A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

PSAL. LXXVIII.

OF the title Maskil of Asaph, it hath been often spoken, only here saith Jerome some copies have the Prophet Esay for Asaph, by the errour of the Scribe that copyed it out. For the Psalm:

Give eare O my people to my law. Here the Lord is brought in speaking, to make all men to attend the more; and by Matthews applying it to Christ, Chap. 13. 35. it appears, that he is the Lord meant in that place: So like∣wise Ierome, the Lord Christ speaketh, vers. 1, 2. Then ver. 3. the Apostles. * 1.1 But Calvin denyeth the Lord to be here brought in speaking, affirming that the Prophet who wrote the Psalme saith thus, as was common with Prophets to doe, to speak as if the Lord spake, because of his Spirit speaking by them. This indeed is true, but that it holdeth not here, appears by Matthews ap∣plication,

which is above all conjectures of men. And how could any Prophet say, My People and my Law, as it is here spoken? It is Christ then, who is brought in speaking in this place, and his Law of faith, to which he bid∣deth * 1.2 us give eare. And he calleth that, which he was about to say Parables, sayings hard to be understood, and sayings which were dark, and not so well understood in former Ages; this task being reserved for Christ, to open the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven, viz. Of his Incarnation, Passi∣on, Resurrection, Ascention, coming again to Judgment, and forgiveness of sinnes, and deliverance from Hell and Death by his Death.

Which we have heard and known, and our Fathers have told us. These are * 1.3 the words of the Apostles, who conversing dayly with Christ, and hearing him, and reading the Prophets, that tell in their Writings the things fol∣lowing, especially Moses, shewed them to others, their Disciples, and they to another Generation. For the setting forth of the Prophets by the name of Fathers, see Act. 13. 25.

For he established a Law in Jaacob. Here to shew the difference betwixt * 1.4 the new Covenant and the old, it is first shewed, as Jer. 31. 31. that their Fathers in those times, even almost whole Generations, brake Gods * 1.5 Lawes, being stubborn and rebellious; but their Children, the true Israel∣ites under the Gospell, should not do so. And the rebellion of Israel is amplyfied further, under the name of Ephraim, of which Tribe Jeroboam was, Verse 9. The Children of Ephraim being armed and carrying Bowes, * 1.6 turned backward in the day of Battell. Which is spoken, in alluding to the re∣volt of the ten Tribes from Davids house in Rehoboams time; and figu∣ratively of Hereticks, who being of the Church of Christ, which is one Kingdome, Apostatize, and so make a division, dividing themselves from the truth, and so from his Kingdome: that without recanting, they shall never be made partakers thereof. It is thought also by some, because they are said, when they carryed Bowes, to have turned their backs; that this is spoken according to the History, 1 Chron. 7. 21. 22. or 2 King. 17. Whereof mention is made again, Hosea. 10. 6, 7, 8. &c. Which indeed was the Judgment upon them pointed at for their foule Idolatry, in which regard they are said to have broken Gods Covenant, Verse 10. And not to have remembred what he had done for them. * 1.7

Having touched upon the wondrous things that God had done for them; here he falleth to an Enumeration of them, beginning with those in Aegypt, which he first speaketh of only in generall; then having inserted * 1.8 the wonders done after these upon the Sea, and the Rock flowing with wa∣ter, the Cloud and Pillar of fire, his feeding them with Manna, and Quailes, and their often sinning, and his punishing them; he returneth a∣gain to the wonders done in Aegypt, from Verse 43. to Verse 52. In the next place he recounts what he had done for them in the Land of Canaan; plant∣ing them in, and casting the Cananites out, Verse 54, 55. But they being * 1.9 so graciously dealt with, committed Idolatry, as is shewed many times in the Book of Judges, and were plagued therfore by being given into the * 1.10 hands of their Enemies, but calling upon God they were delivered, and their Enemies, especially the Philistims, were destroyed in Samuels time: * 1.11 and getting strength again in Sauls time, God raised up David, and by him confounded them, and provided well for the welfare of his people; pla∣cing them as Sheep with such a Shepheard, who is commended for his ex∣ceeding great care in guiding and feeding them.

