k Although God knows that neither I, nor my Children have Li- ved and Ruled as we ſhould have cone, ſo juſtly, and in the fear of the Lord ; and therefore have not enjoyed that uninterrupted Pro- ſperity which we might have enjoyed : but our Morning-light, or, the beginning of thar Kingdom promiſed to me and mine for ever, hath been over-caſt with many black and diſmal Clouds, and my hildren have not hitherto been like the tender Grafs ſpringing out of the Earth, and thriving by the Influences of the Sun and Rain ; but rather like the Graſs that withereth away, or is cut off before irs due time. 1 Notwithſtanding all our Tranſgrefſions whereby we have broken Covenant with. God, and the Confuſions and Civil Wars which have threatned our Diffiparion and utrer Deftruion ; yer TI comfort my {ſelf with this, That God, to whom all my Sins were fore-known before I committed them, was graciouſly pleated to. make a fure Covenant,to give and continue the Kingdom to me, and to my Seed for ever, chap:7: 16: until the coming ofthe M:fias ; who 1s to be my Son and Succeflor, and whote Kingdom ſhall have no End. m» Ordained in all points by God's Erernal and Unchange- able Counſel ; and difpoſed by his wiſe and powerful Providence, which doth and will over-ruleail things,even rhe Sins and Sufferings of my Houle ſo far, that although he would puniſh them for their Sins, yet he will not utterly root them out. nor break his Covenant made with me and mine ; as is ſaid, P/al: 89: 31, 32, 33, 34. » Or, pre erved. or obſerved, or kept ; to wit, on God's part or by God's Power and Faithfulneſs in the midſt of all the Oppoſitions and Uncertainties to which it ſeems to be expoſed on our part : Compare Rom: 3: 3: and -2 Tim: 2; 13. o Or therefore, as the Hebrew Particle, chi, oft ſignifies ; therefore 2. e. becauſe God hath made ſuch a Co- veaant, p Or, hes, he who hath made this Covenant ; or,in this #s, 7. e. it conſiſts in, and depends upon this Covenant, q Both my own Eternal Salvation, and the Temporal Salvation,or the Preſerva- tion of the Kingdom ro me and mine. r Or, every deſirable thing ; the word deſire bcing oft put for deſired, or a defirable Thing ; as Pſal. 21:2: and 78: 29, 30: Ezek. 24+ 16. David being deeply ſen- ſible, and having had large experience of the vanity and uncer= tainty ofall Earthly things, here declares. That the Covenant made by God with himzind his in the Meſias,is the only happineſs which he prizeth aud detireth, in which he doth fully acquicice. 57. e. My Houſe, mentioned before» So the tence is, Although God as yer hath not made my Houſe or Family to grow ; 7z.e. toincreaſe, or to flonriſh with worldly Glory and Proſperity, as I expeQed; but hath for my Sins cur off divers of my moſt eminent Branches and ſorely aflicted my perton and Family ; and although he may for the fu- ture deal in like manner with my Sons and Succeflors for the like miſcarriages, which it is probable they may commit: yer this is my great ſupport and comfort, that God will conſtaatly and inviolably kecp this Covenant ; and therefore, in the midſt of all rhe ſhakinzs, and confuſions, and interruptions, which may happen in my Houſe, and Kingdom, will preferve my Line and Family until the coming ot the Meſfah out ot my Loins, whoſe Kingdom is an Everlaſting Kingdom ; who, as he is the defire of all Nations, Hag.2.7. ſoin 2 ipecial manner is my delire, and the Author ofall my Salvation.
6 4 But che tons of Belial # ſhall be all of them as
thor:zs thruſt away «, becauſe they cannot be taken with hands. : {=
£ Or, the Men of Belial, as it is expreſſed 2 Sam. 16 7. andelſc- why. Having in the foregoing Verſes deſcribed the nature, and fe!iCiry, and ſtabiliry of that Kingdom which God himſelf had by a ſur. nd everlaſting Covenaar ſettled upon him and his Seed ; and clp.cially, upon the Miz, who was to be one ofhis Poſterity ; 1: now deſcribes the quality, the miſchievous nature,the hazardous and miſerable conditioa,of all the Enemies of this Holy and Bleſſed Kingdom, whom he juſtly calleth ſons of Bel.al, becaute they rebel- ied againſt God's appointment, and againſt the King whom God had tet over them: for which reaton others are ſo calied, 1 Sam. 10. 27. 2 Chron. 13.7. u Which Men do not uſe to handle, as they do other Trees, bur thruſt them away from themſelves, by ſome Inſtrumeat choſen for that purpoſe. And ſo will God remove, or thruſt away from himſelf, and from his People, and Kingdom, all thoſe who ſhall either ſecretly or openly ſer themſelves againſt it. And this may be here added, either, 1- By way of Preſcription to Rulers, whom,as betore, hz admoniſhed to be jutf and kind ro their People, verſe 3, 4. So here he requires them to be ſevere in Puniih- ing. and purging away wicked and incorrigible Men from about his Throne, and from among |!is people ; the Encouraging of the good, and the puniſhing of the bad, being the rwo chicf Works of cvery
good Magiſtrate, and the,two Pil'ars oiall Goverament. Or, 2. By > way
Chap. XX1IL
| li \
l
* Judg: C2 38; Pal: 89;
Hof: 6; 5:
_——— ————————C cz
_——
— CI EE nts 2. © reed
Coap.
+ Heb: Hed. lf
I! Or 7 Jo- -ſhebbaſſebet the Tach=
monite,
head of the three, &Cc:
[| See
1 Chron:
J1: 11: 827: 2: t Hc<b,
ſlain.
x, Chron:
XXfITr.
way of caution ; to ſhew, That notwithſtanding the holineſs, and happineſs, and iarcacts of this Kingdom: yer there would be ſons of Belial in it, who would endcavour to diſturb, and overthrow it, but to no purpoſe ; for all their Projef&ts againit ir ſhould be vain and fall upon their own Heads.
7 But the man that ſhalltouck them, mutt be + fenced with iron, and || the ſtaff of a ſpear x, aud y they ſhall be utterly burnt with fire in the ſame place z.