Carth. heard at the same time a voice in the Church Mortuus sum judicatus sum damnatus sum I am dead judged and damned Oh! let us but think with our selves though it pass all thought what a screech the poor foul giveth when hurled into Hell there to suffer such tortures and torments as it shall never be able to avoid or abide Verse 21. The East-wind carrieth him away Deus subito severo suo judicio God by his sudden and severe Judgement Lavaâ— hurrieth him hence to the place of torment without the least hope of ever either mending or ending And he departeth But with as ill a will as ever did Lot out of Sodom Adam out of Paradise the Jebusites out of Jerusalem the unjust Steward out of his Office the Devil out of the Demoniack And as a storm hurleth him Turbinat eum Tosseth him as a Ball into a far Countrey as if he were wherried away by a fierce whirlewind or served as pastime for tempests Verse 22. For God shall cast upon him and not spare But set himself to inflict upon this cursed caytiff all the plagues written and unwritten in his book full vials of vengeance an evil an only evil even punishment without pity misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torments without end and past imagination He would fain flee out of his hand But that will not be like a wretched caytiff he runs without resting but Gods hand pursueth him till he perisheth He may shuffle from side to side as Balaams Ass did he may skip up and down as the wounded Deer Sed haeret lateri lethalis arundo the deadly Dart sticks in his side c. Verse 23. Men shall clap their hand at him c. Heb. He shall clap c. Every He shall or God shall as some read it God shall kick him off this Stage of the world and then men shall clap and hiss at him in signe of detestation as they did once at
himself how can his wisdom be but as well known unto him His infinite knowledg and understanding is in some sort shadowed out unto us in the words following Verse 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil all eye so that together and at once he beholdeth all things in the whole course of Nature and under the whole cope of heaven His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11.4 Where the former pointeth out Gods knowledg the latter his judgment his critical descant saith One. And surely this All-seeing eye of God saith another Interpreter should keep us within the compasse of obedience as much as any thing sith he who is our Judge is a constant eye-witnesse of our cogitatious communication and whole conversation Cave spectat Cato Take heed Cato seeth you was an old watch-word among the Romans and a retentive from vice How much more should this be among Christians Ne pecces Deus ipse videt Be advised God beholdeth you Think not that he who is invisible cannot see or that because he is the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity therefore he cannot see so far as earth for he looketh to the ends and extremities of the earth his eyes run to and fro they are in every place beholding the evil and the good Pro. 15.3 The world is to him as a sea of glasse Rev. 4.6 He seeth through it and every man before him is all window he seeth the very entrals of the soule the heart of the heart All things are naked and open before him saith the Apostle Heb. 4.13 Naked for the outside and open for the inside of them the word signifieth dissected quartered and as it were cleft through the back-bone He searcheth the Raines those seats of Lust and most abstruse parts of the body so wrapt up in fat and flesh as if no eye should come at them And seeth under the whole heaven His providence like a well drawn picture looketh every way and extendeth to every the least and lightest occurrence governing all things wisely and powerfully and ordering the disorders of the world to his own glory Epicures and Atheists would shut him up in heaven as hath been before noted as if he did neither know nor do any thing here below but they will find it otherwise Verse 25 To make the weights for the wind He ordereth wind and water raine and thunder Pondere mensura numero facit omnia therefore wisdom is with him The winds he weigheth in a balance then when they seem to blow where they list piercing through the aire with their violent blasts God sets them their bounds and appoints them their proportion He sends them out as his Postes and makes them pace orderly And he weigheth the waters by measure Both the raine not a drop falls in vain in a wrong place or at randome but by a divine Decree as a witnesse of his Wisdome and Goodnesse Acts 17.14 and the sea and Rivers neither doe the winds blow nor the waters flow without the Lord who is the great Moderatour that measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand c. Isai 40.12 Verse 26. When he made a Decree for the rain And hence it is that it raineth upon one City and not upon another Am. 4.7 See the Note there The rise of rain out of vapours drawn up from the earth by the heat of the Sun and the generation of it in the clouds is no lesse wonderful then the use of it is necessary for the refreshing and fatning of the earth allaying the heat and nourishing the herb and tree c. These showres may seeme to arise and be carried up and downe at randome and without a Law but Job assureth us that God maketh a decree a Statute or a bound for them and that he gives or with holds rain at his pleasure And a way for the lightning of the thunder Or for the lightning and the thunder In both which there is much of God to be seen and heard these being the Harbingers as it were and Officers to make roome for him and to manifest his power which the greatest must acknowledg Psal 29 1 2. and the Saints must take comfort in verse 11. As for those impious wretches that slight these wonderful works of Almighty God speak basely of them as he of whom Mr. Perkins somewhere writeth that hearing it thunder said it was nothing but Tom Tumbrel a hooping his tubs was thereupon killed with a thunder-bolt and those old Italians that used in time of thunder to ring their greatest bells and shoot off their greatest Ordnance c. on purpose to drown the noise of the heavens As they are worse then Pharaoh and Caligula and other heathens who stiled their chief god Altitonans the high-Thunderer so they shall one day see the Lord Christ suddenly coming upon them as lightning and dreadfully thundering out that dismal Discedite Go ye cursed Verse 27 Then did he see it and declare it c. Or Then doth he see it and number it c. scil When he ordereth winds waters and other creatures he hath wisdom ready in numeratâ— as we say as well known and as familiar as men have those things they daily deal in Illa vero verborum congeries faith an Expositour This heap of words Merlin God saw it numbred it prepared it searched it out serveth but to shew how intimate wisdom is with God and how proper to him And lest any should say Hath God then communicated no heavenly wisdom to his creature Yes saith Job but such as is thus circumscribed Verse 28 But unto man he said c. q.d. Let him not curiously pry into Gods secrets Infignis est hic locus Mercer nor rashly censure others as you have done me but out of a reverential fear of God eschew evil and do good for this shall be his wisdom Deut. 4.6 and the contrary Jer. 8.9 See like exts Deut. 29.29 Eccles 12.13 Psal 111.10 Prov. 1.7 and 9.10 with the Notes CHAP. XXIX Verse 1. Moreover Job continued his Parable OR his sentence as Tremellius rendreth it his sententious and elegant oration his aurâ—um flumen orationis Tota oratio gravissimis sententiis verborum luminibus illustris est Merlin golden flood of grave discourse as we may better call it then Tully did Aristotles â—â—lâ—â—cks Here Job describeth graphically his former felicity as in the next Chapter his present misery The promise of Prosperity to Gods people is to be understood with exception of the cross wherewith if need be 1 Pet. 1.6 they are sure to be exercised and they shall take it for a favour too Heb. 12.6 by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report c. 2 Cor. 6.7 8. they must learn to be abased and to abound Vlpian to be full and to
praised Verse 23. Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out Heb. The Almighty the Nominative Case put absolute q.d. in short as for the Almighty that nomen Majestativum as Tertullian phraseth it we cannot comprehend him any more then we can the main Ocean in a cockel shell And whereas we can say as here that he is excellent in Power and in Judgement and in plenty of Justice August Ista de Deo dicimus quia non invenimus melius quod dicamus We say these things of God because we have nothing better to say of him and must owe the rest unto our thoughts although indeed He is above all name and above all notion In searching after God saith Chrysostom I am like a man digging in a deep Spring I stand here and the water riseth upon me and I stand there and still the water riseth upon me To Thomas Aquinas busie in this search was shewed they say a deep pit in the edge of the sea which empty it and carry away the water as oft as they will it is still filled with other It is a knowledge that passeth knowledge Eph. 3.19 That which in measure is pleasant and profitable being too much enquired into proves unsavoury and unsafe He will not afflict viz. Willingly Lam. 3.33 or canslesly 1 Pet. 1.6 Or He will not answer viz. Every one that questioneth the justice of his proceedings as Job in his heat had done The Seventy render it question-wise will he not answer scil Those that call upon him in truth sith he is excellent in power and in judgmen c Sure he will Verse 24. Men do therefore fear him They do or should do for his excellent greatnesse and goodnesse Psal 130.4 Matth. 10.28 But in case they do not He respecteth not any that are wise of heart That out of a conceit of their owne wisdome stand it out against him and think to reason it out with him as thou hast done Or But he seeth not all wise in heart He findeth not all wise whom he beholdeth here upon earth Stultorum plena sunt omnia and thou also hast dealt very foolishly as God hath seen and will shortly shew thee better then I can do CHAP. XXXVIII Verse 1. Then the Lord answered Job GOD himself taking the word out of Elihu's mouth who had spoken well but wanted Majesty to set it forth became his owne Patron et hujus disputationis sequester and Decider of this long Controversie vindicating his own Authority and teaching that truth in the four following Chapters which Saint Paul briefly comprizeth in these words Rom. 11.33 34. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellor Why then should any one require an account of his proceedings or question his Justice Job had often desired that God would take knowledg of his Cause His friends also had desired the same chap. 11.5 Here therefore He appeareth in person not as out of an Engine devised for that purpose after the manner of some partial Tragedy for the whole narration testifieth that this is a true story of things done indeed Beza and afterwards faithfully recorded Which history is highly to be esteemed as an incomparable Treasure if it were for nothing else yet for the right knowledge of natural Physophy here laid open in these four following Chapters together with the chief and principal end thereof which is that in these visible creatures we may behold the invisible things of God Out of the whirle-wind That is Out of a cloud whence issued a whirle-wind or a storm as a testimony of his heavenly Majesty and to procure attention See the like Deuter. 4.12 1 King 19.11 c. Ezek 1.4 c. Nah. 1.3 Heb. 12.18 God loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience yet he takes state upon him in his Ordinances and will be trembled at in his word and judgments And said With much more mildness and moderation then Elihu or any of them had used in reprehending Job and yet with such plenty and efficacy of words and arguments Vt facillimè omnes omnium orationes superet That no such Oration can any where else be read Well might Lavater say Hoc postramum colloquium est admodum suave utile this conference of God with Job is very sweet and profitable for it teacheth us among other things how gently God dealeth with his offending servants and how hardly the best are brought to confesse their sins and truly to repent of them Vers 2. Who is this that darkneth counsel Who 's this that talketh thus saith God stepping forth as it were from behind the hangings how now What 's to do here Some Ancients think it meant of Elihu but Job is the man see chap. 42.3 where he takes it to himself and it may be God here pointed to him with a Quis est iste Job That darkneth counsel My Counsel by misconstructions his own by rash and unskilful expressions for which Elihu also rightly blamed him and his other friends took great offence at him who should rather have said as Cruciger did of Luther Eum commodiùs sentire quà m loquitur dum effervescit that he thought not so ill as he spoke in his heat By words without knowledge This is the worst that God chargeth Job with words of folly and ignorance not with malice falshood blasphemy c. Counsel also he attributeth to him though not wisely managed If there be any good in us he noteth and noticeth it passing by our defects and failings as when Sarah called her husband Lord she is much commended for it though there was never another good word in all that sentence Gen. 18.12 1 Pet. 3.6 See on chap. 35. vers 16. Verse 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man As men did use to do when they went to fight 1 King 20.11 Stand to thy ward and see to thy self for I mean to assail thee and to try thy manhood Plato hath observed that the best Fencers are the worst Souldiers Many can brave it afore-hand as that Thrasonical Gaal did Judg. 9.29 who yet cannot look their enemy in the face with blood in their cheeks For I will demand of thee and answer thou me I will be thy opponent sith thou hast challenged me into the schooles as it were and given me my choice and prove thee with hard questions whereunto if thou canst give no good answer see thine own folly and be satisfied Verse 4. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth q. d. Thou wast no where a meer Non-ens thou wast no companion or counsellour of mine nay not so much as a looker on for thou art but of yesterday Thou understandest not the reason of this fair fabrick much lesse of my dark and deep counsels Declare if thou hast
