Bible Commentaries

Genesis 17:7 — temporary, and changeable into baptism; but the covenant of grace, thereby then, and by baptism now, sealed up unto us, is eternal; being established and ratified. by the death of the Testator, "by the blood of the Arch-shepherd". Hebrews 13:20 Here it must be considered Dr Preston Of God’s Attributes that there is a twofold covenant: 1. Single; such as God makes with children, when baptized; viz., if you will repent, believe, and walk with me, ye shall be saved. Now, if they break

Genesis 2:11 — farthest of all from the Church. Adam had them in the first paradise. In the second we shall not need them. Money is the monarch of this world, and answers all things; but in the matters of God, money bears no mastery, will fetch in no commodity Job 28:15 Wise men esteemed it as the stones of the street. 2 Chronicles 1:15 Children of wisdom might not possess it in their girdles. Matthew 10:9 Medes cared not for it; Isaiah 13:17 and devils were sent to keep rich and pleasant palaces. Isaiah 13:22 So

Genesis 2:7 — should so glorious a soul (called here Neshamah , of affinity to Shamajim , heaven, whence it came) dwell in this corruptible and contemptible body? For answer, besides God’s will, and for order of the universe, Lombard saith, Lomb., l. ii. dis. 1. that by the conjunction of the soul with the body, so far its inferior, man might learn and believe a possibility of the union of man with God in glory, notwithstanding the vast distance of nature, and excellence; the infiniteness of both in God, the

Genesis 3:14 — εχθρου , the devil’s diet: for your adversary the devil - that "ruler of the darkness of this world" Ephesians 6:6 as he dwells in dark hearts, as so many holes and caverns - so, Behemoth-like, "he eats grass as an ox"; Job 40:10 yea, dust as a serpent, continually "seeking whom he may devour"; 1 Peter 5:7 and is therefore cursed above all creatures. He hath swallowed down souls, "and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly." Job

Genesis 31:27 — father, yea, and an honest man? But, as the historian Tacit., De Sejano. saith of another, so may we of him; Palam compositus pudor, intus summa adipiscendi libido . All this was but blanched hypocrisy, and coloured covetousness, as St Paul calls it. 1 Thessalonians 2:5 “ Astutam vapido servat sub pectore vulpem .” - Pers.

Genesis 31:30 — [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Why hast thou stolen my gods? — Goodly gods that could not save themselves from the thief! See Jeremiah 10:5 ; Jeremiah 10:11 ; Jeremiah 10:15 . But Jacob, a just man, is here made a thief of. The best must look to be blasted; "as deceivers, and yet true". 2 Corinthians 6:8 Wicked men’s "throats are open sepulchres," Psalms 5:9

Genesis 4:10 — witnesses. As oft as we feel the secret smitings of our own hearts for sin, think we hear him that is greater than our hearts, saying to us as here, What havae you done? And that there is no good to be done by denying or dawbing, for he knows all things, 1 John 3:20 and requires that we should see our sins to confession, or we shall see them to our confusion. The voice of thy brother’s blood. — The blood of one Abel had so many tongues as drops, and every drop a voice to cry for vengeance.

Acts 21:36 — partial loss of muscular power, etc. ŒD it comforted him that the apostle John had died of that disease. How much more should it do us, that we "fill up that only which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh," Colossians 1:24 , and that suffering together, we shall also reign together!

Acts 27:9 — Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them , Now when much time was spent — Not spilt; for that Paul was not idle all that while, see Titus 1:5 , and Beza’s annotations thereupon. Nolite tempus in nugis conterere, Do not waste time on trifles, saith one. Time is a precious commodity. Of all other possessions a man may have two at once; but two moments of time together no man could ever

2 Corinthians 12:20 — for great causes, but poor mistakings, a Some, like salamanders, live always in the fire; like trouts, they love to swim against stream; like Phocion, they think it a goodly thing to dissent from others. Whisperings — See Trapp on " Romans 1:29 " Swellings — That is, taking things unkindly, so that the heart even riseth against another, and we cannot away with him, would have nothing to do with him. Now, as the swelling of the spleen is very dangerous for health; and of the sails,