All which being historicall, and I have written upon all the Histories all∣ready, upon the Pentateuch, and the rest of the historicall Books, I spare therefore to writ again more upon the same things; only the Reader shall understand, that because we are in this Psalme prepared to heare Para∣bles and darke things, Jerome setteth forth things concerning the Gospell, darkly figured out in these Histories, and Augustine likewise.

By Aegypt, this World being understood, the state of corruption, out of which to deliver us, great wonders were wrought by Christ, he, the Son of * 1.12 God did many miracles, and finally gave his life as a ransome for our soules, and arose again, and ascended up into Heaven. * 1.13

He caused them to passe through the Sea. When through Baptisme into the * 1.14 State of salvation, 1 Cor. 10. 1. Which was also set forth by the Cloud, Verse 14. For it is said, They were all baptized in the Sea and in the Cloud. * 1.15 He led them in the night by a Pillar of fire. That is, His spirit, oft compared to fire, and hereby set forth, Act. 2. and promised to lead into all truth, * 1.16 and that by meanes of the word preached, which is a Light, Verse 15. He clave the Rock and gave them waters. This Rock was Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 1. 2. * 1.17 Who stood and cryed, if any man thirst, let him come and drink, and the wa∣ter that I shall give, shall be Rivers of water, &c.

They tempted God by asking meat for their lust. The Pharisees tempted * 1.18 Christ and asked a signe, after wonderfull signes of his power shewed; but he answered, no signe shall be given, but that of Jonah, as he was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly, &c. * 1.19

Though he had commanded the Clouds above, and opened the doors of Heaven, and rained down Manna. This was done, when he taught him∣selfe * 1.20 to be the bread which came down from Heaven: For when Manna was rained down, for all that would gather it; but they remained still incredulous, therefore he gave them the signe of his rising from the Dead: so he sent an East winde, and rained fowles, and they ate their fill; but whilst the meat was in their mouthes, his wrath brake out against them. * 1.21 Whilst they were talking of his rising again, seeking how to blindfold mens eyes that they might not know it, most heavy Judgments seazed upon them from time to time; as may be seen in my Continuation of the sacred Histo∣ry, till Jerusalems destruction.

For all this they sinned still. Having suffered by the Plague at Kibrath Hattaannah, Num. 11. 33. So the Jewes after Christs Resurrection conti∣nued * 1.22 still to sin by infidelity, and persecuting Christ, and were diversly con∣sumed, and spent their dayes in vanity, looking in vain for another Messiah: which was when they were scattered, despised, and destroyed in other Countries. Verse 34. When he slew them they sought him, but with a dissem∣bling heart. Which according to the history was verified in the time of Jud∣ges, * 1.23 then they were spared, and not wholy destroyed, according to the mystery: when they, lamenting after the Messiah to come, weep and pray to God, being yet nothing reformed from their inveterate infidelity, finde this pity yet, that they are not all destroyed; but the Nation still continueth * 1.24 in many parts of the World, in great numbers. Verse 42. They remembred not his hand in the day that he delivered them, but forgat how he had wrought his signes in Aegypt. Then he reckoneth up the signes, 1. Turning their wa∣ters into blood, setting forth the teachings of Philosophers, discovered to be * 1.25 corrupt, that men cannot now drink thereof; but the Fishes that do, that is, They who still are addicted to them against the preaching of the Faith, do all dye. 2. Flies, setting forth the Sect of the Cynicks, a sort of Phi∣losophers teaching, that men might live as Dogs, or other Beasts, doing * 1.26 what naturally they incline unto; but hereby they are devoured who are drawn by them. 3. Frogs, that is, Poets, by croaking with their Verses, setting forth things tending to the teaching of many Gods, and some most vicious, to the corrupting of the Readers. 4. Catterpillers, setting forth Fornication, which eateth up the Fruit, although no such danger seemeth by the still coming on thereof to be feared. 5. Locusts, setting forth dis∣sentions, because the Locusts are without a King. 6. Haile, setting forth Gods Judgments to terrifie sinners. 7. Evill Angels, that is, Devils posses∣sing and tormenting many, and being cast out, entring into their Swine. 8. He slew their first born, that is, Principalities and Powers before ruling