Afflicted Declare if thou knowest it all Sith a great part of it is uninhabited and the sea surroundeth it as a girdle Verse 19. Diod. Where is the way where light dwelleth These are Poëtical terms likewise which signifie or mean nothing else but that God alone without any help or work of any man appointed the divers points of Sun-rising and Sun-setting And as for darknesse where is the place thereof i. e. Little canst thou tell what is become of it or where the Sun setteth by the absence whereof cometh darkness The truth is our reason is by original sin so darkened that we understand not these lesser and common matters Those that are more high and hard we learn not but with much labour and long experience As for the Mysteries of God and things pertaining to Salvation we cannot at all attain unto them by humane reason as is to be seen in Nicodemus Job 3. 1. Cor. 2. Verse 20. That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof That thou shouldest take light and darknesse by the hand as it were and lead them to the place of their abode And that thou shouldest know the paths c. That is Which way to go to bring them out of their retiring-rooms and to reduce them into our Hemisphere Verse 21. Knowest thou it beacuse thou wast then born Beza readeth it thus These things forsooth thou knowest because thou wast then born viz. when I made them and appointed what order and course they should keep and the number of thy dayes is great thou are uery far grown in yeares as having lived ever since the Creation Es a◠nosissimus antiquissimus c. Ironicè omnia Verse 22. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow i e. Into the clouds where these Meteors whereof before chap. 37. are ingendred and from whence God when he pleases bringeth such great store as if he had them treasured up by him of a long season See the like said of the winds Psal 135.7 Quasi parata haberet horum penuaria Gregory allegorizing these words sheweth that earthly treasures are treasures of Snow We see little children what paines they take to rake and scrape together snow to make a Snow-ball Right so they that scrape together the Treasure of this world have but a snow-ball of it so soone as the Sun shineth and God breatheth upon it and so entreth into it by and by it cometh to nothing Or hast thou seen the treasures of hail Another Metaphor from Officers of the Exchequer or publick Treasury q.d. Hast thou the inspection or administration of these Meteors Verse 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble Or Against the time of the enemy to punish him as Exod. 9.24 Josh 10.11 Isai 30.30 By deep Snowes men are sometimes withered and destroyed by violent hail-stones and coales of fire as Psal 18.13 14 15. What an overthrow was procured against the Quades by the prayers of the thundring Legion as they were afterwards called in the dayes of Aurelius the Emperour Ingens grando compluraque fulmina in hostes ceciderunt Dio in vit c. Ant. Phil. Huge hail-stones and many light-bolts fell upon the enemy saith the Heathen Historian Against the day of battle and war When God is pleased to bring forth his upper and lower troops ready prest as the Rabbins phrase it Verse 24. By what way is the light parted scil From the clouds by lightning or from darkness by the Sun-rising Knowest thou that Or the cause of it Nothing lesse Something Phylosophers have to say here but upon no great certainty Which scattereth the East wind upon the earth Eurus est ventus urens exiccans the East wind hath its name in Hebrew from the Sun-rising the Latines call it Ventum subsolanum as that which usually followeth the rising-Sun but whence it cometh and whither it goeth is more then Job or any other can tell Verse 25. Who hath divided or derived a water course for the over-flowing of waters That is the water-clouds for the powring out of raine Velut per canales tubulos as by Pipes and conveyances wheresoever God pleaseth men being amazed at those miracles of Nature Is it not the Lord alone He it is who divideth the Deluge of waters as it were draining them into certain furrowes which would otherwise fall down from heaven all at once and make great spoil here below Or a way for the lightning of thunder Nimbo sonoro saith Tremellius See chap 28.6 with the Note Verse 26. To cause it to rain on the earth where no man is But wild beasts only These also are Gods Creatures and he provideth food for them How much more will he do so for us though small faiths On the wilderness wherein there is no man Repetitio ad varietatem elegantiam as also to shew the certainty of the thing Verse 27. To satisfie the desolate and waste ground The waste and waste ground saith Broughton elegantly and the Hebrew sounds alike And to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth For the use of wild Creatures whereof there are great store in the Desert of Arabia not farre from Job for the which and the rest of his living Creatures this great House-keeper of the world provideth food sutable to their several appetites Verse 28 Hath the rain a father Subandi praeter me faith Vatablus Hath it any father but me Can any of the Heathen Deities give raine Or can the Heavens give showres Art not thou He O Lord our God Therefore we will wait upon thee for thou hast made all these things Jerem. 14.22 Or who hath begotten the drops of the dew Those round orient Pearls that falling from heaven in a clear night do sweetly refresh whatsoever groweth in fields and Meadowes The natural causes hereof and of raine are knowne but we must rise higher to God the first Authour and Father of these and other things before and after mentioned who bringeth them out of his Treasuries and doth wonderfully both make and manage them It is remarkable that Christ saith Hos 14.5 I will be as the dew unto Israel He shall grow as the Lilly c. See the Note on that Text Christ is unto them as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest Isai 18.4 Making their hearts to be as so many watered gardens Jer. 31.12 Verse 29. Out of whose womb came the ice Indeed of ice and water is said in a sense Mater me genuit eadem mox gignitur ex me But these creatures are not produced by causes which are constant and invariable in Nature as humane generation is but they proceed from Gods pure and simple free-wil And the hoary frost of heaven who hath gendred it Out of the heaven that is Out of the lower Region of the Aire cometh the matter of it but God maketh it Naturalists say that the hoar frost is a vapour congealed by a cold wind in cold places
Pageants And by this passage some conjecture that not the Whale but the Sea-dragon is here described Let it be what it will it must needs be a great heat within this great Fish that sendeth forth as it were burning lamps and sparks of fire and a strong sulphurous breath he must have like the out-bursts of Aetna by this description Aristotle saith the Whale is of an hot fiery nature and that he hath Lungs and breatheth a pipe or passage also he hath in his fore-head Lib. 4. 〈◊〉 anim cap. 〈◊〉 whereat he throweth out the water he hath taken in either by his breathing or eating This transparent water thus with a force thrown up against the Sun-beams may bear a shew of lightning or burning lamps Verse 20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke c. Whiles his meat heateth in his stomack for concoction Sufflati as if fire were put under some great reaking pot or Caldron boyling Heb. blown for of blowing comes boyling Verse 21. His breath kindleth coals Or Would kindle coals as a Smiths bellows if there were any to kindle Such a kindle-coal was Arrius and Hildebrand of old the Jesuites at this day and not a few others Prov. 26.21 Es 33.10 your breath as fire shall devour you Some mens tongues are like Gun-powder which touched with the least spark will instantly be in the face Jam. 3.6 A flame goeth out of their mouths enough to set the whole course of Nature on fire Verse 22. In his neck remaineth strength Aristotle saith that among Fishes De part 〈◊〉 lib. 3. the Dolphin Whale and such as breath have necks proportionable to their bodies The word rendred remaineth is in the Hebrew lodgeth or abideth all night so spoken saith One because the Whale as also the Dolphin sleepeth with his head erected above water And sorrow is turned into joy before him i.e. He knows no sorrows he fears no hurt but alwayes rejoyceth bearing himself bold upon his strength God having made him to sport in the sea Psal 104.26 Others read it And before him danceth fear Pavor Pallor Tullus Hostilius his two gods men dance or start for fear Verse 23. The flakes of his flesh are joyned together Heb. The fallings Meland Tremell or the refuse and vilest parts as the word is rendred Am. 8.6 Now if God be so punctual in the description of these also can any one think that he hath let passe any thing in the holy Scriptures that belong to our Salvation What need is there then of humane traditions They are firm in themselves Heb. Moulton Firm they must be because so joyned together Vis unita fortior but dissention is the mother of dissolution England is a mighty Animal saith a great Polititian which can never die except it kill it self They cannot be moved Or He cannot be moved He may say as Terminus of old Nullicedo I give place to none unlesse I please Verse 24. His heart is as firm as a stone He is corpore corde validissimus Of the sword-fish Plutarch saith that he hath a sword but not an heart to use it But the Whale hath courage to his bulk his heart is as firm as a stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his head saith Scaliger is as hard as a flint In the hearts of some creatures saith Aristotle is found a bony or grisly hardness but the Whales heart is all as it were a bone and this bone as a stone As a pair of the neather milstone Metae upon which the whole weight lyeth the Greek call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 18.6 the Mill-Ass because it is the bigger and harder of the two The vulgar here for the neather Mill-stone hath the smiths-Anvil which by hammering is made harder Verse 25. When he raiseth up himself the mighty are afraid When he shewes himself like some moving mountain upon the surface of the water the most assured Pilotes or passengers are seized with fear of death and seek to make peace with God as those Marriners did Jon. 1.5 6 c. By reason of breakin gs Broughton reads of shiverings They purifie themselves Expiantse they beg pardon of sin and prepare to die Others render it aberrant they are dispirited and know not what course to take Others again they purge downwards their retentive faculty being weakned with fear they let go their excrements as Loper the traytour did when he was upon his tryal before the Lords of the Council and as God somewhere in Ezekiel threatneth his rebels that for fear of his displeasure they shall not be able to hold their water Verse 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold So close are his scales so thick his skin that there is no wounding of him There was not of old it seemeth But now there is a way found of shooting and piercing of him so that he dieth with an horrible noise and out-cry Nor the Harbergeon A defensive weapon will be as uselesse as those other offensive for the Whale will soon swallow up the armed as well as the unarmed Verse 27. He esteemeth iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood He makes nothing of any thing that shall be done against him Bears and Lions may be wounded with hunting-weapons other Fishes with Eele-spears and the like not so the Whale or not so easily Verse 28. The arrow cannot make him flee Heb. Sons of the bow as chap. 5.7 Sparks are called sons of the coal Arrows were then as much in use as bullets are now Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble Those stones which the sling castes with so much force make as little impression upon his body as a festraw would which the hand of a child should push Verse 29. Darts are counted as stubble When any thing in the Decrees or Decretals likes not the Pope he sets Palea that is stubble upon it or Hoe non credo so doth this Leviathan upon all kind of weapons he slightes them The word here rendred darts is as strange as the weapon it signifieth is to us unknown lapides ballistae an engin whereby great stones were thrown against Walles or Towers as now Cannon-bullets to make a breath in them Catapulta aries vel simile aliquod tormentum Be they what they will the Whale fears them not no though they were as terrible to others as those two great pieces of Ordnance cast by Alphonsus Duke of Ferrara the one whereof he called the Earthquake the other Grandiabolo the great Devil Verse 30. Acumina testacea Sharp stones are under him Heb. Sharp pieces of the potsheard which prick him no more than if he lay upon the softest couch◠so hard is his belly He spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mine When he might lye softer he scorns it as our hardy forefathers some two or three hundred years agoe who ordinarily lay upon straw-pallets covered with canvas and around log under their heads instead of a bolster Hollinshed As
