The Saints Sacrifice, Section 95
§. 95. Of the meaning and method of the fifteenth Verſe.
PSAL. CXVI. XV.
Precious in the ſight of the LORD is the death of his Saints.
THe *§ 2.ſecond reaſon to enforce the equity of the duty before mentioned, to praiſe the Lord, is here expreſſed: being taken from the high account which God had of his foreign.life. This is here indefinitely ſet downe in the third perſon, without any expreſſe application therof to himſelf: yet ſo as by the precedent and ſubſequent matter it may evidently be gathered that he meant himſelf as well as others. For in the verſes before and after, he uſeth the firſt perſon, and expreſly ſpeaketh of himſelfe, thus, I will pay, &c. I am thy ſervant, &c. To good purpoſe is this tender care of God thus indefinitely ſet downe, as,
1 To ſhew that his caſe was no other then the caſe of others. Others, and thoſe Saints too, might be brought even to death, as well as he.
2 To declare the impartiall reſpect of God to all▪ to others as well as to him: to him as well as to others.
3 To intimate the ground of that care God had of him, even becauſe he was a Saint: and yet not himſelfe to give that title to himſelfe, leaſt hee might ſeeme to doe it on vaine-glory.foreign b
conſecravit. benefecit.Thus we ſee how this change of perſon from the firſt, (verſ. 14.) to the third (verſ. 15) from the third (verſ. 15.) to the firſt (verſ. 16.) as it hath an elegancy in it, ſo alſo an Ciconia▪ Avi… benefica, & grata. Quantum temporis Ciconia ſuis …oetibus educandis clargiuntur, tantum & ipſe a pullis ſuis invicem aluntur. So. linus. Petronius appellat Ciconiam pietatis cultricem.eſpeciall emphaſis.
The perſons among whom implicitly he reckons himſelfe, ſtiled Saints, are in the originall ſet out by a word that importeth an eſpeciall reſpect of God towards them. cforeignThe root whence that word iſſueth ſignifieth mercy. Whereupon the Hebrewes have given ſuch dforeigna name to a ſtorke, which kind among foules is the moſt mercifull: and that not only the old to their young ones, as moſt are, but alſo the young ones to the old, which they uſe to feed and carie, when thorow age they are not able to helpe themſelves. This title is attributed to men in a double reſpect. 1 Paſſively, in regard of Gods mind and affection to them. 2 Actively, in regard of their minde and affection to others. Gods mercy and kindneſſe is great towards them: and their mercy and kindneſſe is great towards their brethren. They are therfore by a kind of excellency, and property ſtiled eIſa. 57. 1. foreign homines benignitatis.men of mercy. In regard of this double acceptation of the word, ſome tranſlate it, fPſal. 18. 25. Cum benigno benignum te exhibes.mercifull, tender, or courteous. Others with a periphraſe, with many words, becauſe they have not one fit word to expreſſe the full ſenſe, thus, gQuos ipſe benignitate proſequitur. Tremel & Iun.Thoſe whom God followeth with bounty, or to whom God extendeth his bounty. This latter I take to be the moſt proper to this place: for the word being paſſively taken for ſuch as are made partakers of Gods kindneſſe, it ſheweth the reaſon of that high account wherein God hath them, even his owne grace and favour. We have a word in Engliſh that in this paſſive ſignification fitly anſwereth the Hebrew, which is this, favourite.
By death, he meaneth their ſoule, or life, which is ſubject to death. For, in another place he ſaith, hPſal. 72▪ 14.Precious ſhalbe their bloud in his ſight. What here he calleth death, there he calleth bloud. And in Scripture phraſe iGen. 9. 4. Lev. 17. 14.bloud is ſaid to bee the life of living creatures. Very fitly is this privative, death, mentioned in ſetting forth Gods care over their life, becauſe by their death it is manifeſted, partly by preſerving them from death, and partly by providing for them in death. A Trope not much unlike to this is uſed, where God ſaith, I Heb. 8. 12.wilbe mercifull to their unrighteouſneſſe: that is, to them in freeing them from their unrighteouſneſſe.
The word tranſlated, *foreignprecious, is in Scripture attributed to things
k1 Sam 3. 1. Hebr. foreign Targum foreign occul…um.Rare, or ſcarce (The Word of God was precious.)
Sweet (A good name is better then precious ointment.) The preciouſneſſe of an ointment is in the ſavour of it, Eccl. 7. 1.
Pure or holy (Take forth the precious from the vile) Ierem. 15. 19.
Honourable (Kings daughters among thine honourable, word for word, precious women) Pſal. 45. 9.
*Ier 31. 20. LXX. foreign.Deare or beloved (Ephraim my deare, word for word, precious ſonne.)
Much ſet by, or of great account (His name was much ſet by, word for word, precious.) 1 Sam. 18. 30.
Of great value or worth (Such were the ſtones which the Queene of Sheba brought to Salomon, Precious ſtones) 1 King. 10. 10.
The ſoules of Saints are every way precious to God: eſpecially in the three latter reſpects, as they are deare, much ſet by, of great worth, being redeemed by the precious bloud of Chriſt. For, hee deales with them as men doe with things deare, much ſet by, of great value.
Men uſe to keepe precious jewels ſafe. They make more eſteeme of them then of all other things. They will not be prodigall of them. They will ſee good cauſe why they ſhould part with them, or elſe they will not part with them. This is Gods mind towards the ſoules of his favourites. Saul acknowledgeth that his ſoule was precious in Davids 1 Sam. 26. 21.eyes, becauſe he did not take it away when he had opportunity. Surely then their ſoules muſt needs be precious to God, who doth not only not take them away when he may, but alſo preſerve them, when they are in great hazard of death. On the contrary, when S. Paul eſteemed not his life, in compariſon of the Goſpell, but was rather prodigall therof, he ſaith, I count not my life precious (or deare) to my ſelfe.Act. 20. 24.
This phraſe in the ſight (word for word *foreignin the eyes) of the Lord, is uſed by way of reſemblance, to ſhew that God taketh notice of our life and death: and is watchfull over the ſame, as men take notice of the things which are before them, and by fixing their eyes on things doe manifeſt a watchfulneſſe: or otherwiſe it may indefinitely be uſed, as a note of application onelyonly; and ſo, in the ſight of the Lord, imports no more but to the Lord: as if it had been thus ſaid, Precious to the LORD is the death of his favourites.
Summe.In this verſe is ſet out, Gods eſteeme of men.
More particularly here is noted
1 What theſe men be. His favourites.
2 Wherein that eſteeme conſiſteth. Their death is precious in his ſight.
Theſe two parts give evidence of theſe two points.
I. God hath favourites.
II. God is tender of his favourites death.