over them. Thus Jerome, but nothing satisfying: Augustine judgeth Rivers * 1.27 to be turned into blood, when the causes of things are carnally thought of, the Frogs most loquacious vanity, aerugo or mildew, put for Caterpillers, that which secretly hurteth; the Locusts, malice hurting by false witnesse, Haile, rapine, and robbery, &c. And he noteth that three Plagues of Aegypt are here omitted, Lice, Soares, and Darknesse, and other three not men∣tioned there, are inserted, Mildew, Hoare Frost, and Fire. And from hence he gathereth something mysticall to have been meant: But neither is this of Augustine satisfactory, because the evils which he speaketh of, come not from God, but mans own corruption, and indeed he leaveth every one to his own liberty, what to anderstand hereby; only pressing this, that other things are hereby darkly set forth. Ainsworth, who is also for Christ brought * 1.28 in speaking, Verse 1. and for things under the Gospell meant, though dark∣ly set forth, will have the Rivers turned into blood, the third Viall power∣ed * 1.29 out upon the Throne of the Beast, called spirituall Aegypt meant; for then also the Rivers are said to be turned into blood: By the Frogs, those * 1.30 unclean Frogs, which go out to gather the Kings of the Earth to Battell: By the Locusts, the Locusts spoken of, Revel. 9: 3. 4. By the Haile, the Haile of a Talent weight, Revel. 16. 21. And the evill Angels he expoundeth, Angels of evill; That is, Moses and Aaron, who brought evill tidings to Aegypt of Plagues, which also followed. But this last of his I subscribe not to, for the words are evill Angels; intimating, that although it be not expres∣sed in the History, yet by the ministry of evil Angels or Devils, God brought those Judgments. For the Devill brought down fire upon Jobs Cattell, and a feirce winde upon his Sons house, and a Bile upon his Body. Calvin contends, that good Angels may be meant as well as evill; because sometimes they have in executing Judgments been imployed, as in killing the first born in Aegypt, and 185000. in Sanneheribs Hoast; saying, That they might be cal∣led evill Angels, for the evils in Aegypt done by them: But what need is there of fleeing to this shift? when the words are plain, evils Angels, and not Angels of evill; yet for the mystery of these Plagues, neither Calvin nor Basil, nor others say any thing; and for those that have hitherto said, neither Jerome nor Augustine do herein speake probably, because under wonders, other wonders wrought by a divine power must be meant, which Christ wrought for the confounding of spirituall Enemies to Christians, who are true Israelites, and for their redemption from spirituall servitude, whereunto the mysteries found out by them do nothing appertain; and the things figured out by them, must be things done before in order to redemp∣tion, not after, as Ainsworth understands it. I conceive therefore, that the things darkly set forth hereby, were the wonders done by Christ, to con∣found the wicked Jewes, and to work faith in the Elect amongst them, that they might be saved from sin and infidelity, in which the Pharisees sought to hold them. For as Moses came with miracles to deliver out of Aegypt and Bondage, so Christ from spirituall bondage; and as Moses was opposed by Magitians, so Christ by Scribes and Pharisees: therefore he wrought miracles also for conviction: Only herein was the difference, Moses wrought won∣ders destructive, Christ wonders preservative: he turned water into blood, Christ water into wine, he brought Flies and Frogs, and Locusts, and Catter∣pillers, destroying the fruits of the Earth, and annoying it: Christ in∣creased a little of these Fruits, five Loaves and a few Fishes by blessing them, so that he herewith fed five thousand men: He smot both men and Cat∣tell with Haile, and thunder and lightning, that they dyed, Christ made some alive that were dead, and saved from Death the diseased and sick; he was an instrument to bring all manner of wrath and evill Angels amongst them: Christ cast out Devils, and did all manner of good, giving sight to the blinde, hearing to the deafe, speech to the dumb, limbs to the lame, and cleansing to th leaper, and when the Sea was tempestuous, appeasing it: He