for pillows they said they were fit only for women in child-bed c. Verse 31. Plin. lib. 9. c. 3. 6. He maketh the deep to boyl like a pot He troubleth the whole Ocean he maketh a mighty commotion in the sea when he rouls himself therein upward and downward and casts up water on high thorow a certain conveyance that he hath in his head He maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment Turning it into a foam like the scum of a boyling pot Beza rendreth it thus He maketh the sea like a Mortar wherein colours are beaten that is the whirling of the water is like unto a quern that is turned round of the painter to temper his colours Verse 32. He maketh a path to shine after him A Ship doth so much more a whale One would think the deep to be hâ—ary By reason of the white shining foam left behind him Verse 33. Vpon earth there is not his like Heb. There is no comparison of him Much was said before of Behemoth but Leviathan is far beyond him for hugenesse and strength which yet Mercer noteth to be the work of God and not of Nature quòd humor solvat infirmet and therefore in reason earthly creatures would be harder and stronger than those in the sea Who is made without fear He seems not to come into the world but to fear nothing and to defie all things No creature carrieth it self so stately or stoutly as the whale Verse 34. He beholdeth all high things As far below him be they never so excellent both for bulk of body and stoutnesse of minde He is a king over all the children of Pride Or Over all the wild creatures so Tremellius and Buxtorf interpret it which are proud and do domineer over the tame ones no lesse then Leviathan if he were amongst them would do over them CHAP. XLII Verse 1. Then Job answered the Lord and said AFter that he had been so plainly and plentifully convinced by Almighty God 1. That he was far short of him in eternity Wisdome Power Providence c. 2. That he could not stand before Behemoth and Leviathan the works of his hands Job yeeldeth submitting to Gods Justice and imploring his Mercy so effectual is the word of Gods grace in the hearts of his Elect. It had need to be an elaborate speech that shall work upon the conscience such as was this afore-going Vide etiam quid afflictio faciat saith Mercer See here also the happy fruit of an affliction sanctified By this shall the iniquity of Jacob of Job be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Isai 27.9 To make his works full Rev. 3.2 Job had repented before chap. 40.4 5. but not so completely Dice his narrari paenitentiam Jobi plenam saith Piscator Here he doth it throughly by a deep and downe-right repentance such as was never to be repented of Verse 2. I know that thou canst do every thing Gods power is either Absolute or Actual By the former he can do every thing make a world and unmake it in an instant of stones raise up children to Abraham c. By the latter whatsoever he willeth that he doth both in heaven and in earth and none can withstand him This Job knew before but now better because by experience and unquestionable evidence given in by Gods own mouth And although this be but a short acknowledgment of Gods Power and Justice yet is it well accepted Merlin as proceeding from a true sense of faith Neque exigis Deus à nobis multa verba sed multam fidem And that no thought can be with holden from thee Te non solùm omnia posse sed omnia nosse That thou art not only Omnipotent but Omniscient and that not so much as a thought of any mans heart which also is of thy making can be hid from thee sith which way soever he turneth him he shall find thee both potent and present The words may be read thus And that no thought of thine can be cut off or hindred Having spoken of Gods power Parem in eo esse voluntatem 〈◊〉 facultatem Mercer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepâ— Nempe ego Tigurin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.24 he speaketh of his thoughts to teach saith Calvin That Gods Power and his Will are things inseparable his mind and hand agree together the one to determine the other to effect Verse 3. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge Quis iste est inquis Who is he saist thou chap. 38.2 that hideth counsel c. so Tremellius rendreth it Is ego ipse sum I am the very man that have done it and now would as gladly undo it again by an humble confessing and disclaiming mine own folly therein and by applying those words of thine to my self with an holy indignation for therein thou hast fully met with me Therefore have I uttered that I understood not I have rashly and imprudently yea gracelesly and impudently spoken of thy judgements and desired to dispute with thee daring to reprehend that which I did not comprehend and to passe my verdict on things which I was not versed in Idcirtâ— indico me non inâ—ellenisse Merc. Things too wonderful for me which I knew not Broughton reads thus Therefore I tell that I had not understanding that is I confesse I have sinned but I did it ignorantly And so he makes way to the ensuing Petition That God would heare him and teach him better things Verse 4. Hear I beseech thee and I will speak We have had his confession follow now his Petition here his Humiliation and Reformation verse 6. These are the parts and properties of true repentance that fair daughter of a foule mother Sin But had not Job promised to speak no more to proceed no farther chap. 40.4 5. How then doth he say here I beseech and I will speak The answer is easie he would speak no more so rashly and unadvisedly as he had done to Gods dishonour and the offence of his best friends But he would not spare to speak Supplications as here and to set forth his humble docility to give glory to God and to take shame to himself c. such a silence he knew would be sinful and savour of a dumb divel He therefore addresseth himself to God 1. For audience and acceptance 2. For advice and direction In all which he renounceth his owne wisdome and delivereth himself up wholy to God to be taught and led into all truth and holinesse The matter we see is well amended with Job since challenging God into the Schooles he once said Then call shou me and I will answer or let me speak and answer thou me chap. 13.22 So afterwards Peter when penitent turned his crowing into crying and Paul his breathing out threatnings against the Saints into Lord what wilt thou have me do Act. 9.1 6. I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me
waters in the clouds which are many and of great force as appeared in the generall deluge and doth still appear by that infinite inundation of rain that followeth upon the thunder claps Some render it The Lord or the voice of the Lord is above many waters i. e. above the loud roaring of many waters which is even drowned by the thunder Vers 4. The voice of the Lord is powerfull So that it shaketh heaven and earth Heb. 12.26 Validum est vehemens tonitru Vat. Beza Cogitent ergo Principes quantum infra Deum subsidant c. Let those that think themselves some great businesse consider Gods infinite power putting forth it self in thunders and tempests and they will soon bee crest-faln The voice of the Lord is full of Majesty Heb. In Majesty it is magnificall and immutable though some fools have attempted to imitate it as a certain King of Egypt and Caligula the Emperour by certain Engines and devices Vers 5. The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars i. e. The thunder and those things that either go before it or follow it as lightenings thunderbolts storm tempest c. breaking and turning up by the roots huge trees The Lord breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon Which are the tallest thickest and most durable of any place in the habitable World What a shame is it then that our hard hearts break not yeeld not though thunder-struck with the dreadfull menaces of Gods mouth Corripimur sed non corrigimur c. A fearfull case Let the tall Cedars see to it Nam per Cedros intellig it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid est eximium in mundo Where is that hammer of the Nations Nebuchadnezzar that terrour of the World Tamerlan c Are they not broken in pieces as a Potters Vessell Vers 6. Hee maketh them also to skip like a Calf Young living Creatures are full of motion God by his thunder and earthquake thereupon for so the Hebrews understand it maketh not only those huge trees the splinters of them to flie up into the air but also the Mountaines whereupon they grow to skip and jump out of their places and aloft from their center Lebanon and Sirion c. Or Hermon two known Mountaines Vers 7. The voice of the Lord divideth Heb. cutteth out the flames of fire i. e. The lightening which the thunder is said to strike or cut out Deut. 3. because it causeth them to shoot and glide it immediately followeth one flash and goeth before another dispersing and darting them hither and thither Vers 8. The voice of the Lord shaketh the Wildernesse i. e. The beasts abiding in the Wildernesses the most savage creatures those that lye in woods and are most fearlesse of men are put to pain by thunder and made to travell with trembling The Lord shaketh the wildernesse of Kadesh Thorough which the Israelites passed into Canaan Num. 13.27 the beasts whereof were cruel Deut. 8.25 32. Animalia quantumvis horrifica Jun. 10. Beza paraphraseth Arabum tesqua succutit it shaketh the Cottages of the Arabians Vers 9. The voice of the Lord maketh the Hindes to calve Which they naturally do not without a great deal of difficulty Job 39.4 5 6. See the Note there And discovereth the Forrests By driving the beasts into their dennes baring the Forrests of their leaves and fruits turning up trees by the roots and so making a clear prospect thorough woods and groves as one phraseth it And in his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Heb. Every one or every whit of it saith Glory Every godly man observing his dreadfull thunder Moller and other his stupendious works saith Glory bee to God on high Some conceive that this Psalm was appointed by David to be sung in the Temple in time of thunder which is not unlikely There are that make God to be the Nominative case to the Verb speaketh and render it thus And in his Temple or Palace doth bee utter all his glory Tremel As if the Psalmist should say Much of his glory God uttereth in his thunder but all in his Temple For whatsoever there he speaketh with his mouth he fulfilleth it with his hand Psal 115.3 119.91 33.9 Isa 44.26 See a like collation of Gods works and word with a praelation of this above those Psal 19 1-7 Psal 111.7 Vers 10. The Lord sitteth upon the flood Hee reigned in that generall deluge in Noahs dayes Gen. 6. 7. and doth still over those horrible inundations that follow upon thunder and strong-tempests ruling that raging Element and governing all by his providence and soveraign power Yea the Lord sitteth King for ever And over all therefore all even the Mightiest should give him glory as Vers 1. Vers 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people To bear up their hearts in time of thunder or other terrible occurrences The Lord will blesse his people with peace Pace omnimoda With peace internall In tempore to nitru Aben Ezra externall eternall for godlinesse hath the promises of both lives of prosperity safety and welfare both of soul and body PSAL. XXX A Psalm and song i.e. An holy hymn first framed in meeter then sung with mens voices At the dedication of the house of David Either when it was new built 2 Sam. 5.11 confer Deut. 20.5 Neb. 12.27 saying as He once Jamq meos dedotibi Princeps jure Penates Tu mibi jus dederas posse vocare meos God so loveth his people that their walls are ever in his sight Ifa 49.16 they should therefore have holinesse to the Lord written upon them Zach. 14. sanctified they should be by the word and prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 Or else after he had defiled it by his Adultery with Bathsbeba and Absolom had much more defiled it by his abominable incest and other villanies See 2 Sam. 20.3 Vers I. I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted mee up De puteo peccati canoso saith Kimchi out of the miry pit of fin or out of the ditch of deadly danger say others Therefore I will extol thee that is I will have high and honourable conceptions of thee I will also do mine utmoft both by words and deeds that thou mayest be acknowledged by others to bee as thou art the great and mighty Monarch of the whole World And hast not made my foes to rejoyce over mee Befides all former victories Absolom and Sheba were lately slain Vers 2. I cryed unto thee In some great sicknesse say some that befell him about the time that he built his house of Cedar 2 Sam. 5. that he might not be overjoyed and take a surfeit Or rather when by my sons rifing up against mee I was likely to have lost my state and Kingdome An dt hou hast healed mee That is helped mee as Jon. 2.6 thou hast restored and re-established mee in my Kingdome Kimchi senseth it thus Thou hast delivered my soul from Hell though in this World
make their addresses to God as Courtiers watch their mollissima fandi Tempora In a time when thou maiest be found i.e. In a time of need say some Psal 50.15 Or in a time of favour as the Chaldee here hath it Isa 53.6 before the decree bring forth Zepb. 2.2 before the draw-bridge be taken up the day of grace be expired Joh. 7.34 8.21 Heb. 6.6 Luk. 13.29 Surely in the floods of great Waters In the greatest of outward troubles or inward perplexities They shall not come nigh unto him sc To prejudice his eternall salvation freed he shall be if not from the smart yet from the hurt of personall crosses and for publick calamities he shall be delivered if not from the common destruction yet from the common distraction Washed he may bee as Paul was in the shipwrack but not drowned with those floods of great waters be they never so great they are bounded Besides the godly man rescipiscit antequam superveniant fluctus miseriarum as R. Obad. here noteth repenteth before those floods come upon him and so redeemeth his own sorrows For he saith thus Vers 7. Thou art my hiding place c. And therefore I being a pardoned person shall be in safety under thy wings Psal 91. per toâ—um Thou shalt preserve mee from trouble Either from it or in it that I be not hurt by it The godly after one trouble must prepare for another after one deliverance expect another A company cometh as she said Thou shalt compass mee about with songs i.e. Plentifully furnish mee with matter of praise ita ut latus Peana canam And like as in a lottery at every prize the trumpet soundeth so at every deliverance I will sing aloud to thy glory All my springs shall be in thee Vers 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee c. No disgrace is it then for great men to be teachers of others Here we have 2 Prince-preacher such as was also Salomon George Prince of Anbals and others I will guide thee with mine eye i. e. With my carefull inspection and oversight I will see that thou profit in godlinesse The Chaldee hath it I will counsell thee and set mine eye upon thee for good Thus Christ counselled Peter with his eye Luk. 22.61 Ministers must watch over their peoples and see that all go right Hence they are called Seers Superintendents Bishops Vers 9. Bee yee not as the horse or as the 〈◊〉 David having according to the title Maschil promised to teach useth this preface to bespeak attention Be not uncounseilable irreclaimeable such as Basil complaineth of qui neque Ad Evag. Epist 10. quid sit veruns sciunâ— neque sustineut discers who neither knew not would bee taught what was true and fit to be practised Of the Rhinoceros some write that slain he may be caught he cannot be Others that he is animal anâ—â—e 〈◊〉 a most untameable creature for if he be taken he presently dyeth of sullennesse Such spirits we meet with not a few who yet would take it in foul scorn to bee reckoned horses and Asses that have no understanding neither will be taught any To these the Psalmist here saith No obst upesaite obbrutescite ad exercitations Dai c. Be not as horse or mule lest ye be led thorough a fools Paradise into a true prison Bee not headlong headstrong untameable untractable c. The horse and mule are instanced as well known amongst the Jews and used to bee ridden on Which have no understanding And yet the horse knoweth his owner c. Strange things are reported of Bucephalus and Julius Cesars great horse Of the Egpptian Mamalukes horses it is reported that they were so docible that at certain signes or speeches of the rider they would with their teeth reach him up from the ground a launce an arrow or such like thing and as if they had known the enemy Turk hist 529. run upon him with open mouth and lash at him with their heeles and had by nature and custome learned not to be afraid of any thing Whese mouth must be held in with bit and bridle Lest they kick and bite thee Ne mordeâ— noceatve 〈◊〉 Jun. Such is the mad Worlds wages and usage of the most faithfull Preachers B. Ridley lamented it in his time the great ones spurned privily against those that went about most busily and wholeâ—omely to cure their sore backs Act. 