Bible Commentaries

Genesis 34:30 — saints were ever a little flock, a poor few to the many; jewels, nothing so much in bulk as lumber; strangers, few, in respect of home dwellers; sons of God, few, to common subjects. When Christ "came to his own, his own received him not." John 1:12 He wondered at one good Nathanael, and set a "Behold" upon him, as a rare bird. John 1:47

Genesis 49:25 — with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: Who shall help thee. — God hath, God shall, - is an ordinary way of arguing; it is a demonstration of Scripture logic, as Psalms 85:1-4 2 Corinthians 1:10 . Every former favour is a pledge of a future. With blessings of heaven above, … — God "shall hear the heaven, the heaven shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, wine, and oil": the genealogy

Genesis 6:11 — earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth also was corrupt before God. — Or, rotten, putrid, and stank again. Sin is an offence to all God’s senses; yea, to his very soul, as he complains in Isaiah 1:1-16 . Oh that it were so to ours! then would we not hide it under our tongues, as a child doth sugar, and harbour it in our hearts; yea, let it eat of our meat, and drink of our cup, and lie in our bosoms, as the poor man’s lamb did in Nathan’s

Numbers 26:44 — missed of this plainer text. Jesuites quasi Jashubites: like as Erasmus found friars in St Paul’s time, inter falsos fratres, amongst the false brethren. In Salamanca a friar would prove that the name of the Virgin Mary was spoken of in Genesis 1:1-31 . God called the gathering together of the waters Maria Stella, De Modo Concionandi, cap. 6. Dr Poynes Preface to his book Of the Sacrament. writes, that it was foretold in the Old Testament that the Protestants were a malignant Church, alleging,

Numbers 3:13 — from the beginning: but here is noted a continuance of this ordinance, when it is said that he sanctified the first born to himself, what time he smote every firstborn in Egypt. Now the firstborn are said to be God’s by a singular right, Exodus 13:2 and so they were types, (1.) Of Christ, Romans 8:29 to whom therefore we must give the honour of his first birthright; all our sheaves must vail and bow to his sheaf: (2.) Of Christians; those "firstborn whose names are written in heaven,"

Matthew 7:16 — idolatry of the Papists and the blasphemies of other Christians? By their fruits they know such persons not to be of God, as their predecessors argued of our Saviour: "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day," John 9:16 . The proposition here was sound, had they not mistook themselves in the assumption, "He that keepeth not the sabbath is not of God." We may also safely reason in like sort. Such and such deny or question principles, as the Anti-trinitarians,

1 Corinthians 15:2 — saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. By which also ye are saved — Eternal life is potentially in the word, as the harvest is potentially in the seed, or as the tree is in the kernel or scion,James 1:21; James 1:21 . If ye keep in memory — He limiteth the promise of salvation to the condition of keeping in memory what they had heard. Tantum didicimus, quantum meminimus, said Socrates; many have memories like nets, that let go the fair water,

Ephesians 4:25 — liar denies his own lie, as ashamed to be taken with it. Cicero indeed alloweth his orator the liberty of a merry lie sometimes; but Vives utterly disliketh it in him at any time. Lib. 2, de Oratore. Lib. 4, de trad. discip. And the apostle,Galatians 1:10; Galatians 1:10 , shows that we must not speak truth to please men, much less lie; no, though we could win a soul by it,Romans 3:7; Romans 3:7 . Where then will the Jesuits appear with their piae fraudes, holy delusions, as they call them? and Jacobus

1 Thessalonians 5:1 — need that I write unto you. But of the times and the seasons — When Christ shall come to judgment, this is to be reckoned inter arcana imperii. See Trapp on " Matthew 24:36 " The times and the seasons God hath put in his own power, Acts 1:7 . This is a key that he keepeth under his own girdle. Let it suffice us to know that "this is the last hour," that "the ends of the world are come upon us, and that the Lord is at hand." "The time is short" (saith our

1 Timothy 6:11 — But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. But thou, O man of God — If Timothy were that angel of the Church of Ephesus, Revelation 2:1 , that left his first love (as some think he was), this counsel was but needful. Christ cautions his disciples to beware of worldliness, Luke 21:34 . Flee these things — Remis velisque, with all thy might, that thou be not tacked with them, taxed

Hebrews 10:25 — επισυναγωγη , in Church assemblies and Christian meetings, as ever we look for comfort at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together (the same word as here) unto him,2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:1 ; the day whereof approacheth, as in this text. Christ will come shortly to see what work we make in this kind. As the manner of some is — It was then, it was afterwards, and is still in these siding and separating times.

