A brief commentary upon the CIII Psalme with the severall axiomes or doctrines therein conteined [sic], and uses thereupon inferred.

1 Doctrine. The heaven is high above the earth.

• 1 The heaven.]* 1.1 There are 3 heavens 1 The lowest, the aire, wherein the fowle•• fly, and from whence the rain &c. descend, Mar. 4.4. Jam. 5.18. 2 The middlemost, wherein the sunne, moone, and starres are placed, Gen. 1.14, 15, 17. Mar. 13.25. 3 The highest of all, or the heaven of the blessed, Mat. 7.21. & 18.10. This num∣ber is gathered from the Apostles words 2 Cor. 12.2. where he sayth he was caught up into the third heaven: which was the highest, as appeares by the context. And this also is meant in this place, as fittest for Davids scope; though even this also comes infinitely short of that which it is here brought to illustrate.
• 2 The earth.] The earth here by a Synecd. memb. signifies the whole globe consisting of earth and water; as it is often taken in Scri∣pture, yea indeed alwaies, where the frame of the world is divided into heaven and earth, except onely where mention is made

• of the first act of creation: for there by the heaven is to be understood the highest hea∣ven with the Angels the inhabitants thereof; and by the earth the chaos, out of which all other things were formed in their severall de∣grees.* 1.2

For the height of the heaven above the earth see Prov. 25.3. And how high even the 2^d heaven is, may hereby be gathered, in that the starres (whereof those of the first magnitude are sayd to be every one above 107. times as big again as the whole earth) do yet seem to us but as so many small sparks or spangles. But how high the 3^d heaven is above them, can not be conjectured, Ephes. 4.10.

The Reason hereof is from the will and power of the Creatour.* 1.3

Uses.

For our instruction,* 1.4 see here 1 The im∣mensity of God, Job 11.7, 8, 9. Isa. 66.1. Yea whereas the distance of the opposite parts of heaven, is double to the distance of either of them from the center of the earth, yet God fills the whole, Jer. 23.24. Yea it cannot contein Him, 1 King. 8.27. Yea it is but a spanne with Him, Isa. 40.12. & 48.13. Although therefore God be other∣wise in heaven then in earth, otherwise in the

Temple then in private houses, otherwise with the saints then with the wicked: yet He is alwaies every where present; within all things, though no where inclu∣ded, without all things, though no where ex∣cluded.

2 Behold the great condescension of God, Who though He dwells in the highest hea∣vens, yet vouchsafes to take care of earthly things, (it is Davids observation Psal. 113.4, 5, 6.) numbring the haires of His chil∣dren, ordering the flying of every sparrow &c. Mat. 10.29, 30. But especially Our Saviours abasing Himself, in coming down out of the bosome of His Father, from the height of heavenly glory to the earth, and there living above 30 yeares in the forme of a servant, subject to many inconveniences and injuries, and at last being obedient to the death of the crosse, and lying three daies in the heart of the earth, and all this for our sakes, who had very ill deserved it at His hands.

Againe,* 1.5 if the heaven (Gods dwelling place) be so high above the earth, how mad are they that fight against God! For 1 Gods nature admits not that he can suffer any hurt. 2 Suppose He could, yet He is Omnipotent, and so able to repell it. 3 Grant He were

not, yet we know the higher ground is great advantage in fight. It was that the Jebusites were so confident in 2 Sam. 5.6. See Job 35.5, 6. Psal. 2.1, 2, 3, 4.

This should also exhort us to humility and reverence before God.* 1.6 Solomon gives this reason for it in prayer, Eccles. 5.2. And there is the same reason in all other things.

It should also dehort us from the immo∣derate love of this world.* 1.7

Motiv. True felicity is in heaven, Psal. 16.11. Luke 12.33. In a word, there Christ is, Acts 3.21. Heb. 7.26. Coloss. 3.1. Look therefore how great the distance is between heaven and earth, so farre are we distant from true and perfect felicity, and ab∣sent from Christ our hope & our life, whilest we are at home in the body, creeping as wormes upon the ground. Let us not there∣fore say of this world, as S. Peter of the mount in another respect, It is good to be here: but let us so live, whilest we are here, that we may be admitted into heaven after this life; that is, let us doe the will of our Father, Which is in heaven, and then with the Apostle (2 Cor. 5.8.) desire ra∣ther to be absent from the body, and pre∣sent with the Lord.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Expl.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Instr.
• * 1.5

  Repr.
• * 1.6

  Exhort.
• * 1.7

  Dehort.