black Moore white, or the spots of the Leopard away. Some indeed are called at the eleventh houre of the day to labour in the Vine-yard; That is, in old age, but what is this to them that are called at the third, or sixth, and will not heare? it is spoken only for the comfort of such, as amongst whom the voyce of the Gospel cometh not, till they be old; as it was with Nicodemus, and Ananias, that was sent to Saul, who is said to have been an old Disciple, that is, called in his old age; they that are called then in youth, and charged to remember God now, and will not, have no pretext for their going on in sinne.
Whilst the Sun, the Light, the Moone, or the Stars be not darkned, nor the clouds returne after the raine. Here he goeth on more particularly, to describe old age, and to shew how unfit it is for conversion, the Sun, Moone, and Starres, and all light is now darkned, he that turneth must have light from thence-forth to walke by in the streight and narrow way, but the aged, as the light of the world, are now darkned to them through the dimnesse of their sight, through the decaying of their sences, understanding, and memory, have the Preachers, the Lights of the world darkned unto them, they being not now able through deaf∣nesse to heare, through blindnesse to read that, whereby they might be inlightned; or if they can, not be able so readily to remember, or understand, as in their youn∣ger time.
Jerom will have the darkning of the Sunne, Moone, and Starres, meant at the last day, and the darkning by death; but because that, which is here said, is oppo∣sed to youth, and other parts of this description set forth men coutinuing still in this world, I rather hold, that this is spoken of old age, and so doe most Expositours; neither the clouds return after the raine; That is, cloudinesse to clearnesse of the Heaven againe, as is commonly done, but it still continueth darke and cloudy, as in time of raine; That is, it is thus to them that be aged, whose sight decayeth; the Sky, that after raine groweth cleare againe, becometh now also cloudy to them.
In the day, when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease, because they are few, and the lookers out at the windowes be darkned; By the keepers of the house, understand the armes, and hands, whereby the house of the body is defended, and maintained, for the body is called an house, 2 Cor. 5. and with the hands a man laboureth to keep it, and with the strength of his armes defends it, but when he is very aged, these Keepers shake through Palsies; the grinders be the teeth, which are then most of them gone out, and the lookers out at the windowes, the eyes, the dimnesse of the sight being hereby further set forth.
And the doores shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voyce of the Bird, and all the daughters of Mu∣sick shall be brought low. By the doores understand with Lavater, and Bonaven∣ture, the lips, which through feeblenesse in old age are shut up, as it were in the streets, where others are heard speaking loud, they scarce walking out, when youthes are playing, and shouting, or crying out there one to another.
By a phrase like this it is said of Christ, he shall not cry, nor lift up his voyce in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low; this may either be applied to the same, the voyce is low, which is uttered by the tongue, throat, lips, and teeth; for as the lips, so the teeth, which are grinders, move in speaking. Jerom and Al∣binus will have their keeping within meant, causing the doores to be shut, and not walking abroad now in the streets, as in former times; he is said to rise up at the voyce of the Bird, because he is very wakey, and sleepeth now but a little, and the noyse of the Cock-crowing awaketh him, and the daughters of Musick be the Organs of singing, which now faile in him, or make so low a sound, that his musicke is scarce heard. Some expound it of his not delighting in musick.
When they shall be afraid of that which is high, and feare shall be in the way, and the Almond-tree shall flourish, and the Gras-hopper shall be a burthen, and desire shall faile, &c. old men are afraid of that which is high, when they feare to goe up to high places, to looke downe from thence, lest they should be