Mercy and Truth ſhall not forſake thee. Or rather, 2. That Mercy and Truth which is Man's duty. So it is a Precept, which ſeems moſt probable both from the form of the Hebrew Phraſe, and from the following words of this Verſe, which are plainly preceptive,and from the promiſe annex'd to the performance of this precept in the next verſe. Mercy and Truth are frequently joined rogether as they are in God, as Pſal. 25: 10. & 57: 3, Oc. or in men, as Prov. 16.6. and 20; 28. Hof. 4: r. and here, Mercy notes all that benignity, cle- mency, charity, and readineſs to do good freely to others ; Truth or Faithfulneſs reſpects all thoſe Duties which we owe to God or man. to which we have ſpecial Obligation from the Rules of Juſtice. e like a Chain, wherewith perſons adorn their necks, as it is expreſ- ſed, Chap: 1: 9. which is faſtved there and not eaſily loſt, which alſo 1s continually in ones view. f Either, r.upon thoſe tablers which the Jews are ſaid to have worn upon their Breaſ's, which are always in ſight. So he alludes to Deut: 6: 8. Or, 2. in thy mind and heart, in which all Gods Commands are to be received and ingraven, as is oft required in this Book, and every where. So the Table ofthe heart ſeems to be oppoſed to the Tables of Stone in witich God's Law was Writfen, as it us Fer: 3»: 33- 2.Cor: 3. Je
*P(zl:11z: 4 * Ss ſhalt chou find favour g, and || good under-
"y ſtanding + in the ſight of God ;and man.
{ Or, gol »& 7 0. Obtain acceptance, or be gracious and amiable ro them.
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Pal: 37: "I
P ROY BRBAS.
|
Chap. 1
The ſerious practice df Religion is ah excellent mean to ger aſolid underſtanding of it: as on the contrary a vitious life doth exceeding- ly debaſe and darken the mind, and keep men from the knowledge of Truth, which not only Scripture,but evenHeathen Philoſcphers have oft obſerved. - Others render it good ſucceſs. Which ſeams not ro ſuit well with the following words, i Grace or fav'ur with God, and that under/targing which 1s. ood in Gol's ſight, 1. e. truely and really ; as atruely good Man is called good befcre God, in the He- brew, Ecleſ. 9, 26. : * RI LY 5 Truſt in the LORD & with all thine heart, and
lean not unto thine own underſtanding /.. . | k Wholly and ſecurely rely upon God's promiles and providence for help and rejief in-all thine affairs and dangers. ! Think nor to accomplith thy deſigns by the {trength of thine own Wit with- out God's Blefling. - Under this-: one kind; of carnal confidence, which is moſt frequent and moſt plauſible, he uaderſtands, and for- 7 bids all other contidences in bodily ſtrength, wealth, friends, & Ee 6 * Inall thy ways »z acknowledge hims, and he iChr: al ſhall dire& thy paths o. Ef an 3 Ss OM l m Deſigns and undertakings for the things of this life or of the N next» 3 Heb. know him, to wit, practically ; or, own him, his Wiſe dom in following his counſels, his power and goodneſs, in expe | cting ſuccels from him, his Soveraignity .in managing all thy Af. | fairs ſo as to pleaſe and glorific him. o Afſift and bleſs all thine en< j deavours, and keep thee fiom the paths of fin and deſtruction. ww 14 7 * Benot wiſe in thine own eyes p : fear the LORD — | q, and depart from evil. MS, oY i p Be not puffed up with vain conceit of thirle own Wiſdom, as | if that were ſufficient for the conduct of all thine affairs withour dis | rection or aſſiſtance from God, or - without the advice of others. i q This he aqds becauſe the reverence and dread of the Divine Ma= x jeſty will make a man, when he compareth himſelf with God, lit» h tle and vile in his own eyes. Revereace Gods Wiſdom, and thou i wilt deſpiſe thine own. | ET Wo 8 Icſhall be + health to thy navelr, and f marrow s FHeb:mai dicims, | to thy bones. - RE 15s +Heb: wa r i. e. To thy Body, which is ſignified by the Navel, which is Fo 1 il a noble and uſctul part of the Body by which theInfanr receives nous,,,,,oa;ae riſhment in the Womb,and which is the ligament or Bond by which | the Bowels, a principal part of the Body, are united together and preſerved, s Which is the nouriſhment and ſtrength of the bones, and a great preſzrver and prolonger of life, as the decay of it is a Chief cauſe of the weakneſs and dryneſs and decay of the Body. The ſenſe of the verſe is, This Wiſdom or fear of God is not only uſe= ful to the Salvation of the Soul, but alſo to the health and welfare of the Body, borh as it prevents thoſe Diſeaſes and Diſtempers which are oft procured by ſinful Juſts and Paſſions, and as it giveth us an Intereſt in all Gods promiſes, and putteth us under the care of his ipecial Providence. _ ,* 9 *Honour the LORD with thy ſubſtance s,and with *Exo. 231 the ficſt fruits u of all thine increaſe. 9;& 3 # Or, With thy Riches. Lay out thy Eſtate not only to pleaſe and D i advance thy ſelt or Family, bur alſo ro glorifie God ; whith is done "= I by the payment of all thole offerings and dues which God hath requi» Mal "Y red; by giving according to thy Abilities, whatſoever is neceflary © * 3:1 for the ſupportand advancement of God's Worſhip and ſervice in the Luk:hs: | World ; by free and liberal Contributions to thoſe whom God harh 13 made-his Deputies, and, as I-may ſay, the Receivers of his Rents, to wit, faithful Miniſters and good Chriftians, and all others who need and require thy help. The performance of theſe Duties is here called an honouring of Goa, partly becauſe that word is ſometimes uſed for giving of Gifts, as 1 Tim. 5. 17. and elſewhere; and partly be- cauſe it 15 a Teſtimony of our reſpects to God, of our obedience to him as our Sovereign Lord, and that in hard and coſtly Duties, of our thankfulneſs to him as our chief Benefactor and Donor of all that we have, and of our belief of his promiſes made to the faithful] Practiſers of this duty ; which if they were believed, the moſt co- verous Perſons would be the moſt charitable. » Or, with the chief or be, or frf, which anſwers to the firſt-fruits under the Law. 8
10 * So hall thy barns be filled with plenty x, and gO*®
thy preſſes ſhall burſt out x with new wine. |
x This is not the way to diminiſh thy Eſtate, as covetous and profane perſons alledge, but rather to increaſe it. y Shall be ſofil. ed, that rhey would burſt out if not carefully prevented.
11 * My ſon, deſpiſe not z the chaſtning of the