〈◊〉 1616. As for Latimers Lever Bradford Knox saith he their tongues were so sharp they ripped in so deep to their galled backs to let out the filthy matter that they could never abide them Thus He and much more concerning King Edward the sixth his Courtiers The words may be read thus whose mouth except it be held with bit and bridle they wilnot come nigh unto thee that is thou wilt not be able to rule them It is a good observation of a modern Divine Not the unruly colt only but the horse that is broken hath a bitt and bridle also So even the godly need the bridle of the Law n◠〈…〉 excutiant lest they cast their rider Vers 10. Many sorrowes shall bee to the wicked This is Davids Doctrin his life followeth in the next verse Many pains or great smarts are for the Wicked c. And as Luther saith Let him that can rightly distinguish betwixt Law and Gospel give thanks to God and know himself to bee a good Divine so say I Let him that is firmly perswaded of this truth here delivered know himself to be a good proficient in Christs School for it is the principle of all holy learning Vers 11. Bee glad in the Lord Joy is the just 〈◊〉 portion A pardoned sinner as vers 1 2. is here called upon in an use of consolation to be as merry as mirth can make him for what should ayl such an once as wee say of a rich man Viscaunt Liste in Henry the eighths time dyed for joy of an unspected pardon 〈◊〉 what was that to Gods pardon of all fins PSAL. XXXIII Vers 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O yee righteous That is O yee upright 〈…〉 as it followeth here and as Psal 32.11 For as there he ended so here he begineth calling upon the Saints to be cheerful and indeed there is hardly any duty more pressed in the Old and New Testamen or less practised To quicken them therefore to so necessary but â—â—ch neglected a duty this Psalm 〈◊〉 to be added to the former purposely to excite us by many Arguments 〈…〉 who le lives to the 〈…〉 forth of Gods worthy praises In which regard 〈…〉 faith 〈…〉 Psalm and if it were well practised we might have a very heaven here as because it is not we lose very much of the comfort of our lives Only that cautionating counsel of Berward would not be forgotten Laeti sâ—â—â— non securi gaudentes in spiritu sancteâ— sed vera caventes a â—ecidive Let us be cheerful but not secure and
most modern Interpreters conceive that David doth here ingenuously confesse that he grudged against God considering the greatnesse of his grief and the shortnesse of his life And the measure of my dayes An admalorum qua perfero compensationem sufficiant whether they are likely to be enow to make mee amends for my grievous sufferings This hee seemeth to speak either out of impatiency or curiosity at least That I may know how frail I am How soon-ceasing and short liv'd Quam darabilis sum Tremâ— Vatablus hath it quam mandanus sim how long I am like to be a man of this World this vale of misery and valley of tears Vers 5. Behold thou hast made my dayes as an handbreadth i. e. Four fingers broad which is one of the least Geometricall measures or a span-long as some interpret it Now to spend the span of this transitory life after the wayes of a mans own heart is to bereave himself of a room in that City of Pearl and to perish for ever Or take it for an handbreadth should a man having his lands divided into four parts answerable to those four fingers breadth leave three of them untilled should he not make the best of that little time that he hath that he be not taken with his task undone Themistocles dyed about an hundred and seven years of age and when he was to dye he was grieved upon this ground Now I am to dye faith he when I begin to be wise But Stultus semper incipit vivere saith Seneca and such complaints are bootlesse O live quickly live apace and learn of the Devil at least to be most busy as knowing that our time is short Rev. 12.12 To complain of the miseries of life and to wish for death as David here seemeth to do and as did Job chap. 3.19 6.9 7.15 and Moses Num. 11.11 15. Elias 1 King 19.4 Jeremy chap. 20.14 Jonas 4.3 is a sign of a prevailing temptation and of a spirit fainting under it We must fight against such impatiency and learn to do the like by life as we do by a lease wherein if our time be but short we rip up the grounds eat up the grasse cut down the copses and take all the liberty the lease will afford Mine age is as nothing Heb. My world that is my time of aboad in the World is but a magnum Nibil as one saith of honour Punctumest quod vivimus puncto minus a meer Salve vale a non-entity Verily every man at his best estate When hee is best constituted and underlaid set to live Profecto omnimoda vani tas omnis homo est quantumvis constitutus maxime Tremel Kimchi as one would think firmus fixus setled on his best bottom yet even then he is all over vanity All Adam is all Abel as the originall runs elegantly alluding to those two proper names like as Psal 144.3 4. Adam is Abels mate or man is like to a soon vanishing vapour such as is the breath of ones mouth See Jam. 4.14 a feeble flash a curious picture of Nothing Vers 6. Surely every man walkâ—th in a vain shew Heb. In an image or in a shadow as Job 14. 2. in the shadow of death as some sense it his life is like a picture drawn upon the water saith Theodoret it passeth away as an hasty headlong torrent Verily surely surely it is so Selah you may seal to it Surely they are disquieted in vain Heb. They keep a stirre and trouble the World as did great Alexander who surfetting of his excessive fortunes from the darling of Heaven Two fits of an ague could shake greit Tamerlan to death came to be the disdain of the Earth which hee had so oft disquieted So the Emperour Adrian who troubling himself and others to little good purpose dyed with this saying in his mouth Omnia fui nibil profuit I have tryed all conclusions but go nothing And saith not Salomon as much in his Ecclesia stes Hee heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them i.e. Enjoy them See Eccles 2.18 19. and be moderate Think when you lock up your mony in your chest saith One who shall shortly lock you up in your coffin Think how that this very night thy soul may he required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luk. 12.20 Vers 7. â—eza And now Lord what wait I for q. d. Absit ergo ut de ist is quisquiliis sim anxius Farre be it from mee to trouble my self about these transitory trifles I am bent to depend on thee alone to wait for thy favour and desire it above all earthly felicity to place all my hope on thee alone who being my Lord wilt nor canst not cast off thy poor servant who desireth to fear thy Name Vers 8. Deliver mee from all my transgressions But especially from that of impatiently desiring to dye out of discontent vers 4. The sense of this one sin brought many more to remembrance as a man by looking over his debt-book for one thing meets with more God giveth the penitent generall discharges neither calleth he any to an after-reckoning Make mâ—e not the reproach of the foolish Let not any Wicked one for such are all fooles in Gods dictionary lay this folly in my dish that I so foolishly desired death in a pet Vers 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth Or Better thus I should have been dumb and not have opened my mouth according to my first resolution I should not have reasoned or rather wrangled with thee as vers 4. but have kissed thy rod in an humble submission and have known that the rod of Aaron and pot of Manna must go together Macrobius writeth that the image of Angeronia among the old Romans was placed on the Altar of Volupia with the mouth closed and sealed up to signifie that such as patiently and silently bear their griefs do thereby attain to greatest pleasures Because thou didst it This is indeed a quieting consideration and will notably quell and kill unruly passions Set but God before them when they are tumultuating and all will be soon husht This made Jacob so patient in the rape of his Daughter Dinah Job in the losse of his goods by the Sabaan spoylers David in the barkings of that dead dog Shimâ—i that noble Lord of Plessis in the losse of his only son a Gentleman of marvellous great hopes slain in the wars of the Low-Countries His Mother more impatient dyed of the grief of it But his Father laid his hand on his mouth when Gods hand was on his back and used these very words I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Vers 10. Removethy stroke away from mee Having first prayed off his sin hee would now pray off his pain though it lesse troubled him and for ease he repaireth to Jehovah that healeth as well as woundeth Hos 6.1 nam qui
and known Hearing and seeing are the two learned senses whereby knowledge yea life entreth into the soul Prov. 2.2 10. Isa 55.3 And our Fathers have told us Have delivered down to us from hand to hand whetting upon us the written word Deut. 6.7 and adding thereunto for explication many other things fit to be known Vers 4. We will not hide them from their children The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 neither is any one born much less born again for himself but must be as usefull as may be in his Generation Paulum sâ—pultae distat iâ—ertiae Celata virtus Hor. The praises of the Lord The praise-worthy acts of God for his people and against their enemies for these two are not sundred Phil. 1.28 Vers 5. For he established a testimony in Jacob c. Lest any should attribute too much to ancient traditions and to shew that Antiquity must have no more authority than what it can maintain the Psalmist here as afterwards the Prophet Esay calleth them to the Law and to the Testimonies for if any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.26 Vers 6. Who shall arise and declare them i. e. Succeed their Parents both in their place and office of teaching their posterity not suffering the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1.1 to fall and fall in the streets Isa 59.14 15. or if it do raising it up again and restoring it to their utmost Vers 7. That they might set their hope in God Summa legis divinae scopus this is a brief of the Bible viz. to beleeve in God and obey his law both which men shall the better do if they forget not his works Vers 8. And might not be as their Fathers Fathers are not alwaies to be followed Cicero Epist Ezek. 20.18 19. He zealously affected his Fathers but not well who said I will follow them sicut bos armentum eâ—iamsi â—uant though I fall with them A stubborn and rebellious Generation Aver satrix irritatrix A Generation that set not c. Double-minded men unstable in all their wayes Jam. 1.8 having religionem ephemeram as Beza said of Balduin that Ecebolius the second And whose spirit was not stedfast with God As was that Martyrs who said Though you may pluck the heart out of my body yet you shall never pluck the truth out of my heart The Heavens shall sooner fall said Another than I will forsake the Truth I have once received Vers 9. The children of Ephraim being armed c. This the Rabbines interpret of eight thousand Ephraimites who would needs break prison as it were out of Egypt before the time that God had set for their deliverance thence and seize upon Palestina the promised Land but with evill successe for they were slain by the men of Gath to the great grief of their Father Ephraim 1 Chron. 7.21 22 23. and to the increase of their servitude in Egypt Exod. 1. This is historia Caballica See R. Solomon on those words Exod. 15.14 the people shall hear and be afraid sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina who remembring what a slaughter they once made of these Ephraimites shall fear the just revenge of that cruelty Others interpret this text by Judg. 1.29 and some by 2 King 17. with Hos 10.6 7 8 c. but this to mee seemeth likeliest These are ancient things and of such the Psalmist promiseth to treat vers 2 3. Being armed and carrying bows Trusting to their own strength and warlike preparations and chusing rather to be counted temerarious than timorous Turned back in the day of battel Carnal confidence seldome comes home otherwise than weeping Vers 10. They kept not the Covenant c. And so betrayed themselves into the hands of divine justice they were worthily worsted See 2 Chron. 15.2 And refused walk in the law They were set upon it and would not be ruled by their Father Ephraim or any other that counselled them to the contrary and haply said the like to them that Archidamus did to his over-daring son Aut viribus adde aut animis adime Either adde to thy forces or abate of thy courage Vers 11. And forgat his works and his wonders Forgetfulness is a grave ingrato quicquid donatur deperditur all is lost that is conferred on an ungratefull person Vers 12. Marvellous things did he c. Whereof they were eye-witnesses and therefore could not plead ignorance or excuse The Hebrew hath it a marvel or a miracle collectivè In the field of Zoan Corruptly called afterward Tan and Tanis Ptolom Strabo a populous and principall City of Egypt even in Isaiahs time chap. 19. one hundred and eighty furlongs from Memphis saith Josephus there Moses wrought his miracles Vers 13. He divided the Sea Making it fordable for them and fixing those fluid waters like stone walls on each hand of them whiles they passed thorough with ease and safety Every main affliction is our Red-sea which while it threats to swallow preserveth us Vers 14. In the day-time also he led them with a cloud This cloud not only conducted them but also compassed them in on every side both to keep them from the parching heat of the Sun and to save them from the sight and violence of their enemies Exod. 13.21 A figure of Gods guidance of his Church and protection over the same Isa 4.5 Neh. 9.9 Vers 15. Hee clave the rocks And set them abroach both that in Rephidim Exod. 17. and the other in Cadesh Num. 20. Moses Nehamides on Exod. 17. saith that the old Jew-doctors held that the Rock of Rephidim not only yeelded waters like a river all those forty years wherein they were in the wilderness but followed them also there whithersoever they went This agreeth well with that of the Apostle St. Paul 1 Cor. 10.4 who sweetly allegorizeth this history As out of the great deeps i. e. In great abundance Rocks sooner yeeld fire than water but what cannot God do Ad 〈◊〉 usque Vers 16. He brought streams also out of the Rock Idem enuntiat per Epexegeâ—i ad miraculi magnitudinem ostendendam The same again to set forth the greatness of the miracle This was a standing miracle as was also the pillar of cloud the pillar of fire and the Manna Vers 17. And they sinned yet more against him The better he was to them the worse were they toward him as if God had hired them to be wicked and this was ordinary with them and is still amongst us Oh the divine patience By provoking the most High in the wilderness In terra arida ubi Deo indies indigebant ibi peccabant saith Aben-Ezra here This was another aggravation of their sin Vers 18. And they tempted God in their hearts In their hearts first but afterwards also with their lips The Psalmist here striketh at the root of their
