JEither, x. The Godly. Or rather, 2, Thoſe wicked ones: whoſe words and aftions he hath been hitherto deſcribing, or the People Confederate with them. For theſe and ſuch like opinions are oft aſcribed to the wicked in Scripture, bur never, as far as I know, to any good Man- And Job, though he uſed many intem- perate Speeches, and though ſome ſuch Expreſſions as this were charged upon him by his Friends, as Job 22. 13. yet he utterly ditowned them. z Seing theſe curſed and impudent Blaſphemers of God, and enemies of all Goodneſs are crowned with to many Bleſſings, how Is it credible, that there is a God who ſees and orders the Afffairs of this lower World ? For if God did know theſe things, certainly he neither could nor would ſuffer them to be thus managed,
12 Behold theſe are the ungodly a, who proſper in the world, they encreaſe is riches.
# This is theit Condition and Carriage in it» Theſe ſeem to be the Words ofthe Pſalmiſt, ſumming up the Matter, and preparing his paſſage tothe other part of the Pſalm.
13 * Verily I have cleanſed my heart in vain b, and * waſhed my hands in innocency c.
1 Hence I was ſometimes tempted, to think that Religion was a vain and unprofitable thing,at leaſt as to the happineſs of this Life, 3 5- 3s which yet God had promited as a reward to Piety. True Religion is here ficly and fully deſcribed by its two principal parts and works the cleanſing ofthe Heart from ſinful Luſts and Paſſions, and of the hands, or outward Man from a Courſe of ſinful Afftions. And although it be God's work to cleanſe the Heart. yet he ſaith ; I have cleanſed it, becauſe every good Man doth Co-operate with {God's Grace in c—_— its Compare 2 Cor. 6- 1. and 7. 1: Ci-e, Kepr my hands ( the great Inſtruments of Aion, and conſequent= ly the reſt of the Members of my Body ) innocent and pure from evil Praftiſes. I have waſhed my. Hands, not only Ceremonially with water, wherewith Hypocrites farisfie themſelves, but alſo Morally, or with the Waters of God's Grace and Spirit, Innocen- cy or Purity.
14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and + Heb.w
T chaſtened every morning d. Chaſtiſe-
ad Whilſt their ungodlineſs hath been attended with conftant 779% Was proſperity, my pity hath been exerciſed with continual AMiCti- ons-
5 If I fay,l will ſpeak thus e, behold, I ſhould of- fend againf the generation of thy children f.
e I will give Sentence for the ungodly in this manner. f By grieving and diſcouraging and Condemning them,and by tempting them to revolt from God, and Godlineſs. But becauſe the Hebrew | Verb, Bagad, in this Sence is always, ſo far asT have obſerved, | conſtrued with the Prepoſition, Beth, which is not here; and, is
conſtantly put before that Prepoſition and Word which it governs, and nor after, as here it is, I rather joyn with them, who render the place thus ; which is more agreeable to the Words and Order of the Text, Behold the Generation of thy Children, ( or, Behold theſe are . the Generation of thy Children, as appears by thy facherly Care of, and indulgence and kindneſs to them, whilſt thou doſt at preſent ſeem to treat them like Baſtards who are more truly called thy Children, dealing roughly and ſeverely with them: ) 7 hal ( or rather, fbould to wit, in ſpeaking ſo ) Tranſzreſs or Prevaricate, ſpeak againſt the Truth, and againſt my own Conſcience, which afſureth me that theſe are the haters of God, and hated and Curſed by him-
16 When I thoughtto know this g, + it wascoo pain-
i ful for me þ.
£ To find out theReaſon of this Myſterious Courſe of thy Pro- vidence- g I was gravel'd with the Difficulty.
17 Until I went into the ſanctuary of God 3, ther underſtood I their end &.
; TillI conſulted with the Oracle, or Word of God, He alludes to the Praiſe of thoſe times, which was, in dark and difficult Caſes to reſort to (God's Santtuary, and the Oracle in it for ati-factions k There I learned that their proſperity was ſhort, and wou! quick- ly have an End, and that a moſt diimal and terrible one ; that their fair Morn would be foilowed with a black and dreadful E- vening, and an everiaſting Night.
15 Surely * thou didit fer them in ſlippery places / ; pr, 45.6 thou caſteſt them down into deſtruction ms,
/ Their Happineſs hath no firm Foundation ; it was very un« : ſtable, like a mans ſtanding in very ſlippery ground. m The ſame | hand which raiſed them, will caſt them down into the Pit of utter : DeſtruCtion, _
19 How are they brought into deſolation, as in a mo- ment »? they are utterly conſumed with terrors .
» Their fall is wonderful both for its ſoreneſs, and for its ſud- denneſs- e Either, with the Horrors of their own Minds: Or wooong with God'S dreadful Judgmeats unexpetedly ſeizing upon them,
20 * As a dream when one awaketh p, ſo, OLORD, ,- : F when thou * awakeſt q thouſhalc deſpiſe r their image s. —_
p Their Happineis is ike thatin a*Dream, wherein a man ſcems "7" to be highly pleaſed and Tranſported with Raviſhing Delights, bur when he awakes he finds himlelf deceived and unliatisfied. 9 * e. Stirreſt up thy ſelfto puniſh them. Or rather, when they ſhall awake out of the pleaſant Dream of this vain ſinful Life, by Death, and the Tormenrs following it. ' For this ſeems to agree beſt with the Metaphor here before mentioned, And-the Hebrew words being only theſe, in awaking, may be applied ; Either to God, or to them, as the Context dire&s. » Not ſo much Really, for fg God ever did deſpiſe it, in the height Sg all rheir Glory, but de. *
£ 4 & 2 SETS
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f Heb. i was labour in mincE
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hee.
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glory. Gr.
+ Heb. Rock.
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claratively, things being ofr ſaid to be done: 1n Scripture when they appear, orare manifeſted; as hath been moregthan once noted. Thou thalt pour Contempt upon them ; retake” them deſpicable both to themſelves and to all others ; and raiſe them 70 Shame, and everlafing Contempt, as is ſaid, Dan. I2, 2, 5 i. e All their Felicity and Glory, which as indeed it ever was, ſo now it ſhall be Evi- dently diſcerned to be, no Real or Subſtantial and ſolid thing, bur a meer image or ſhadow, or vain ſhew, which can neither abide with them, nor yeild ſatisfaftion to them. See Pſal. 39. 6. A4#s 25. 23, where what 1s rendred, Pomp in the Greek fignifiesa rweer Eaucy or Imagination: I- Cor, 7. 3I. |
21 Thus: my heart was grieved, andT was pricked
In My reins «.