slew their first born, thus causing an horribble cry in all the land of Aegypt. Christ saveth all the first borne, or by saving makes them so: for thus they are called, Heb. 12. 23. & to the same Effect it is spoken, Revel. 1. 6. seeing the first born were Gods Preists in every family, and so their ioy is unspeake∣able, making them to sing even at midnight. Whereas some judgments, as of * 1.31 the Lice, and Darknesse, and Biles, are omitted here, it was because Light was before spoken of, which is opposite to Darknesse, and Lice and Biles, and Murraine amongst Cattell are opposite to good done to the Body; of which sort of Evills enough are set down, though these be omit∣ted.

He made his own people to go forth like sheepe: Here it is alluded to Chri∣stians going out from Jerusalem, a little before the Destruction thereof, to * 1.32 Pella, and from thence into all parts to preach the Gospel, to the subduing of Countries and Nations. After which, yet even they that imbraced the faith, as the Jews being possessed of the Land of Canaan, fowly sinned by I∣dolatry, * 1.33 as their Fathers, other Heathen had done: only the Gods whom these Fathers had served, were imaginary famous men and women in divers Countryes; the Divi, or Gods of Christians, men famous for Faith, as Peter, and Paul, and John, &c. whom they began to call upon, after the se∣cond Spurious Nicene Councell about Anno 600.

Then God was wroth with Israel, and smot them with the Sword: That, * 1.34 is, Christians by the Turke, who after this, subdued many of their Coun∣tryes.

Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleepe, and smot his Enemies: This is a Judgment yet to come, according to the Mystery, when Magog, that is, the * 1.35 Turke, shall be destroyed.

He refused the Tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not Ephraim: This was ve∣rified * 1.36 according to the Letter, when the Philistims were utterly subdued by David, and he raigned over all, Ephraim not yet having a King by it self: and mystically it shall be fullfilled, when all Nations shall be brought in un∣der the obedience of the Gospell of Christ, Ephraim, that is, Idolatry, of which Ieroboam of Ephraim was the Author, being quite put down in all places for ever.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 13. 35.
• * 1.2

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.3

  Vers. 3.
• * 1.4

  Vers. 5.
• * 1.5

  Vers. 8.
• * 1.6

  Vers. 9.
• * 1.7

  Vers. 10. Vers. 11. Vers. 12.
• * 1.8

  Vers. 13, 14, 15, 16, &c. to Vers. 43. Vers. 52.
• * 1.9

  Vers. 54, 55.
• * 1.10

  Vers. 56, 57.
• * 1.11

  Vers. 66: Vers. 70, 71. 72.
• * 1.12

  The myste∣ry.
• * 1.13

  Vers. 12.
• * 1.14

  Vers. 13.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 14.
• * 1.16

  Joh. 16. 13. Matth. 4.
• * 1.17

  Joh. 6. 27. Ioh. 4. 10.
• * 1.18

  Vers. 18.
• * 1.19

  Matth. 12. 39.
• * 1.20

  Vers. 23. Ioh. 6.
• * 1.21

  Vers. 26. 27.
• * 1.22

  Vers. 32.
• * 1.23

  Vers. 34.
• * 1.24

  Vers. 42.
• * 1.25

  Vers. 44.
• * 1.26

  Vers. 45,
• * 1.27

  August.
• * 1.28

  Ainsw.
• * 1.29

  Revel. 16. 4: 6.
• * 1.30

  Revel. 11. 8. Revel. 16. 13.
• * 1.31

  Act. 8. Act. 16.
• * 1.32

  Vers. 52.
• * 1.33

  Vers. 58.
• * 1.34

  Vers. 59.
• * 1.35

  Vers. 65.
• * 1.36

  Vers. 67.