calleth it The heavenly Exchange betwixt God and his people they present dury he conferres mercy Luther saith he would not live in Paradise without the Ordinances as with them he could frame to live in Hell it self And a small village with a godly Pastor and a good people in it is an earthly Paradise saith He. If that Italian Martyr could date his letter From the delectable Orchard of the Leonine prison what may we think of the free use of the ordinances what of Heaven nam facile literatransfertur ad Spiritum Vers 2. My soul longeth As she did who said Give mee Children or else I dye His soul once longed for the waters of the well of Bethlehem but not so earnestly as now to draw waters with joy out of those wells of salvation My heart and my flesh Ut sit sanctitus in corde sanitas in corpore And for obtaining of this whole David cryeth aloud as a child when hungry cryeth every whit of him hands feet face all cry and then the Mother flings by all then she flyes and out-runs her self So here The desires of the Righteous shall be satisfied Prov. 10.24 Vers 3. Yea the sparrow Avis communissima haunteth about houses buildeth about windows and there chirpeth The Heb word ken for a nest hath the first letter bigger than the rest to note Gods providence in teaching birds to build Exclamatio pathetica ex abrupto Trem. And the Swallow a nest for her self c. She hath her name in Hebrew from her liberty to flye boldly and to nestle in mens chimneyes Prov. 26.2 Even thine Altars Or Oh thine Altars so some read it by a passionate exclamation importing strongest desires after them The want of Gods Ordinances should pinch us to the heart Vers 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house viz. Those Meniall-servants of thine the Priests and Levites who have their lodgings near thee and their imployment about thee This is still the happiness of Gods Ministers whose holy function and calling both in the preparation to it and execution of it leadeth them to God and holdeth them with him They will be still praising thee As having hearts full of Heaven and consciences full of comfort There cannot but be musick in the Temple of the holy Ghost Vers 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee i.e. Who is enabled by thee both in body and mind to come from the place of his aboad to the solemn feasts In whose heart are the wayes of them Here the old translation In whose heart are thy wayes is far better i.e. As he bringeth his body to the Ordinances so he hath thy wayes or laws ingraven in his heart Vers 6. Who passing thorough the valley of Baca That is of tears say some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. of Mulberry-trees say others the one are moist the other use to grow in more dry places Betwixt them both they may serve saith One to make up a more compleat emblem of this miserable World made up of woes and wants In hoc exilio saith Bernard in hoc ergastulo in hac peregrinatione in hac valle lachrymarum c. Make it a Well They are as chearfull in their travel to Gods house as if they had plenty of water all the way Finis edulcat media the joy of the Lord is their strength whereby they are carried on an end as they say to their journeys end the joyfull preconceit of appearing before God in Zion allaying their great thirst Vers 7. Pergunt tarmatini Beza They go from strength to strength i.e. Lustily and constantly turma turmae subinde sese adjungente one company comming this way and another that out of their several parishes and so they grow stronger and go more comfortably on together Some render it de doctrina in doctrinam vel de academia in academiam they grow til they come to a perfect knowledge of God Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God And then think their pains though never so great well bestowed though then they saw Gods face but obscurely in the dark glass of the ceremonies Popish pilgrims though used hardly and loose much of their estates yet satisfie themselves in this I have that I came for viz. the sight of a dumb Idol What then should not we then suffer to see God in his ordinances c. Vers 8. O Lord God of Hoasts hear my prayer Satisfie mine earnings pantings and inquietations of mind after the liberty of they Sanctuary verse 2. These very desires he calleth prayers Vers 9. Behold Not only Hear see Psal 34.15 with the Note Look upon the face of thine anointed Christi cujus festina adventum saith Kimchi do me good for Christs sake Vers 10. For a day in thy Courts Every Flower hath its sweetness so hath every holy duty its comfort I had rather be a Door-keeper As the Korites were to whom this Psalm was committed and for whose incouragement this might be spoken A Door-keeper is first in last out so would David be in holy assemblies Tardy hearers would be loath to beg this office out of his hand In the tents of wickedness Tentoriis vexationis Kimchi Vers 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield An universal All-sufficient and satisfactory good proportionate to our necessities The Lord will give grace and glory One would think that were enough yea but then here is more than enough No good thing will he with-hold c. and thence is Davids desire so to be about him Vers 12. O Lord of Hosts c. Conclusio Epiphonematica PSAL. LXXXV VErs 1. Lord thou hast been favourable c. Gods free grace and favour is fitly premised as the Fountain and Mother of all the following Mercies This is that other Book Rev. 20 12. that hath our names in it and our pardon Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob Of old from Aegypt and alate from the Philistines who after Sauls death miserably tyrannized over Israel till David delivered them Some hold that this Psalm was composed at the end of the Babylonish Captivity Others conceive it may be a prayer for the conversion of the Gentiles who are brought in speaking the whole Psalm throughout Vers 2. Thou hast for given the iniquity c. This is worthily mentioned as a main mercy as a chief fruit of Free-grace Thou hast covered all their sin That that filthy thing may be no longer an eye-sore unto thee In the Original there are Six Homoioteleuta which is an elegancy not to be englished Vers 3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath Heb. Thou hast gathered it thou hast recollected it that we might not bear it when Sin is once remitted Wrath is soon removed Thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness c. Here are six Hasts drawing in the next Turn vers 4. God hath and therefore God will is a strong Medium of hope if not a demonstration of Scripture-Logicks See
virtually as ost as we offend WhO crowneth thee with loving kindness c. Incircleth and surroundeth thee with benefits so that which way soever thou turnest thee thou canst not look beside a blessing See the Note on vers 3. Vers 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth Heb. Thy jaws so that thou art top full eating as long as eating is good God alloweth thee an honest affluence of outward comfortsâ— Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it Psal 81.10 So that thy youth is â—eâ—â—ed like the Eagles The Eagle is of all birds the most vegetous and vivacious renewing her youth and health they say at every ten years end by casting her old feathers and getting new till she be an hundred years old Aquisae senectus Proverâ—â— Augustins observeth that when her bill is overgrown that she cannot take in her meat she beateth it against a rock and so exâ—â—it 〈◊〉 roâ—â—â—i she striketh off the combersome part of her bill and thereby recovereth her eating That which hindreth our renovation saith he the Rock Christ taketh away c. See Isa 40.31 Vers 6. The Lord 〈◊〉 c. The words are both plural to shew that God will execute omnimodam justitiam judicium all and all manner of justice and judgement relieving the oppressed and punishing the oppressor to the sull Vers 7. He made known his wayes unto Moses Even right Judgements true Laws good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 14. The Rabbins by wayes here understand Gods Attributes and Properties Middoth they call them those thirteen proclaimed Exod. 34. after that Moses had prayed Exod. 33. Shew me thy wayes and the next words favour this interpretation Vers 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious These are Moses his very expressions Exod. 34.7 Theodoret calleth him worthily The great Ocean of Divinity c. His acts to the children His miracles in Egypt and all along the wilderness where they sed upon Sacraments Vers 9. He will not always chide His still revenges are terrible Gen. 6.3 with 1 Pet. 3.19 but God being appeased towards the penitent people will not shew his anger so much as in words Isa 57.16 Neither will be keep his anger for ever Much less must we Levit. 19.18 Eph. 4.26 though against his enemies God is expresly said to keep it Nab. 1.2 Vers 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins Heb. Our errors our involuntary and unavoidable infirmities According to our iniquities Heb. perversly committed for of these evils also the Saints are not free but God beaâ—eth with more than small faults especially if not scandalous Vers 11. For as the heaven is high above the earth How high the third heaven is cannot be conjectured But for the middlemost heaven wherein the Sun Moon and Stars are placed how exceeding high it is may be guessed and gathered in that the Stars whereof those of the first magnitude are said to be every one above a hundred and seven times as big again as the whole earth do yet seem to us but as so many sparks or spangles See Prov. 25.3 Eph. 4.10 So great is his mercy The heavens are exceeding high above the earth but Gods mercy to his is above the heavens Psal 108.4 The original word Gabbar here used is the same with that Gen. 7.20 used for the prevailing of the waters above the mountains Vers 12. As far as the East c. And these we know to be so far asunder that they shall never come together The space also and distance of these two is the greatest that can be imagined Deut. 4.32 Psal 113.3 Isa 45.6 So far hath be removed out transgressions The guilt of them whereby a man stands charged with the fault and is obliged to the punishment due thereunto See Isa 43.25 and 38.17 Mic. 7.19 Ezeck 33.16 Peccata non redeunt Discharges in Justification are not repealed called in again Vers 13. Like as a Father pitieth There is an ocean of love in a fathers heart See Luke 15.20 Gen. 33.2 13 14. and Chap. 4.3 how hardly and with what caution Jacob parted with Benjamin Sozomen maketh mention of a certain Merchant who offering himself to be put to death for his two sons who were sentenced to dye Lib. 7. cap. 24. and it being granted that one of the two whom he should chuse should be upon that condition delivered the miserable Father aequali utriusque amore victus equally affected to them both could not yeeld that either of them should dye but remained hovering about both till both were put to death So the Lord pitieth c. So and ten thousand times more than so For he is the Father of all mercies Parentela and the Father of all the Father-beeds in heaven and earth Eph. 3.15 Vers 14. For he knoweth our frame Our evil concupiscence saith the Chaldee Figulinam fragilem constitutionem nostram saith Junius that we are nothing better than a compound of dire and sin He remembreth thâ—â— we are dust Our bodies are for our souls are of a spiritual nature divinae particula aurae and sooner or later to be turned to dust again Vers 15. As for man his dayes are at grass The frailty of mans life intimated in the former verse is here lively painted out under the similitude of grass as likewise in many other Scriptures See Psal 37.2 and 90.5.6 c. As a slower of the field so be flourisheth Take him in all his gaâ—ety his beauty and his bravery he is but as a flower and that not of the garden which hath more shelter and better ordering but of the field and so more subject to heat weather pâ—lling 〈◊〉 or treading down Isa 40.6 7 8. Vers 16. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone Heb. It is not that is it neither continues any longer in being nor returns any more into being So here Job 14.7 8 9 10 11 12. And the place thereof shall know it no more Though whilst it stood and flourished the place of is seemed as it were to know nothing but it the glory and beauty of it drew all eyes to it c. Think the same of men in their flourish soon forgotten as dead men out of mind Psal 31.12 Vers 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting God is from all eternity and unto all eternity kind to all that fear him in what age of the world soever they live And his righteousness unto childrens children That is his kindness or bounty for so the word Tsedacâ—ah should be taken according to Psal 112.3 9. 2 Cor. 9.9 Vers 18. To such as keep his Covenant For else they shall know Gods breach of promise as it is Numb 14.3 4. Neither shall it benefit them to have been born of godly parents And to those that remember his Commandements That resolve to do them though in many things they fail Qui faciunt praetepta etiamsâ— non perficiant that wish well to that which they can never compass Psal
