Bible Commentaries

Genesis 3:19 — hard labour. This is a law laid upon all sorts, to sweat out a poor living, to humble themselves, by just labour, to sweat either their brows or their brains, See my True Treasure . for this latter also is a "sore" occupation, Ecclesiastes 1:13 and the minister’s toil is compared to that of those that cleave wood; or work hard in harvest. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 Matthew 10:10 1 Corinthians 9:14 , … κοπωντες, πατα το

Genesis 4:1 — LORD. I have gotten a man from the Lord. — Or, that famous man, the Lord; as if she had brought forth the man Christ Jesus. These were words of hope not of substance verba spei, non rei ; for "Cain was of that wicked one," the devil, 1 John 3:12 as all reprobates are. 1 John 3:10 Cain the author of the city of the world, saith Augustine, Aug. De Civit. Dei, lib. xv., cap. 1. is born first, and called Cain, that is, a "possession," because he buildeth a city, is given to

Esther 2:15 — obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. Now when the turn of Esther, … — Then, and not till then. So when Joseph was sufficiently humbled, the king sent and loosed him; the ruler of the people let him go free, Psalms 105:20 . When David was become weaned from the world, as a child from the breasts, when his heart was not haughty, nor his eyes lofty, …, then was he advanced to the kingdom, Psalms 131:1 He that believeth maketh not haste. God’s time is

Esther 3:4 — This, if they did of good-will (as at first perhaps they did), it was a friendly office, and may shame many of us who are so backward to Christian admonition (see my common-places), that spiritual alms, that we are bound freely to distribute, Judges 1:22-23 . But it; as is likely, at length at least they did it to ingratiate with Haman, and out of envy to Mordecai, because he did not comply and comport with them, what did they else but act the devil’s part, and the rather, because they were

Job 1:10 — could find never a gap, make never a breach. Oh the safety of a saint, that goes always under a double guard, the power of God without him, and the peace of God within him! The Lord himself is his keeper, the Lord his defence upon his right hand, Psalms 121:5 Psalms 91:1-16 ; How miraculously hath Geneva been upheld, a small city environed with enemies, and barred out from help of other Churches! How well may we sit and sing, If the Lord had not been on our side, now may England say, if the Lord had

Job 13:3 — slanderous accusations; yea, to maintain God’s justice against you, in the presence and judgment of God himself. Oh the confidence of a good conscience! see it in Abimelech, Genesis 20:5 , but much more in David, Psalms 7:8 ; Psalms 7:4 ; Psalms 139:23-24 ; Jeremiah 12:1 ; in every strong believer, 1 Peter 3:21 ; those that walk uprightly, and speak uprightly, Isaiah 33:15 . Not so every ungirt Christian or profligate professor, Job 13:14 . The sinners in Sion are afraid, fearfulness surpriseth

Job 26:13 — Three, wrought in the creation: see Psalms 33:6 , "By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." Here Jehovah, his Word, and his Spirit, are noted to be the Maker of the world; so Genesis 1:1-31 . The heathens had some blind notions hereof, as appeareth by Plutarch, who reporteth that in Thebe, a town of Egypt, they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortal; but how painted they him? In the likeness of a man blowing an egg

Job 33:12 — in this thou art not just — In this thy expostulation with God, as if he had dealt unjustly with thee (think the same of thy postulation, or unreasonable request, that God should give thee a reason why he so grievously afflicteth thee, Job 33:13 ), thou art nothing less than what thou holdest thyself to be, viz. just, pure, innocent. Sorex suo perit indicio, the mole betrays himself by casting up the mould; and so dost thou, good Job, by throwing forth words without wisdom, as God himself

Job 35:11 — pain; but flee to God by well prepared prayer, not so much for ease as for the use of what they suffer. Now, blessed is the man whom God chasteneth, and withal teacheth him out of his law; that he may give him rest from the days of adversity, Psalms 94:12-13 . Hereunto, not only reason is required (the mercy here mentioned, and celebrated), but religion also; which is the true philosopher’s stone that makes golden afflictions, 1 Peter 1:7 , and, as Moses’s hand, turneth a serpent into a

Psalms 1:4 — more it is watered, is the less fruitful; or like the cyparit tree, whereof Pliny writeth that it is good for nothing, no, not for show, shadow, or smell. St Jude saith, they are trees indeed, but such as are twice dead, pulled up by the roots, Judges 1:12 . Twice dead they are said to be, 1. Because a spiritual death is so great a death that it may well go for two. 2. Because those ungodly ones were dead, both in regard of fruit and leaves, truth of grace and any outward actings of grace. Their fruit,