2 Corinthians 5:10 — assembly as that of Ahasuerus, of his nobles, princes, and captains only; nor such as the biddings of rich men to their feasts, of their rich neighbours only; but like the invitation of that householder that sent his servants to compel all to come in, Luke 14:12 . On that day Adam shall see all his nephews together. Appear before, … — Be laid open, and have all ripped up, φανερωθηναι . Our sins that are now written as it were with the juice

2 Thessalonians 2:1 — must be fair spoken, so wooing for him that they may win upon men’s hearts, leading by the hand those that are willing, and drawing after a sort those that are less willing, that they may present them as a chaste virgin to Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:2 . This earnest obtestation imports that it is both easy and dangerous to be carried away by seducers; for the Scripture doth not use to "cleave straws with beetles" to be so serious in a slight matter. "We beseech you," of all

2 Timothy 3:4 — cruciat. Let not men take pleasure in pleasure. It was not simply a sin in Esau to go a hunting; but yet the more he used it, the more profane he waxed, and came at length to contemn his birthright. Who are void of the Spirit but sensual ones? Judges 1:18-19 . Who say to God, Depart from us, but those that dance? Job 21:10-11 . Better be preserved in brine than rot in honey. These pleasure mongers are at last as the worst of all. Such a one was Catullus, who wished all his body were nose, that he

Titus 1:12 — prophet of their own — Epimenides, the poet, who by his countrymen the Cretians was counted a prophet, and had divine honours done to him after his death. This uncircumcised poet Paul brings here into the temple, as before he had done Aratus, Acts 17:28 , and Menander, 1 Corinthians 15:33 . The Cretians are always liars — So were the Carthaginians, Tyriique bilingues. Fides Punica. Virgil. Cres semper mendax, mala bellua, et helluo deses. Cretizare cum Cretensib. vide Erasm. Adag. ισκε

2 Peter 1:1 — Peter, but of cursed Ham. He stamps in his coin, that nation and country that will not serve thee shall be rooted out, and so exposes his putid hypocrisy. Like precious faith — Precious as gold tried in the fire; that maketh rich, Revelation 3:18 . And like precious (though of different degrees) in regard of, 1. The Author, God. 2. The object, Christ. 3. The means of working it, the Spirit and Word. 4. The end of it, salvation. 5. The essential property of it, of handfasting us to Christ. A

2 Peter 2:13 — receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; To riot in the day time — See Trapp on " 1 Thessalonians 5:7 " The word here rendered riot, comes of a root that signifies to break, for there is nothing that doth so break and emasculate the minds of men as rioting and revelling; luxury draws out a man’s spirits, and dissolves him.

2 Peter 3:17 — fall from your own stedfastness." And (for a sovereign preservative) "grow in grace, and in the knowledge," …: grow downward howsoever; grow in humility, and God will both teach and "save the humble person," Psalms 25:1-22 Job 22:2 . Fall — As leaves fall from the trees in autumn.

1 John 4:20 — he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? If a man say, I love God — If he did so, he would hardly say so in a vaunting way howsoever. "Charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up," 1 Corinthians 13:4 . Christ loves secret service,Song of Solomon 2:14; Song of Solomon 2:14 . They that bear him greatest love make least show thereof before others. Master Bartlet Green, when he had been beaten and scourged with rods by Bishop Bonner,

Revelation 12:12 — the inhabiters of the earth — Earthworms that load themselves with thick clay, and strive, with the toads, who shall die with most earth in their mouths. And of the sea — Seamen are, for the most part, very profane and godless. See Judges 1:13 ; Isaiah 57:20 . Mr Brightman by these inhabitants of the sea understandeth the clergymen, as they call them, who set abroach gross, troubled, brackish, and sourish doctrine, which doth rather bring barrenness of godliness to their hearers, and doth

Revelation 5:6 — a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. In the midst of the throne — As a fit mediator between God and men, even the man Christ Jesus, who gave a ransom, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 . A Lamb as it had been slain — This form of speech is put (saith an interpreter) to show the continual recent virtue of Christ’s death eternally effectual before God, as whereby once for all he hath purchased eternal redemption.