119.4 5. If they cannot open the door yet if they give a pluck at the bolt or a lift at the latch there is comfort Vers 19. The Lord hath prepared Or fixed founded firmed established Here God is further praised for his most excellent Majesty which appeareth first From the loftiness of his Throne secondly From the largeness of his Dominion Vers 20. Bless the Lord ye his Angels In stirring up the Angels to praise God he awakeneth himself and for this purpose Incipit à superioribus finit in infimis saith Kimcbi here he calleth in the help of all the creatures from the highest to the lowest and after all concludeth as he began with a saying to himself That excel in strength Heb. Giants for strength such as can prevail and do great exploits yet is all their strength derivative they have it from God who it Hagibbor the Mighty One Deut. 10.17 and hence the Angel Gabriel hath his name God is my strength Labour we to be like unto the Angels strengthened with all might c. Col. 1.11 walking about the world as Conquerors able to do all things through Christ who strengthneth us Philip. 4.13 That do his Commandements viz. Cheerfully speedily universally humbly constantly Let us do accordingly else we mock God when we pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Vers 21. Bless ye the Lord all his hosts That is all his creatures which are fitly called Gods hosts First For their number Secondly For their order thirdly for their obedience Yee Ministers of his Whether in State or Church Kings are Gods Ministers Rom. 13.4 6. So are Angels Heb. 1.14 like as Ministers are Angels Rev. 2.1 they have exchanged names their office is Angel-like to wait upon God to stand before him to serve in his presence and to bless his Name Vers 22. Bless the Lord all his works Whether living or liveless For all thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints bless thee Psal 145.10 Benedicite ter ad mysterium Triadis saith an Interpreter Bless the Lord O my soul Whatever others do let me be doing at it as Josh 24.14 15. PSAL. CIV Vers 1. Bless the Lord O my soul This was much in Davids mouth as Deo gratias was in Austines See Psal 103.1 and 22. after which this Psalm is fitly set There he blesseth God for his benefits to himself and the whole Church here for his works of Creation and Government common to the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek and Latine Translations prefix this title David de generation Mandi Continet opera Bereshith saith Kimchi It is of the same subject with the first Chapter of Genesis the first five dayes works are here after a sort considered and celebrated as a mirror wherein Gods Majesty may be clearly discerned This Psalm is by some called Davids Physicks Thou art very great Non molis dimensionâ— sed virtutis rerum gestarum gloria Thou hast made thee a great Name by thy works of wonder Thou are cloathed with Honour and Majesty i.e. With thy creatures which are as a garment both to hide thee in one respect and to hold thee forth in another to bee seen Vers 2. Who coverest thy self with light That lovely creature that first shone out of darknes and is chief among all things sensible as coming nearest to the unapproachable glory of God like as the robe royal is next unto the King Herod upon a let day came forth arrayed in royal apparel in cloath of silver saith Josephus which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams dazled the eyes of the people and drew from them that blasphemous acclamation Act. 12.21 God when he made the world shewed himself in all his royalty neither can we ascribe too much unto him Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain The whole expanse or firmament is as a Canopy over Gods Throne or rather as a Curtain or Skreen betwixt us and the Divine Majesty the fight whereof we cannot bear Vers 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters God as he hath founded the solid earth upon the fluid waters Psal 24.2 So the highest heaven upon those waters above the firmament Gen. 1.7 Psal 18.11 This notably sets forth the wisdome and power of this Almighty Architect sith Artists say In solido extruendum the foundation of a building should be hard and rocky and experience sealeth to it Who maketh the clouds c. These are his Charriot royal drawn or rather driven by the winds as his Charriot-horses Vers 4. Who maketh his Angels spirits Immaterial substances fit to attend upon the Father of spirits and with speed to move suddenly and invisibly into most remote parts His Ministers a flaming fire Seraphims they are called for their burning zeal like so many heavenly Salamanders as also for their irrestible power the Angel that destroyed Sennacheribs Army is held to have done it by burning them within although it appeared not outwardly as some have been burnt by lightning Vers 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth Heb. He hath founded the earth upon her bases See Psal 24.2 Job 38.4 6. with the Notes That is should not be removed for ever Neither can it be by reason of its own weightiness whereby it remaineth unmoveable in the center of the universe Say it should move any way it must move towards heaven and so ascend which is utterly against the nature of heavy bodies Vers 6. Thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment Operueras Thou hadst at first covered it till thou for mans sake hadst made a distinction for else such a garment would this have been to the earth as the shirt made for the murthering of Agamemnon where he had no issue out The waters stood above the mountains As the garment in the proper use of it is above the body and so they would still did not God for our sakes set them their bounds and borders Vers 7. At thy rebuke they fled At thy word of command and angry countenance overawing that raging and ranging creature So Christ rebuked the winds and waves They hasted away They ran away headlong as for life Vers 8. They go up by the mountains They run any way in post hasle breaking through thick and thin and no where resting till imbodied in the Abysse their elemental place and station This is check to our dulness and disobedience If a man had been present saith One when God thus commanded the seas to retreat from the earth hee might have seen both a terrible and a joyful spectacle Vers 9. Thou hast set a bound c. A certain compass and course an argument of Gods singular and sweet power and providence See Job 38.10 11. with the Notes Vers 10. He sondeth the springs into the vallies God doth this he by certain issues or venâ—s sendeth forth the waters of the Sea which here and there break out in springs leaving their saltness behind them that
peculiar To touch these is to touch the apple of Gods eye Zach. 2.8 they are sacred persons And do my Prophets no harm The Patriarchs were such Gen. 20.7 so are still all godly Ministers whom they who harm by word or deed have not so much knowledge as Pilats wise had in a dream See Psal 14.4 Vers 16. Moreover he called for a Famine How easie is it with God soon to stawe us all by denying us an harvest or two If he do but call for a Famine it is done He brake the while staff of bread Either by withdrawing bread that staff of mans life or his blessing from it for man liveth not by bread alone or at all but by every word c. Mat. 4. without which bread can no more nourish us than a clod of clay In pane conclusus est quasi baculus qui nos sustineat See Hag. 1.6 with the Notes Vers 17. He sent a man before them An eminent and eximious man Cujus vita fuit coelum queddam lucidissim is virtutum stellis exornatum to be their friend in the Court and to provide for their livelihood No danger befalleth the Church but God before-hand provideth and procureth the means of preservation and deliverance 2 Pet. 2.9 Even Joseph whom they had sold God ordereth the disorders of the world to his own glory and his peoples good Vers 18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters God hereby fitting him for that great service as he did afterwards Moses by forty years banishment in Miâ—ian and David by Sauls persecution till his soul was even as a weaned child Psal 131.2 He was laid in iron Heb. His soul came into iron or the iron entred into his soul but sin entred not into his conscience See a like phrase Luke 2.35 Vers 19 Until the time that his word came The time that Gods purpose and promise of deliverance was fulfilled This word of God prophane persons call Fate Fortune c. The word of the Lord tried him That he was Affliction-proof and still retained his integrity 1 Pet. 1.7 Vers 20. The King sent and loosed him By his own Master Potiphar who had laid him there at his wives in stance such as are bound ignominiously for righteousness sake shall be one way or other loosed honourably Vers 21. He made him Lord of his house Thus for his short braid of imprisonment where of he never dreamt Joseph hath eighty years preferment more than ever he dreamt of God retributions are very bountiful Vers 22. To bind his Princes at his pleasure To over-aw and to over-rule them to bind them in prison if need so required as himself had been bound and that at his pleasure or according to his own soul sine consensu Pharaoh saith Rabbi Solomon without Pharaohs consent as he dealt by Potiphar say other Rabbins And to teach his Senators wisdome Policy and piety which yet the Egyptians long retained not Vers 23. Israel also came into Egypt Whither he feared to go till God promised him his presence and protection Gen 46.3 4. God saith the same in effect to us when to descend into the grave Fear not to go down I will go down with thee and be better to thee than thy fears Jacobs best and happiest dayes were those the spent in Egypt Vers 24. And be increased his people greatly Against all the power of Egypt set against them And made them stronger than their enemies They were not so for present but the Egyptians conceited and feared they would be so Vers 25. He turned their hearâ— to hate Mens hearts are in Gods hands and he formeth and fashioneth their opinions of and affections to others at his pleasure yet without sin To deal subtilly with his servants Seeking to imbase and enervate their spirits by base drudgeries imposed upon them So afterwards dealt the Persian Tyrant with Hormisaus and the great Turk with the Christians Vers 26. He sent Moses his servant Quande duplicantur lateres venit Moses say the Jews as this day And Aaron c. God usually sendeth his by two and two for mutual helps and comfort Vers 27. They shewed his signs Heb. The words of his signs for Gods wondrous works are vocal they are real sermons of Gods power and justice See Exod. 4.8 Vers 28. He sent darkness Palpable darkness by reason of most black and thick vapours of the earth mingling themselves with the air such as Aben-Ezra said that hee once felt sayling upon the Ocean the gross vapours there putting out the light of fire and candle and not suffering them to be re-inkindled And they rebelled not against his word They that is the plagues called for came immediately with an Ecce me Or They that is Moses and Aaron refused not to denounce and inflict those plagues though Pharaoh threatned so kill them where a man would wonder at Pharaohs hardness and hardiness that being in the midst of that deep and dreadful darkness he could rage against God and threaten with death his servant Moses The Arabick reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendreth it Et irritarunt sermonem ejus And they the Egyptians provoked his word or rebelled against it Vers 39. He turned their waters into blood A just hand of God upon them for their cruelty in drowning the Hebrew Infants and a real forewarning if they could have seen it of the death of their first-born and their final overthrow at the red Sea And slew their fish Which was a great part of their food Piscis à pascendo dictus Vers 30. The land brought forth frogs in abundance Like grass that grows upon the ground or as fishes spawned in the Sea as the word signifieth Gen. 1.20 Some think they were not common frogs sed venenat as hâ—rrendas quales sunt rubetae bufones Ab. Ezra but Toads and Lizards Crocodiles some think came out of the River and destroyed people In the chambers of their Kings Regis regulorum inter medias enseâ— medias custodias This was the finger of God as it was likewise when a Town in Spain was overturned by Conies and another in Thessaly by Moles a City in France undone by Frogs Plin. l. 8. c. 29 and another in Africa by Locusts c. Vers 31. He spake and there came divers sorts of Flyes Heb. a mixture so of Waspes Hornets Dog-flyes the most troublesome of all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sorts of Insects And Lice in all their coasts This the Magicians could not do Quid ciniphe vilius c saith Philo What 's baser than a Louse yet hereby God can tame the sturdiest of his rebels Some Kings and other Grandees have dyed of the lousie disease as Herod Philip of Spain c. Vers 32. He gave them Hail for Rain Rain was geason in Egypt but now they had hail for rain a giftless gift Heb. He gave their rain hail Exod. 9.23 And flaming fire in their land That they
both the vision and fruition of thy great goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Psal 31.19 giving them a taste thereof aforehand as a few grapes of that promised Canaan Of thy Nation i.e. By this name Gods elect are here and elsewhere stiled and therefore the Jews have no reason to reproach us as they do by it calling us Goi and Maâ—zer goi bastard heathens Vers 6. We have sinned with our Fathers Adding to their heap and making up their measure Mal. 23.32 People think the example of their Fathers a sufficient excuse Jerom once but not well desired leave of Austin to erre with seven Fathers whom hee found of his opinion I will follow my forefathers saith Cicero although I fall together with them See Jer. 44.17 But so would not these good souls as neither Jeremy chap. 3.25 nor Daniel chap. 9.5 whose confession suting and symbolizing with this together with that we read vers 47. maketh some think that this Psalm was penned for the peoples use then when they were captives in Babylon We have committed iniquity c. Sin must bee confessed with utmost aggravation I le hear how full in the mouth these are against themselves laying on load whilst their sins swell as so many toads in their eyes Vers 7. Our Fathers understood not i.e. They weighed them not improved them not but as the dull earth is surrounded by the heavens yet perceiveth it not so were these with miracles and mercies yet understood them not Even at the red Sea Not only whiles they were on the bank they feared to enter but also even when they were passing and walking over that dry land made for them by a miracle they did still continue their murmurings and muâ—inings Vers 8. Nevertheless be saved them for his Names sake Here he comes in with a Non-obstante So Isa 57.17 Now if God will save for his Names sake wheat people is there whom he may not save That be might make his power to be known The Lord hath other things to look unto than presently to punish his people when they most deserve it Vers 9. He rebuked the red sea also Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia as appeareth in the subsequent verses So be led them through the depths Inter duas aquarum congeries betwixt two mountains of waters which stood on each hand of them as a wall and made a lane Every main affliction is our red sea which while it threatneth to swallow us up preserveth us Vers 10. And be saved them c. From Pharaoh that perfect enemy of theirs that pursued them with a deadly design but was happily prevented Vers 11. And the waters covered their enemies The preservation of the Church is ever accompanied with the destruction of its enemies that the mercy may appear the greater Not one of them was left Left alive to carry the news Vers 12. Then they beleeved his words Then for a flash whilst the memory of the mercy was fresh and warm but ere they were three dayes elder they murmured again It proved not so much as a nine dayes wonderment they were soon at old ward They sang his praise Exod. 15. A tempory faith and joy Vers 13. They soon forgat his works Heb. They made baste they forgat This is an aggravating circumstance See Gal. 1.6 Exod. 32.8 Deut. 9.16 They waited not for his counsel For the performance of what he had purposed and promised they were short-spirited and impatient Vers 14. But lusted exceedingly Heb. Lusted a lust See Num. 11. they had a sufficiency but must have superfluities as belly-gods not want but wantonness set them a lusting and that in the wilderness where they knew that in an ordinary way it was not to be had And templed God Whom they should have trusted rather sith he waiteth to be gracious and being a God of judgement knoweth best when to deal forth his favours Isa 30.18 and 49 8. Vers 15. Aug. And he gave them their request Deus saepe dat iralus quod negat propitius Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in bamo Martial Quales they had but to choake them as afterwards a King but to vex them c. But sont leaneness into their soul i.e. Into their bodies such a loathing as caused leanness Num 11.20 a plague upon their bodies a curse upon their souls Many men eat that on earth which they digest in hell It is dangerous seeding on sins murthering-morsels Vers 16. They envied Moses also Korah and his complices did and because the people punished them not they are all accused as guilty of that conspiracy and looked upon as a rabble of rebels against heaven And Aaron the Saint of the Lord Separated to the Priesthood The Rabbins tell us that they had chosen Dathan instead of Moses and Abiram for Aaron Vers 17. