of whom they aretold;and, though pleasing at first, they
are as wounds in the inner parts, which are mortal.
Ver. 9. He also that is slothful in his work, &c.3
Remiss in it; hangs down his hands, and does not
care to make use of them, but neglects his business:
is brother to him that is a great waslet : a prodigal man,
who spends his substance in riotous living: the sluggard
and the prodigal are brethren in iniquity; for, though
they take different courses, they are both sinful, and
issue in the same manner; both bring to poverty and
want. Or, brother to a master that wastes {p}; a slothful
servant and a wasteful master are near akin, and come
into the same class and circumstances. Jarchi inter-
prets it, "he that separateth from the law, though a
"disciple of a wise man, is a brother to Satan ;" whose
name is Ape!lyon, the wastar and destroyer. A man
that is slothful in spiritual things, though a professor
of religion, and has a place in the house of God, is
brother to him that is a wastar and persecutor of it;
see Matt. xii.
Vet. 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, &c.]
By the name of the Lord may be meant, either the at-
tributes and perfections of God, by which he is made
known, and which are the strength and security of his
Feeople; his goodness, grace, and mercy, are their de-
nee; his fayour encompasses them about, as a shield;
his justice protects them from all injuries and insults;
his truth and faithfulness preserve them; they are
kept by his power, as in a garrison; and his un-
changeablehess is a reason why they are not con-
sumed.: or else the Lord himself; his name is put
for himself,, Psal. xx. 1. and may be well inter-
preted of the Messiah, as it is by the ancient Jew,{q};
in and by whom God is manifested unto men as the
God of grace; in whom he proclaims his name, a God
gracious and merciful; whose name is in him, and
who has the same nature and perfections with him;
his name is Jehovah, our righteousness; Immanuei,
God with us; the mighty God, and Prince of peace;
and who is called Jesus, because he saves his people
from their sins, and so is their security from eternal
destruction. What a strong tower is to them that are
within it, against an enemy without, that is the power,
strength, and might of Christ to his people; as a divine
Person, he is strong and mighty, the most mighty,
the Almighty; as man, he is the man of God's right
hand, made strong for himself and us; as Mediator,
he has all power in heaven and earth: in him is ever-
lasting strength for his people; he is their Betzer,
their fortitled place, or city of refuge, to flee unto on
all occasions; he is the strong hold, whither prisoners
of hope are directed to turn to; he is their place of
alefence, and the munition of rocks; a strong tower,
inexpugnable; so deeply founded, no pioneer can work
under it; and spring a mine to blow it up; so highly
built; no scaling ladders can reach it; so fortitled, no
cannon-balls can break through it, or demolish any of
its walls and bulwarks, which are his salvation; the
gates of hell cannot prevail against it; it is not to be
taken by storm, or by the most violent attack of the
whole posse of men and devils. The righteous runneth
into it; not self-righteous persons, they run from
Christ and his righteousness, not to him and that; but
such who see their own righteousness will not justify
them; who indeed are sinners, know and acknowledge
themselves to be such; as sinners go to Christ,-who,
as such, receives them; and these are righteous through
the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and live
soberly, righteously, and godly: and it is the continual
business or employment of their faith to betake them-
selves to Christ upon all occasions; they are continually
coming to him, and exercising faith upon him, as the
Lord their righteousness, which is meant by running
to him; this supposes knowledge of him, as the strong
tower and city of refuge; of the way unto him, and of
the reception by him which may be expected; it sup-
poses a principle of spiritual life, and some degree of
spiritual strength; a sense of danger or of want in
themselves, and of safety and fulness in Christ; it is
expressive of haste, readiness, and cheerfulness, and is
owing to the drawings of efficacious grace. And such
an one that thus runs is safe; from the avenging jus-
tice ofGod; from the curse and condemnation of the
law; from sin, and all its dreadful consequences; from
Satan, and all spiritual enemies; from wrath to come,
hell, and the second death: or is set aloft{r{; is on high;
for this tower, as it is a strong one, it is a high one; a
rock of refuge, higher than men, or angels, or heaven
itself; and such who are in it are out of the reach of
all danger and every enemy.
Ver. l 1. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, &c.]
In which he dwells, over which he presides; in which
he places his trust and confidence, and thinks himself
safe from every enemy and from all trouble: as one{s}
observes, "the abundance of a rich man's wealth he
"conceives to be as it were the abundance of people
"in a city; the telling of his money he imagines to
"be the walking of people up and down the streets;
"his bags standing thick together to be so many
"houses standing close one to the other; his iron-
" barred chests to be so mary bulwarks; his bonds
"and bills to be his cannons and demi-cannons, his
"great ordnance; and in the midst of these he thinhath
"himself environed with a great wall, which no
"trouble is able to leap over, which no misery is able
"to break through." As it follows; and as a high
wall in his own conceit: which not only separates and
distinguishes him from others; but, as he imagines,
will secure him from all dangers, and will be abiding,
lasting, and durable: but all this is only in his own
conceit, or imagery "; in the chambers of his imagery,
as Jarchi, referring to Ezek. viii. l2. where the same
word is used; for this wall shall not stand; these
riches cannot secure themselves, they take wing and
fly away; and much less the owner of them, not from
public calamities, nor from personal diseases of
body, nor from death, nor from wrath to come.
Ver. 12. Bejbre destruction the heart of man is

{p} \^tyxvm lebl\^ domino devastationis, Gejerus; domino dissipanti,
Mercerus.
{q} Midrash Tillum in Psal. xviii. 50. fol. 18. 1.
{r} \^bgvnw\^ & exaltabitur, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus; erit in
loco alto & tuto, Vatablus; & exaltatur, Michaelis; in celsoque aget,
Schultens.
{s} Jermin in loc.
{t} \^wtykvmb\^ in imaginatione ejus, Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator,
Cocceius, Gejerus, Schultens; in imagine sua, Mercerus.