Psalms 11:1 — ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain? In the Lord put I my trust — This was that which David had and held, wherewith to answer him that reproached him (and it was an excellent good one), that he trusted in God’s word, Psalms 119:42 . When it was that he gave this answer, "In the Lord put I my trust" (whether when Saul’s courtiers, under pretence of friendship, counselled him to quit the court for fear of Saul, which he was very loth to do, see the like Nehemiah

Proverbs 27:2 — Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth. — Unless it be in defence of thine innocence, as David, Psalms 7:10 or when the concealing of thy goodness may turn to the hindrance of the truth, or to the hurt of the Church, or impairing of God’s glory, as Paul. 2 Corinthians 11:1-33 ; 2 Corinthians 12:1-21 Let a man "do worthily in Ephrata," and

Ecclesiastes 3:1 — To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: To everything there is a season. — A set time, such as we can neither alter nor order. This is one of those keys that God carries under his own belt. Acts 1:7 To seek, to do, or get anything before the time, is to pull apples before they are ripe, saith a father, Poma importuni tempore decerpunt. - Tertul. which set the teeth on edge, and breed stomach worms. They labour in vain that would prevent the time

Ecclesiastes 7:13 — Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked? Ver 13. Consider the work of God, … — q.d., Stoop, since there is no standing out. See God in that thou sufferest, and submit. God by a crooked tool many times makes straight work; he avengeth the quarrel of his covenant by the Assyrian, that

Song of Solomon 1:10 — successor. But nothing so dear to him, nor so happy in her succession, as the Church is to Christ, who lively describes her inward beauty, which he looks upon as a rich pearl in a rude shell, or as those "tents of Kedar" aforementioned, (Song of Solomon 1:5) which though coarse and homely for the outward hue, yet, for the precious gems, jewels, and sweet odours that were couched in them, were very desirable. With rows of jewels. — A metaphor from fair women richly adorned. Holy women may be costly

Song of Solomon 7:8 — clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; I said, I will go up to the palm tree, … — I said it, and I will do it; for Christi dicere est facere, together with Christ’s word there goes forth a power, as it did. Luke 5:17 David said he "would confess his sins," and "take heed to his ways," Psalms 32:5 ; Psalms 39:1 and accordingly he did it. Shall Christ purpose and promise mercy to his people, and not perform it? Is he yea and nay? 2 Corinthians

Hosea 1:9 — those profane nations here mentioned? with and among whom, hence forward I shall reckon you, for you are no people of mine, but discarded, and dispeopled. Till the covenant made with Abraham, all nations were suffered to walk in their own ways, Acts 14:16 , as fishes pass at liberty through the paths of the seas, Psalms 8:8 . One person was no more respected than another. But as soon as it was said, I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed after thee, the Church became as fish cast into a pond

Hosea 12:11 — the furrows of the fields. Is there iniquity in Gilead — What, in Gilead, a city of priests? Hosea 6:8 See Trapp on " Hosea 6:8 " yea, Gilead is a city of those that work iniquity, a very Poneropolis, a place of naughty packs, Hosea 4:15 . Now there is not a worse creature on earth than a wicked priest, nor a worse place than a wicked Gilead. The Hebrew hath it thus, Is Gilead iniquity? Or as Luther, Drusius, and others, Surely it is so ( àí certe, vere, profecto ). Confer

Hosea 9:16 — was by Christ’s curse; and as a vine smitten by great hailstones, and beaten down to the ground. "The Lord shall smite Israel," saith another prophet, "as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel," …, 1 Kings 14:15 , root and branch in one day. The root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit — "The root of the righteous shall not be moved," Proverbs 12:3 . "The root of the matter is found in me," saith Job, Job 19:28 . "The

Joel 1:5 — because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. Awake, ye drunkards — Ye ale stakes, and suckers (Heb. Shiccorim), that pour in heady and intoxicating drinks, such as soon lay you to sleep, and (besides) take away your heart, Hosea 4:11 , rob you of yourselves, and lay a beast in your room. Portentosum sane potionis genus, saith Pliny concerning ale, that excessively drunk maketh men mere sleepy than dormice: besides that worse sleep of carnal security, Ephesians 5:14 Romans 13:11