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan c. Korah is not here mentioned haply for his sons sakes who were famous Prophets and Musick-masters in Davids dayes As for On the son of Peleth one of the chief conspirators the Rabbins say that by the good counsel of his wise he repented and so escaped Vers 18. And a fire was kindled in their company It is both a just presage and desert of ruine not to be warned Let seditious persons and Schismaticks take heed for even our God also is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult The flame burnt up the wicked And among the rest Korah as some conceive Dathan and Abâ—ram are stigmatized for their stubbornness Num. 26.9 as was afterwards Abaz 2 Chron. 28.22 and before them all Cain Gen. 4.15 and Lamech 23 24. Vers 19. They made a Calf in Horch i. e. In the Country near to that mountain where they at same time saw visible tokens of Gods dreadful presence Well might Aaron say of this people that they were wholly set upon wickedness Exod. 3â— 22 This peece of Idolatry they had learned belike of the Egyptians who worshipped Apis in such a shape so catching is sin Lege Lactâ—nt 〈◊〉 1. de muab Scrip. cap. 15. and so dangerous is ill company Vers 20. Tous they change their glory i.e. Their God Rom. 1.23 the Creator for a contemptible creature Of an Oâ—e that eateth grass Tunâ— stercora egerit multam inquinatâ—r as R. Solomon here glosseth They pretended not to worship the Calf but God in the Calf as did also Jehu a King 10.16.29 2 Chron. 11.15 and as the Idolatrous Papiste do at this day See Exod. 32.5 yet the text here saith They worshipped the moâ—en Imago they changed their glory into the siâ—ilitude of an Oxe And although some of the Rabbins would excuse this gross Idolatry of their fore-fathers yet others more wise bewail us and say that there is an ounce of this golden Calf in all their present sufferings Vers 21. They forget God their Saviour This is often mentioned as the Mother of all the mis-rule amongst them
body is sick my soul is well Vers 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going one c. Thou shalt have his safe 〈◊〉 publick faith for thy defence in 〈◊〉 enterprizes 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 together with good success in all thine affairs and actions Prov. 3.6 PSAL. CXXII VErs 1 I was glad when they 〈…〉 The flourish is the chief joy of the good Christian Hence the Evangelicall among the Protestant party Gregory Nazianzon writeth that his Father being an Heathen and often besought by his wife to become a Christian had this verse suggested unto him in a dream and was much wrought upon thereby 〈…〉 Dutch Martyr in Luâ—â—â—ing hearing the sentence of his condemnation to the fire Act. Mon. fol. 807. 〈◊〉 Psalm c. Let us go into the house of the Lord I will go also as Zech. 8.21 said holy David who was much a cheered at his peoples forwardnesse in Gods service and became their Captain Vers 2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates Where the Ark whilâ—om transportative was now fixed this was their great joy so should it bee ours that the true religion is now setled amongst us and that wee are at a certainty Respons ad Staphyl Time was when good Melancthon groaned out Quâ—s fugiamus habemus quâ—s sequamur non intelligimus Wee know whom wee should flye viz. the Papists but whom to follow wee yet know not Vers 3. Jerusalem is builded as a City c. None such for uniformity of buildings or unanimity of Citizens There is no such â—â—â—nesse in all the World as amongst true Christians and this the very Heathens observed and commended As the curtains of the Tabernacle were joyned by loops so were they by love And as they stones of they Temple were so close cemented together that they seemed to bee all but one stone so was it among the primitive Saints Vers 4. Whither the Tribes go up Thrice a year all the Males appeared before the Lord in Sion the females also as many 〈◊〉 would as 〈◊〉 the Virgin Mary c. but they were not bound At which times there was such a generall meeting as no City could shew the like a type of that great Panegyriâ— Heb. 12.22 23. Unto the Testimony of Israel The Ark was so called in regard of the Tables of the Covenant kept therein as two letters of contract betwixt God and men saith Aâ—en-Ezra Exod. 25.16 those two tables are called the Testimony Vers 5. For there are 〈…〉 These are the two chief praises of any place 1 The exercise or Gods sincere service 2 The administration and execution of publick justice Vers 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Peace is a voluminous mercy and must therefore be prayed for peace both of conscience and of Country It is well with Bees when they make a noise in the Haâ—â— but with men when they are at quiet in Church and state Among the Persianâ— her that offered Sacrifice prayed not only for himself but for all his Country men and especially for the King Herodot lib. 1 They shall 〈◊〉 that love 〈◊〉 And out of love pitty and pâ—ay for thee Vers 7. Peace bee wit◠〈…〉 had no sooner admonished others of their duty but himself 〈…〉 Vers 8. For my Brethren and companions sakes David was not all for himself as the maâ—â—â—â— is in thâ—s◠〈…〉 spirit hee did 〈…〉 Vers 〈…〉 Where Davids heart was and wherein 〈…〉 unto him was Gods 〈…〉 â—ee into likeness of 〈◊〉 heavenly 〈◊〉 〈…〉 PSAL. CXXIII VNto thee life I up mine eyes Praying by them rather than by words mine afflictions having swoln my heart too bigge for my mouth See the 〈…〉 Psal 121.1 Vers 2. Behold as the eyes of servants For direction defence maintenance mercy in time of correction help when the service is over-hard c. so do our eyes wait upon the Lord our God viz. for direction and benediction Vers 3. Have mercy upon me O Lord have mercy This is preceâ— fundere calum tundere misericerdiem exterquert as Tertulliâ—n hath it to wring mercy out of Gods holy hands by out utmost importunity For we are exceedingly filled with contempt We are made the very scâ—â— and scorn of our proud imperious enemies This the nature of man is very impatient of and can hardly brook for there is none so mean but holdeth himself worthy of some regard and a reproachful scorn sheweth an utter dis-respect which issueth from the very superfluity of malice Vers 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those that are at ease And there-hence insolent and unsufferable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulness breedeth forgetfulness yea it maketh men scornful and wrongful to others PSAL. CXXIV VErs 1. If it had not been the Lord c. God may farre better say than our Hen. 8 Cui adhareâ— praest He whose part I take is sure to prevail But Christ hath ever been the Churches Champion and hence she is insuperable The Captain of the Lords Hâ—asts is Captain of our salvation Josh 5.14 Heb. 2.10 Vers 2. When men rose Monsters rather but such as think themselves the only men alive and us the only slaves and Zanies Vers 3. Then had they swallowed in up quick As the great Fish do the little ones as hungry Lions Gualth praef in Marc. R. Obad. Gaon in Psal 124. or Wolves raven up their prey Ptâ—lâ—mam Lathurus King of Aegypt slew thirty thousand Jews and compelled the living to seed upon the dead Adrian the Emperour made a Decree that hee who had not slain a Jew should himself be slain When their wrath was kindled against us Heb. in the flagrancies or 〈◊〉 of their anger Vers 4. Then the waters 〈…〉 us At once the red Sea did the Aegyptians or as the general deluge did the old world The stream 〈…〉 Neither could we have withstood it by any Art or industry Vers 5. Then the proud waters c. The same again to note the greatness both of the danger and of the deliverance And it may teach us not lightly to pass over Gods great blessings but to make the most of them Vers 6. Blessed be the Lord c. 〈…〉 thanks be to God was much in Austins mouth and should be 〈…〉 deliverance How was God blessed 〈…〉 As a prey to the 〈◊〉 Who meant to have made 〈…〉 and had already devoured us in their hopes but God 〈◊〉 them Vers 7. Our soul is 〈◊〉 c. 〈…〉 God 's opportunity See 〈…〉 The 〈…〉 c. God 〈…〉 net is broken Vers 8. 〈…〉 〈…〉 of infinite might and mercy and say as those good souls at Ebon-ezra Hitherto God hath helped us he hath and therefore he will c. PSAL. CXXV VErs 1 They that trust in the Lord shall bee as Mount Zion Great is the stability of a beleevers felicity Winds and storms move not a Mountain an Earthquake may but not easily remove it That mysticall Mount Sion the Church immota manet is unmoveable so is every
i. e. O Christ the King of Kings whose Vasall I profess my self as did afterwards also those three most Christian Emperours Constantine Valentinian and Theodosius Vers 2. Every day will I bless thee No day shall pass mee without a morning and evening sacrifice besides what is more upon all emergent occasions The Jews have above an hindred Benedictions which they are tyed to say over every day and one among the rest for the benefit of Evacuation it I were a Nightingall saith Epictetus a Heathen I would do as a Nightingall In Encher but since I am a man what shall I do I will praise my Maker and never cease to do it I exhort also all men to do the like Vers 3 Great is the Lord See his greatness set forth by Moses Deut. 10.17 And greatly to bee praised viz. According to his excellent greatnesse Psal 150.2 which yet cannot bee And his greatness is unsearchable Tantum recedit quantam capitur saith Nazianzen Hee is above all name all notion all parallel in nature we can see but his back-parts and live wee need see no more that wee may live Vers 4 One Generation shall praise thy works to another God 's praises are many and mans life short and one Generation succeedeth another let them relate Gods wonderfull works one to another and so perpetuate his praises to all posterity Vers 5 I will speak of the glorious honour Or I will meditate of the glory of the honour of thy magnificence I will discourse of those high and honourable conceptions that I have of thee which yet words how wide soever are too weak to utter such is thy transcendent excellencie and surpassing glory And of thy wondrous works Wherein thou art in some sort to bee seen as the beams of the Sun are made visible by reflection and letters being refracted and broken in a pair of spectacles are made legible to a dim eye Vers 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts Those that will not talk of thy bounty shall bee made to say O the severity of God! Vers 7 They shall abundantly utter Eruct abunt as a fountain casteth out waters plentifully and constantly so shall those that are like-minded to mee abundantly and artificially even with songs set forth thy goodness and faithfulness saying and singing Vers Beza 8 The Lord is gracious c. See Psal 86.5 15. 103.8 Slow to anger and of great mercy De quo penc possiâ— ambâ—gi sit ne ad irascendum tardâ—or an ad parcendum promptior Vers 9 The Lord is good to all And of this hee hath not left himself without witness Act. 14.17 And his tender mercies are over all his works Holding the whole Creation together which else by reason of the curse for mans sin hurling confusion over the World would long since have been shattered and dissipated Vers 10 All thy works shall praise thee i. e. Minister matter of thy praise And thy Saints shall bless thee viz. Upon that account If it were not for a few Saints on earth God should lose his glory here in great part Vers 11 They shall speak of the glory That Kingdome of the Saints of the most high which is far beyond the Grandeur and splendour of all the four great Monarchies as is to bee seen Dan. 7.27 Vers 12 To make known to the sons of men This is the end why the Church is collected and the Gospell preached God aimeth at his own glory in all as well hee may sith hee hath none higher than himself to whom to have respect Vers 13 Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome It cannot bee over-turned that 's comfortable to all Christs subjects as other flourishing Kingdomes are which have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine Alexanders Kingdome continued but twelve years only and fell with him so did Tamberlains greatness Vers 14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall None of his subjects can fall below his helping-hand his sweet supportance And raiseth up all those that are bowed down Either with the burden of sin or misery in any kind Camden Alphonsus King of Arragon is famous for helping with his own hand one of his subjects out of a ditch Of Queen Elizabeth it is recorded to her eternall praise that shee hated no less than did Mithridates such as sought to crush vertue forsaken of fortune Christ bruiseth not the broken reed but upholdeth it hee quencheth not the smoking wick but cherisheth it Vers 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee Heb. Look up with hope to this great house-keeper of the World The Elephant is said to turn up the first sprig towards Heaven when hee comes to feed The young Ravens cry to God for food Psal 147. at least by implication Their men Suitable to their severall appetites Vers 16 Thou openest thy hand With Kingly munificence And satisfiest the desire Or Of thy good pleasure thou satiatest Vers 17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes This wee must hold for an undoubted truth though wee see not alwayes the reason of his proceedings Sinfull men dare to reprehend oft-times what they do not comprehend Vers 18. The Lord is nigh unto all those c. Hee is ever at hand to hear and help his faithfull suters and suppliants these have the royalty of his ear free access sure success To all that call upon him in truth That draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having their hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and their bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 Vers 19 Hee will fulfill the desire c Or The will the pleasure Beneplacitum Hence that bold request of Luther Fiat voluntas mea Let my will bee done But then hee addeth Mea Domine quiatua my will because thine and no otherwise They that do the will of God shall have their own will of God See 1 Joh. 3.22 The King can deny you nothing Vers 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him See Psal 91.14 15 16. with the Notes But all the wicked That love not God but their base lusts Vers 21 My mouth shall speak c. This he had oft before promised but ingageth again that hee may not start back And let all flesh But especially men good men for high words beseem not a fool But it well becommeth the Saints to bee thankfull Tertull. nec servire Deo solum sed adulari as an Ancient speaketh PSAL. CXLVI VErs 1 Praise the Lord O my soul See Psal 103.1 Vers 2 While I live I will praise the Lord George Carpenter the Bavarian Martyr being desired by some godly brethren that when hee was burning in the fire hee would give them some sign of his constancy answered Let this bee a sure sign unto you of my faith and perseverance in the truth quod usque dum os aperire aut certe hiscere licebit that so long as I am able to
