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§. 55. Of Gods being mindfull of man.
THat wherein God manifested his free grace and rich mercy to man, is expressed under these two words, mindfull, visit.
Both these words have reference to God: as is evident by this Apostrophe, Th•…•… art mindfull. The Psalmist begins the Psalm with an Apostrophe to God, thus; O Lord our Lord; and continueth the same to the end of the Psalm: •…•…o as he must needs here be taken in this verse to direct his speech unto God. This Apostrophe doth also amplifie the grace here intended, namely, that so great an one as the Lord should be so gracious unto so mean a man, as is here described.
Both the a 1.1 Hebrew and the b 1.2 Greek word translated mindfull, do signifie to re∣member. The Hebrew word is so translated, Psal. 9. 12. He remembreth them: and the Greek word, Luk. 1. 72. to remember his holy Covenant.
To remember importeth two things:
- 1. To hold fast what is once known.
- 2. To call to minde what is forgotten▪ Of these two acts of memory See Chap. 13. §. 12. 24.
This act of remembring is applied not to man only, but to God also.
To God it is most properly applied in the former signification. For God ever fast holds in memory, and never forgets what he once knowes: known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world, Acts 15. 18.
Yea, also in the latter signification, that act of remembring is attributed unto God; as where it is said, Did not the Lord remember them? and came it not into his minde? Jer. 44. 21. The latter phrase sheweth that the act of remembring attribu∣ted to God in the former clause, is meant of calling to minde what was formerly known. Iob oft calleth on God to c 1.3 remember him in this sense, Iob 7. 7. & 10. 9. & 14. 13. In this respect God is said to have d 1.4 Remembrancers, Isa. 62. 6. to whom he thus saith, Put me in remembrance, Isa. 43. 26. and to this end, he is said to have e 1.5 a book of remembrance, Mal. 3. 17. But surely these things cannot properly be spoken of God: they are to be taken tropically, by way of resemblance, after the manner of man.
There is also a third act that is comprised under this word, to remember: which is, seriously to think on, and consider such and such a person or case. Thus is the fore∣said Hebrew word translated, Neh. 5. 19. Think upon me my God: So Gen. 40. 14. Think on me.
To apply all to the point in hand, God never forgat the man here spoken of▪ but still held him in minde and memory: and though by extremity of misery and long lying therein, God might seem to have forgotten him (as the Church com∣plaineth, Lam. 5. 20.) yet by affording seasonable succour, God shewed that he ever held him in memory, oft thought on him, and in his greatest need in speciall man∣ner called him to minde: thus was God every way mindfull of him: Behold how this mindfullnesse of God is set out to the life, Isa. 49. 15, 16. It is not mans low estate that makes God unmindfull of him, Psal. 136. 23. & 116. 6. This is a ground of com∣fort and confidence in our mean estate, Psal. 79. 8.