Hebrews 5:14 — use, or such as contend for victory, put forth to the utmost, as that which they have been trained up to, and can therefore very well skill of. To discern good and evil — "Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?" Job 12:11 . "Eye hath not seen," …,1 Corinthians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 2:9 . Where the carcase is the eagles will be. Saints have a spiritual sagacity, and they lay hold on eternal life.

1 John 1:7 — we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. We have fellowship one, … — That is, God and we; inasmuch as we are made partakers of the divine nature, and are pure as God is pure, 1 John 3:3 , in quality though not in an equality. We have fellowship with God: 1. In his holiness. 2. In his happiness. And the blood of Jesus — That whereas God’s pure eye can soon find many a foul flaw in the best of us (our righteousness

Revelation 13:4 — stupor mundi, the world’s wonderment (that ye may know him to be the beast here mentioned), but he must style him the King of kings and Lord of lords, having ruledom over all rational creatures, Dulia adorandus. (De Majestat. Militant. Ecclesiastes 1:1 )

Ruth 1:19 — forsaketh his, Will not forsake even if forsaked Non deserit etiam si deserat. but when one comfort faileth, findeth them out another; as when Sarah died, Rebekah came in her room. Yea, God himself stood by Paul when all men forsook him. 2 Timothy 4:16 So they two. — Amicitia sit inter binos, qui sunt veri; et bonos, qui sunt pauci. And it came to pass. — See on Ruth 1:1 That all the city was moved about them. — Which showeth that Naomi had been of quality and good account among

1 Samuel 2:3 — Peninnah, that odious woman, had vexed and troubled holy Hannah both in her prayers and meals, with her insolent speeches. Now she is warned to have done, and not to let hard words any more to come out of her mouth, Ne lapides loquantur. See Judges 1:15 . And why? for divers good reasons: - For the Lord is a God of knowledge. — Heb., Of knowledges; and he taketh cognizance of your pride and petulancy. See Malachi 3:13 Matthew 12:17 See Trapp on " Malachi 3:13 " See Trapp on "

1 Samuel 25:25 — of my lord, whom thou didst send. For as his name is, so is he. — A very sot, and stark naught. Evil is the Hebrew word for a fool; and the word fool seemeth to come of φαυλος , and Nebulo of Nabal. See 1 Samuel 25:3 . Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. — A silly simple he is, a very brute. See Jeremiah 4:22 . Abigail could not have been a good wife if she had not honoured her unworthy head: yet to save his life she is bold to acknowledge

1 Samuel 27:2 — six hundred men that [were] with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men. — Who might have done far better service in fighting against the Philistines in that fatal battle; 1 Samuel 31:1-7 and haply have hindered that great slaughter of God’s people: but there was a providence in it, God fetching good out of evil; as the Athenians fancied that their goddess Minerva ordered their evil counsels to the best events. The

1 Samuel 4:1 — of Samuel came to all Israel. — It was commonly noised and noticed what he had foretold against Eli and the whole people; and it happened accordingly, because they prepared not to meet the Lord with entreaties of peace, as afterwards they did, 1 Samuel 7:2-6 when once and again they had paid for their learning. Samuel was but a child when he foretold this calamity; but at man’s estate, fit to succeed Eli in the government, ere it was inflicted. God is slow, but sure, if men repent not;

1 Samuel 7:9 — Diod. - a lamb of no great price, to show that God looketh not to the greatness of the gift, but to the heart of the offerer. Pet. Martyr. And offered it for a burnt offering. — This he might do as a prophet, though no priest, saith Kimchi. See 1 Kings 18:30-31 . And Samuel cried unto the Lord. — He was famous for calling upon God’s name with singular success. Psalms 99:6 Jeremiah 15:1 And the Lord heard him. — So he doth all such as bring unto him honest hearts and lawful