k The ſym is, he ſhall not thrive, nor proſper, but be like the Heath, by which is meant ſome barren Shrub or Tree, about which tae various gueſſes of Interpreters (which the Reader that is curi- Qus may find in the En21iſh Annotations) are but incertainties, and this planted in the Wilderneſs too which isa barren ſoil, which Tree or Plant 1s never the better for all the moiſture that comes trom Heaven, nor for all the Beams of the Sun but ſtands in a dry {alt piace, not inhabited by People. The Scope is to let us know, that ſinners who depart from God, and do not placetheir confi- dence in him in times of danger, but truſt in Creatures aids.and aſliſtances, ſhall miſs oſthoſe very good things which they might "ave had if they had expected them trom him,from whom alone thy could have been obtained, |
7 * Bleſſed is the man that truſteth in the LORD, *pg1.z.:
and whoſe hope the LORD is /. 7 34+ 10. » ! Truiting in the Lord neceffarily implicth alſo a walking cloſe W227, 2. ,
with him, and nor in heart departing from him; for it is naturally Prov. 16.
1mpoſi:b/e, that any ſhould repoſe a confidence in another tor any 29+
good things, which that other hath promiſed under any condition, 114.30. 18.
without ſome ſatisfaftion in himſelf, that he hath in ſome mea-
| [ure fulfilled the condition upon which the promiſe is made. But
{chat Man that truly truſtethand hopeth in the Lord is, and ſhall
be a blefſed Man.
3 For he ſhall beas a * tree planted by the wa- *pob s.16. ters, aad that ſpreadeth out her roots by the river, Plal. 1. 5: (and ſhall not ſee when heat cometh. but her leaf ſhall | be greep, and ſhall not be careful in the year
\ wd%, . of & of | drought, neither ſhall ceaſe from yielding jj Or, re- fruit m. ſtraint.
m The ſum 1s, he ſhall be proſperous and fucceſsful it his Coun- fels, and Undertakings; like a Tree plant2d by the fiJe of a Ris ver, which is not affeted with drought, but in a time when the leaves of Trees ſtanding in dry mountainous places parch and w1- cher, 1ts Jeaves ho!d their greennels, and its colour is not a'tered by drought, neither doth it ceaſe trom yielding fruic, bur bringeth forth much Fruit when other Trees are wholly unfruittul.
9 4 The heart is deceitful above all things, and deſperately wicked z, who can know it ?
n The words tranſlated deceitful, and deſperately wicked, are very varioufly Tranſlated, fraudulent, perverſe, ſupplanting, he (peaks tothe Fews, that they might not lean too much to their own Counſels, Fancies or Underſtandings ; but it is a propofition true concerning the Hearts of a!l the Sons and Dweghters of Men ; there is nothing lo talle and deceitful as the Heart of Man ; deceit- ful in its apprehenſions of thizgs, in the hopes and promiſes which 1: nouriſheth, in the aſſurances that it gives us, ©. unſearchable by others, deceitful with reference to Our lelves, and abominably wicked, fo that neither can a Man know his own Heart, neither can any other know our Hearts, |
10 I the LORD * ſearch the heart, I try the reins, * 1592 even to give every man accordingto his ways, and kt ene ; accordlng to the truit of his dvingso, 28. .
o Leſt thete Hypoctites ſhould prerend that their Hearts were Plal. 7.9. not departed from Go, or ſould fay who then can judze us if Ch.1r. 2: none Knoweti the Heart? Saith God,though no Creature knoweth &= a $2 the heart of another fellow Creature.yer | know the Hearts of al! Raw oY
7
Creatures, I {earch tae lecret Thoughts,and Counlcls and Deſgns , *
ld þt bod
Chap. % VII.
j| Or, 94 pvereth young, which ſhz hath not brought
forth.
P1al. »r 233
Pal. 7 3- 27.
Ita. I. 28. * Chap.
a» I3.
F Heb
2/ter thee,
of all my Creatures, for I will judge them accordiag to their Thoughts and the ſecret Motions and Affections of their Souls,
according to all their ways, and che fruit of their doings. You;
cannot therefore mock me,and tell me your heartSare nor depart- ed from me. ; ©
11 A the partridze || ſitteth on eggs, and hatchetn them not p : ſo he that getteth riches, and not by right, * ſhall leave them ia the midlt of his days 2, and at his end be a fool 7. :
p It is no wonder if we cannot be certain as to the ſence ofthele words ſo far as they concern natural Hiſtory, when we are not certain what Bird it is to which they relate z we trarflate the word Partridge. O:hers will have it the Cuckow 3 but certain It 15, that it is the time word which we tranſlate Partridge, 1 Sam. 26. 20, and Cuckows ule not to be much hunted after. How the Partridge is ſaid to fit on Eggs and hatch them nor, 1s yet a greater
queſtion. It may be occaſioned fo many ways, viz. eirher fitting |
upon Wind-ezgr, or being killed before the Eggs are hatched, or having its Eggs deſtrozzd by the Male Partridge, or by ſome Dog, or other Vermine, or its Neſt being found having her Eggs taken from her, that it is hard to determine which the Prophet means 3 of all other I leſt approve of that which Hierome makes the ſence, chough the thing be true, (if we may believe Caſſiodorus, and te- veral natural Hiſtorians, Aldrovand:s, &c-) That Partridges have ſach a love and defireto hatch young ones, that having loſt their own Eggs, they will ſteal the Ezgs of other Partridges and hatch them, which Birds being hatched, the young ones knowing the cry of their proper Dams, hearing them ca}, leave the Pariidge that hatched them; (which is one thing quoted by Aldrovandus ro ſh-w the ſagacity of that Bird) but if this were the ſence the words would be, as the Partridge ſitteth on Eggs, and harcheth them, but injoyeth them not, whereas they are, hatcheth them nor ; that is, having loſt them either by ſome Man that hath taken them from her, or by ſome V-rmine or wild Beaſt- 7 So he that perteth an Eſtate by oppreſſion, or any conzenage or unrigh- reous Attions,ſhall lole it again before he cometh to d1e,and when he comes to die, ſhall underſtand what a Fool he was to cake 1o much pains to no more purpoſe. TE
12 4 Asglorious high throne from the beginning,
z the place of our ſancuary /.