so maketh it very fruitfull say Philosophers In which respects the Rabbines say that one day of Snow doth more good than five of Rain Hee scattereth the houre frost like 〈◊〉 When blown about by the winde It heateth also and dryeth as ashes the cold and moist earth nippeth the buds of trees c. â—mis monet â—em subesse â—â—m foveaâ— Vnde 〈◊〉 dicitur a 〈◊〉 saith 〈…〉 Vers 17 Hee casteth out his Ice like morsels Or Shivers of bread It is a 〈◊〉 saying of One from this text The lee is bread the Rain is drink the Snow is wool the Frost a Fire to the earth causing it inwardly to glow with heat teaching us what to do for Gods poor 〈…〉 Who can 〈◊〉 it when and where it is extreme especially as in Russia Freesland c. Vers 18. Hee sendeth out his word and melteth them See vers 13. Of the force of Gods word of command are given all the former instances Hee can as easily melt the hardest heart by his word made effectual to such a purpose by his holy Spirit If that wind do but blow the waters of penitent tears will soon flow as in Josiah 2 Chron. 34.27 See Zech. 12.10 Vers 19 Hee sheweth his word unto Jacob The Jews were Gods library keepers and unto them as a speciall favour were committed those lively and life giving oracles Rom. 3.2 there is a chiefly set upon it like as Luk. 12.48 to know the Masters will is the great talent of all other there is a much in that His Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel Even right Judgements true 〈◊〉 good Statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 See Rom. 9.4 5. Prospers conceit was that Judaei were so called because they received jus Dei the Law of God Vers 20 He hath not dealt so with any Nation He had not then but now blessed be God hee hath dealt so with many Nations in these last happy days of Reformation especially wherein the knowledge of Gods holy Word covereth the earth as the waters cover the Sea and of England it may bee said as once of the Rhodos somper in Sole situ est Rhodos that it hath the Sun ever shining upon it This wee should prize as a precious treasure and praise the Lord for it â—orde ore operâ— And as for his Judgements they have not known them And therefore lye in deadly darkness wherein though they wander wofully yet not so wide as to miss of hell PSAL. CXLVIII VErs 1 Praise the Lord And again Praise yee the Lord and so often in this and the rest of the Halelujaticall Psalms In praising God the Saints are unsatifiable and would bee infinite as his perfections are infinite so that they make a circle as one phraseth it the beginning middle and end whereof is Halelujah From the Heavens praise him in the heights Or high places As God in framing the World began above and wrought downward So doth the Psalmist in this his exhortation to all creatures to praise the Lord. Vers 2 Praise him all his Angells Whose proper office it is to adore and praise God Job 38.7 Isa 6.3 Heb. 1.6 which also they do constantly and compleatly as those that both perfectly know him and love him Jacob saw them 1 Ascending to contemplate and praise the Lord and minister to him Luk. 2.13 Dan. 7.10 Mat. 18.10 Psal 103.20 2 Descending to execute Gods will upon men for mercy to some and for Judgement to others which tendeth much to his praise And David by calling upon these heavenly courtiers provoketh and pricketh on himself to praise God Praise yee him all his Hoasts i e. His Creatures those above especially which are as his cavalry called his Hoasts for their 1 Number 2 Order 3 Obedience Verse 3. Praise yee him Sun and Moon These do after a sort declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 2. Habak 3.3 not with mind and affection as if they were understanding creatures as Plato held but by their light influences admirable motions and obedience whereby quasi mutis vocibus by a dumb kind of eloquence In Epimeniâ— saith Nazianzen they give praise to God and bid check to us for our dulness and disorders Praise him all yee stars of light A light then they have of their own besides what they borrow of the Sun which they with-hold at Gods appointment Isa 13.10 and influences they have which cannot bee restrained or resisted Job 38.31 32. Vers 4 Praise him yee Heavens of Heavens Whereby hee meaneth not the lowest Heavens the air whereon wee breath and wherein birds flye clouds swim c. as some would have it but the highest Heaven called by St. Paul the third Heaven the habitation of the crowned Saints and glorious Angels called by Philosopher calâ—â—â— Empyreum and hereby the Psalmist the Heavens of Heavens as King of Kings song of songs c. by an excestency See Deut. 10.14 And the waters that â—ee above the Heavens i. e. Above the air and that do distinguish betwixt the Air and the Sky as the 〈…〉 doth betwixt the Sky and the highest Heavens Superius supensae aquarum forniâ— Vers 5 For hee commanded and they were 〈◊〉 His 〈◊〉 only made all this is celebrated by that heavenly quite Rev. 4.11 Vers 6 Hee hath also established them for ever viz. The course and appointed motions of the Heavens which hee hath setled by a Covenant and hath not falsified with them Jer. 33.25 much less will hee with his faithfull people Vers 7 Praise the Lord from the earth The Psalmist proceedeth to factour for God among the inferiour creatures beginning with the lowest in the waters beneath as the Dragons oâ— great whales and then comming to Rain and Snow c. which are made out of the waters above Yee Dragons and all deeps Of Sea-Dragons See Aelian lib. 4. Animal cap. 12. they live partly in the Sea and partly on the land as do Crocodiles These also yeeld matter of Gods praise Vers 8 Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour This latter is the matter of those former meteors which hee purposely mingleth with those forementioned miracles of land and waters the more to set forth the power of God because these seem to have no setledness of subsistence and yet in them hee is made visible Stormy winds fulfilling his word The winds blow not at randome but by a divine decree and God hath ordered that whether North or South blow they shall blow good to his people Cant. 4.16 Hee saith to all his Creatures as David did to his Captains concerning Absolom Handle them gently for my sake Vers 9 Mountains and all hills These praise God by their form hugeness fruits prospects c. Fruitful trees These by the variety of their natures and fruits do notably set forth the wisdome power and goodness of the Almighty whilst they spend themselves and the principall part of their sap and moisture in bringing forth some pleasant berry or the like for the use of
as great a Master then as afterwards and David oft complaineth of it Vers 4. Give them according to their deeds God loveth to retaliate and David out of a publick and prophetick spirit not from private revenge or troubled affectious taketh thus upon him to imprecate And according to the wickednesse of their endeavours They were therefore old habituated irreclaimable sinners whom he thus cursed And against such this and such like imprecations are still in force Give them after the works of their hands Because they regard not the works of thine hands Vers 5. Par pari saith Aben-Ezra here Vers 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord that is saith Kimchi the worship of God they care not for but follow the vanities of the World Or the works of God in heaven and earth the consideration whereof is a part of Gods worship Or they regard not the works of the Lord that is the first making nor The operation of his hands that is the present disposing of his Creatures either by way of mercy or judgement whereof these brutish persons make no observation at all Psa 92.5 6 7. Isa 5.12 particularly they neither regard my present affliction Amos 6.6 nor beleeve my future exaltation to the Throne as God hath promised mee but oppose it all they can and would gladly prevent it which yet they cannot but will bee found fighters against God Hee shall destroy them and not build them up Destroy them in this World and not build them up in the World to come say the Rabbines Or as others he shall break them down as men do old rotten ruinous houses Jun. and never more repair or rebuild them Non potest Deus non perdere judicuis suis qui non crudiuntur documentis They that will not be ruled shall bee ruined See 1 Sam. 2.25 Vers 6. Blessed bee the Lord because hee hath beard c. God will one day turn the prayers of his people into praises David Vers 1. had said Bee not silent to mee here Blessed bee God for hee hath answered mee So Jehosaphat had his Bacah soon turned into Berachah 2 Chron. 20.18 19. See Davids Syllogism and mark his Conclusion Psal 66.18 19 20. not according to the rules of Logick but better Vers 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield So that I am furnished and harnessed within and without See Psal 18.2 My heart trusted in him and I am helped Faith substantiateth things not yet seen Heb. 11.1 it altereth the Tenses saith One and putteth the future into the present tense as here My heart greatly rejoyceth c. Inwardly I am glad warmed at heart and outwardly chearfull even unto singing And what will David sing See his Ditty in the next words Vers 8. The Lord is their strength Not mine only as vers 7. but the strength of all and every one of the holy Community of true Christians partakers of Christs unction of his Spirit Vers 9. Save thy people The Church must share in our prayers And blesse thine inheritance Which cannot but be dear to thee Feed them also For they are but ill-favouredly fed by Saul Lift them up Over all their enemies as Psal 27.6 PSAL. XXIX VErs 1. Give unto the Lord Verbo confessione saith Kimchi By word and confession as Josh 7.19 Jer. 13.16 acknowledge him the King immortal invisible c. and your selves his Vassals as did those three best Emperours Constantine Theodosius and Valentinian Cedite colite step back stoop humble and tremble before this dread Soveraign of the World bear an awefull respect to the divine Majesty the High thunderer the great Wonder-worker unlesse you will come short of brute beasts and dumb Creatures O yee Mighty Heb. Yee sons of the Mighty Grandees and Potentates who are readiest to rob God of his glory and being tumour'd up by their worldly wealth and greatnesse to deem or rather dream themselves demy Gods such as may do what they list as not accountable to any mortall The Septuagint render it O yee Sons of Ramms These Bel-weathers should not cast their noses into the air and carry their crest the higher because the shepheard hath bestowed a bell upon them more than upon the rest of the flock Give unto the Lord Give give give This sheweth how unwilling such are usually to give God his right or to suffer a word of exhortation to this purpose Glory and strength By ascribing all to him casting down your Crowns at his feet setting up his sincere service where-ever ye have to do c. Vers 2. Nominatissimam celeberrimam Jun. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name Which yet you cannot do for his name is above all praise Psal 148.13 but you must aim at it The Rabbines observe that Gods holy name is mentioned eighteen severall times in this Psalm that great men especially may give him the honour of his name that they may stand in awe and not sin that they may bring presents to Him who ought to be feared and those also the very best of the best sith He is a great King and standeth much upon his seniority Mal. 1.14 Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness Or In his glorious Sanctuary therefore glorious because there they might see Gods face and hear his voice in his ordinances Away therefore with your superstitions and will-worships and bring your gifts to his beautifull Sanctuarie for no where else will he receive them Send a Lamb to this Ruler of the earth Isa 16.1 as an homage-penny Vers 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters Thunder is here called and fitly the voice of the Lord being brought as one instance of those many other glorious works of his in nature because it comes from him alone Naturall causes there are assigned of it The ancient Romans said Deus tonat Deus fulgurat for which now Tonat fulgurat but we must not stick in them as Epicurus and his Hoggs would have us The best Philosophy in this behalf is to hear God Almighty by his thunder speaking unto us from Heaven as if hee were present and to see him in his lightenings as if he cast his eyes upon us to behold what we had been doing This voice of the Lord is fitly instanced as an evidence of the divine power and Majesty because it is so dreadfull even to the greatest Atheists as it was to Caius Caligula that potent Emperour Sueton. ready to run into a mouse-hole in a time of thunder The God of glory thundereth And men quake before him as worms at such a time wriggle into the corners of the earth And yet your dive-dappers duck not at this rattle in the air though they do at a farre smaller matter So many tremble not at Gods terrible threats that yet are afraid of a penall statute The Lord is upon many waters viz. When he thundreth De aquis pendulis loquitur saith Vatablus He speaketh of the