Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_600.lzh/4_609.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-23 | 7KB | 131 lines

"with joy, which is laid up for thee, for thy bread
"which thou hast given to the poor and needy that'
"were hungry; and drink thy wine with a good heart,
"which is laid up for thee in paradise, for the wine
"which thou hast mingled for the poor and needy that
"were thirsty ;" see Matt. xxv. 34,35. For God now
accepteth thy works; both the persons of righteous and
good men are accepted of God in Christ, and their
works done in faith and love, and with a view to his
glory; and since they are acceptable in his sight, as ap-
pears by his blessing on their labours, and bestowing
the good things of life upon them, so it is well-pleasing
in his sight to make a free and cheerful use of them.
Ver. 8. Let thy garments be always white, &c.3 That
is, neat and clean, not vile and sordtd; what is comely
and decent, and suitable to a man's circumstances;
this colour is particularly mentioned because much
used in the eastern countries, and in Judea; hence
we so often read of washing garments, and of fullers
that whitened them; and especially on festival days
and days of rejoicing, to which riorace {a} refers;
and here it signifies that every day should be like
a festival or day of rejoicing to a good man, to whom
God has given the garment of praise for the spirit,0f
heaviness, Isa. lxi. 3. and though there may be times
for mourning, and so of putting on other apparel, yet,
in common and ordinarily, this should be the habit,
decent and comely apparel. The ancient Jews in
Aben Ezra, and so Jarchi, interpret it of an unble-
mished conversation; and Kimchi b of repentance and
good works; and so the Targum, "let thy garments
"be white (or washed) from all filth of sin;" or be
without any spot of Sin, as Alshech; the conversation-
garments of the saints are made white in the blood of
Christ, and his righteousness is fine linen, and white;
and even eternal glory and happiness is signified by
walking with him in -white, Rev. vii. 14. and xix. 8.
and iii. 4, 18. And let thy head lack no ointment:
which used to be poured plentifu!ly on the heads of
guests at feasts {}, for the refreshment of them, which
gave pleasure, and a sweet odour and fragrancy, and was
much iu use in those hot countries; see Psal. xxiii. 5.
Luke vii. 46. and is opposed to a gloomy and melan-
choly carriage and deportment, Matt. vi. 17. hence we
read of the oil of joy and gladness, Psal. xlv. 7. Isa.
lxiii. 1. The Jews before mentioned interpreted this
of a good name better than ointment, ch. vii. 1. So
the Targum, "and a good name, which is like to
"anointing oil, get; that blessings may come upon
"thy head, and thy goodness fail not."
Ver. 9. Livejoyfully with the w.ife whom thou lovest,
&c.] Or see, or enjoy h.'fe a: this is one of the ways of
enjoying life comfortably, and one of the principal
ones; that if a man has a wife whom he ought to love
as himself. as his own flesh, to take delight in her com-
pany, be pleasant with her, and rejoice in her, Prov.
v. 18, 19. and this here may be put for all that pleasure
and satisfaction which may be lawfully had in the en-
joyment of all other relations and friends; which adds
no small part to the comfort ofa man's life. All the
days of the life of thy vanity; a wife is for life, and
not attera while 'to be divorced; and to be lived joy-
fully with, not for a short time only, but all the days
of life.. Which he hath given thee under the sun; that
is, either which wife God has given thee; tbr a wife is
the gift of God, Gcn. iii. 12. and which is a gift under
the sun; for above it, or in heaven, and in a future
state, there is no marrying nor giving in marriage, Luke
xx. 35. or which days he hath given thee, so the Sep-
tuagint, Vuigate Latin, and Arabic versions. It is
added, all the days of thy vanity; which is repeated,
that it might be obscrved that the life of man is b'ut a
vain life, a yapour that soon vanishes away, and man
in it, at his best estate, is vanity; and that notwith-
standing all the enjoyments of life in the most com-
fortable manner here directed to, yet still the doctrine
he set out With must be remembered, that all is va-
nity, ch. i. 2. For that is thy portion in this life, and
in thy labour which thou takest under the sun; this is all
the outward happiness of a man in this life, and all
the use, profit, and advantage of his labours, to eat and
drink cheerfully, to. clothe decently, to debar himself
of nothing of lawful pleasure, particularly to live joy-
fully with his wife, and enjoy his friends; this is the
utmost of outward felicity he can partake of, and this
he should not deny himself. Ben Melech restrains this
portion to a wife, and joyful living with her; but it
is best to include all that goes before.
Vet. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, &c.3
Not any thing that is evil, which is near at hand, and
easy to be found, and is in the power of men's hands
to do, Rom. vii. 2l. Mic. ii. 1. for this is forbidden of
God, abominable to him, and hurtful to men; but what-
soever is good,;, so the Targum," to do good and alms
"to the poor; even all good works in general, which
God requires of men, and it is their duty to do; though
they are not meritorious of any thing at his hands, nor
is there jnsti/ication or salvation by them; yet should
be done in obedience to the will or' God, in gratitude
to him for mercies received, and for his glory; as also
for the profit of men, and for our own good; for the
evidence of grace, and to preserve our characters from
the insults and reproaches of men. Whatever is found
written in the book of God should be done; not what
is of a ceremonial kind, and now abolished, but every
thing of a moral nature, and of positive institution,
under Gospel times; as all Gospel ordinances, and
whatever falls within a man's calling: for every man
has a work to do; in every station, as magistrates and
snbjects; in every relation, as husband and wife, pa-
rents and children, masters and servants; in every bu-
siness of life men are called to; which they should at-
tend, for the good of themselves and families, the relief
of the poor, and the support of the interest of religion:
and in religious things every one has his work to do;
the minister, in preaching and administering ordi-
nances; the deacon, in taking care of the poor; private
Christians, in praying in their closets and families, in


{a} Ille repotia natales aliosque dierum, festos albatus celebret. Satyr.
l. 2. Sat. 2. v. 60, 61.  Cum ipse epuli Dominus albatus esset, Cicero
in Vatin. c. 13.
{b} Comment. in Isa. lxv. 13.
{c} Coronatus nitentes malabathro Syrio capillos, Horat. Carmin. l. 2.
Ode 7. v. 7, 8.  paulo post: funde capacibus unguenta de conchis, v. 22,
23. Unguentum (fateor) bonum dedisti convivis, Martial. l. 3. Epigr. 11.
{d} \^Myyx har\^ vide vitam, Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius, Mercerus,
Cocceius; vel vitas, Montanus; perfruere vita, V. L. fruere vita,
Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Gejerus, Rambachius; so Broughton.