a See on Pſal. 96. 10. b The Gentile Nations, as this word be- ing uſed, 7a. 42-4. is expounded, Mat.'12. 21 even thoſe which are moſt remote from Judza, ( then the only ſcat of God's people and worſhip ) from which they were divided by the Sea, or to which they uſually went by Sea : ſuch places being commonly cal- led 1/tes in Scripture, as Gen. 10. 5. Ta, 11, 11. and 66. 19. Which being mentioned, becauſe there might be ſome doubt about them, It is ſufficiently implyed,. that thote Countries which were nearer to them ſhould unqueſtionably partake of the ſame priviledge. *pſ89.14 2 Cloudsand darkneſs are round about him c: *righte- JOr, E/a- ouſnels & judgment d are the ||habitation e of his throne. biiſhment, © A dark Cloud doth encompaſs him. W herein he ſeems to al- "or, place. Jude to that datk Cloud in which God did Anciently ſo often ma-
_ _nifeſt his preſence for the comfort of his Sain's, and for the terror _ and puniſhment ofevil-doers. the deſign of theſe words is to de- ſcribe either 1. the depth and unſearctableneſs of Gods Judgments. Or, 2. the obſcurity ot Chriſts coming, that the Divine Majelty did vail himſeif with tleſh, and came not with that outward ſplendour which the Jews expe&ed. Or rather 3. the rerror of his preſence and coming to his Enemies, of which he mazifeſtly ſpeaks in the following Verlſes.; and of which the Prophets frequently ſpeak when they make mention ofhis coming , as Joel 2. 31, 32+ Mal. 4. 7. 41.e. Righteous Judgment, or Righteouſneſs in Judgment. e Or, the foundation or eſtabliſhment ; for the throne is eſtabliſhed ( and the Hebrew Verb there is the ſame from v hence this word here comes ) by righteouſneſs, Prov. 16, 12. All his decrees and Admini- {trations are grounded upon and managed with Righteouſneſs.
:. A fire goeth before him, and burned up his ene- mies round about f.
f This fire, and Lightning and Earthquake, and the ſad effeQs of them mentioned here, and wv 4, 5+ſignifie thoſe dreadful Judgments of God, which ſhould be inflicted upon the Jews and others fo, their refuſal and contempc of the Melsias ; which was foretold in ; the 1 pare and ant i0n teRe in the New Teſtament.
PRE 1s 11ghrnings enlightned the world pg: the earth "x "PP77-48 Cw and trembled. | 4 £288 £ This Phraſe ſignifies not ſo much illumination as Terror and Judgments, as appears both from the following words, and from the conſtant ule of the phraſe in that tenſe, as Pſal: 18, 14, and 144. 6, Gre ;
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tHeb. ma-« or great A/7es.
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3 - Fpeaks of the worſhip cf the New Teſtament under the expreſſions |
' LORD:ar the preſence of theLORD of the wholeearth z, Nab. i, 5:
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5 * The hills þ melted like wax at the preſenceof the *Mic. 9+
b The ſtrongcſt and loftieſt parts of the Earth, Whereby he may underſtand the great Potentats of the World, who ſet them- ſelves againſt the Metsias. 4 Whoſe Dominion ſhall not then be conilined in Canaan, as now iN a Manner It 15, bur ſhall be enlarged ove: the whole Earth. 6 * The heavens k declare his righteouſneſs : and all *PC.rg. x. the people ſee his glory /. 50. 6 k Either 1. the Thurnders and Lightniags and Tempeſts ſent from Heaven to plead his righteous caule againſt his enemies. Or 2. the Angels, yea God himſelf from Heaven, who gave manifeſt Teſti- mony to the Righteouſneſs of the Meſsias. ! Both Jews and Gen- tiles ſhall ſee and feel the glorious effeAs of his coming. 7 * Confounded bers all they that ferve graven ima- *Ex.20.,, ges: that boaſt themfelves of idols : * worſhip him all Lev-26: r. - "peak | Deur 5.4, Ler them be aſhamed of their former folly herein, and be © "_ thereby brought to deteſt and forſake them, and thoſe who will obſtinatly periift in thir impiety and Idolatry, let them be brought to. confuſion. Or, -They ſhall be confounded 3 for this may be a pre- diction, and nor an Tr:precation. » All you whom the Gentiles have made the ObjeRs of their Worſhip, and who are capable of giving him Worſhip; which two Qualifications agree principally, it nor ſolely, to the Angels of God, whem the Heathens man: teſtly worſhiped in their images as an inferiour ſort of gods, of whom therefore this Text is expounded, Heb. 1. 6. 8 Lion o heard p. and was glad, and the daughters of Judah q rejoiced ; becauſe of thy judgments, O LORD, |
o Thy people dwelling in Zion, or Jeruſalem and Judah, to whom Chriſt came, and among whom the Goſpel was firſt preached Or, thy Church and people who both in the prophetical Writings are oft called Zion. p The fame of thy Judgments, as the following words declare ; the ruin of Idolatry, and the ſetting up the King- dom of the Meſsias in the World 9 Particular Churches, or rather perions memb-rs of Z/oz. r Not that they took pleaſure in the ru- in of others, but becauſe that made way tor the Advancement of Gods glory and Chritts Kingdom in the World.
9 For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth : thou art exalted far above all gods s.
s As thou always wert ſoin truth, ſo thou haſt now proved and declared thy ſelf to be ſuch in the Eyes of the whole World, by ſubduing them under thy feet.
Io Ye that iove the LORD 7, * hate evil «: he pre. Pf: 34-14. ſerveth the ſouls of his ſaints, he deiivered them our 35-'5* of the hands of the wicked x. tt
t O all you wholove and worſhip the true God and his anointed, and rejoicc in the eſtabliſhment of his Kingdom. « Shew your : Love to him by your ayhorrency of all IdolJatry, which is ſome- times called evil or fn by way of Eminency, and of all other wic- kedneſs. x And although you that love the Lord Chriſt and his Kingdom will meet with many troubles and perſecutions, yet be not diſcouraged, for he will preſerve you in troubles, and in his time deliver you out of them all.
11 * Light is fown z10r the righteous, and gladnels xpp,,,. for the upright in heart. bs
#. e. Joy and felicity, as this word is uſed Efh.8. 16. Pſal. 112.
4. and oft elſewhere. z Is prepared or laid up for them, and ſhall in due time be reaped by them, poſsibly in this life, but undoub- tedly in the next. And therefore bear you afftlittions for Chriſt with patience and' cheerfulneſs.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous : and give chanks || at che remembrance of his hoiineſs 4.