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uttereth unto another day: "that is, the world, or, the men of the world, who shine in the light of their wisdom, and are wise in their own eyes. As if he had said, The wisdom of the Spirit preaches and utters to the wisdom of the flesh, that it might take captive the flesh, and make it foolish. For the wisdom of the Spirit is that which is the "day" before God, and the wisdom of the flesh is that which is the "day" before men: that is, each in its place is celebrated, esteemed, and held in honour. Thus we have it, 1 Cor. i. Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.'

That such is the meaning, I am inclined to think from this, because it is written that the Gospel should be preached to those who knew it not. Rom. xv. 21, "To whom he was not spoken of they shall see." When therefore the "day" uttereth the word of the "day:" it does it not to that "day" to which it was uttered, nor unto the "day" itself which uttereth it, but unto another and contrary "day" to which it was not uttered.

And that these days and nights are used allegorically, we are compelled to conclude from these words, "uttereth speech" and "sheweth knowledge." For the natural days and nights do not utter speech nor shew knowledge, nor can they hear or understand. All speech, hearing, knowledge, and understanding, and also uttering and shewing, belong unto men that live upon the earth. And the following verse, where we have "speech" and "language" expressed, confirm the same.

And so also the "night;" that is, the believing apostles shew forth knowledge to the unbelieving world: because it is a repetition of the same thing. For as the believing are light before God and in God; so they are night before the world and in the world; that is, they are obscure and despised; nay, and in their own eyes also they are nothing and mere darkness, for they are not pleasing in their own estimation. On the contrary, the ungodly and unbelieving, as they are light in the world and in their own eyes, appear acceptable in their

own eyes and are pleasing to themselves, but spiritually and in the eyes of God, they are night and darkness. Thus the Apostle says, "For ye were once darkness."

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The prophet, therefore, here represents four views of things. He describes men as they are in their different lights and situations.-The wicked, he says, are days" in their own eyes, according to the external man; but they are night in the eyes of God, according to their internal man. And the godly, he shews, are day in the eyes of God, according to their internal man; but night in their own eyes, according to their external

man.

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And observe here the discrimination of the prophet: how he ascribes the word or speech to the day, and knowledge to the night. Because, it is knowledge that is shewn to the night, that is, to the world, according to the inward man: but it is to the day, that is, to the same world, according to the external man, that the word, or speech, is uttered. For the word " speech has respect unto the outward hearing, but "knowledge" to the inward understanding. Though he that will, may also by knowledge understand the vocal word to be meant. The meaning of the passage is, therefore, The wise in the spirit shew knowledge to the wise in the flesh that is, they communicate the knowledge of hidden things by the medium of the Word, which things themselves they do not set before the eyes. Thus, Luke i., John is represented as going before the face of the Lord to give, not salvation, but the knowledge of salvation. Because, our salvation is hid with Christ in God, but the knowledge of it is manifested by the Word.

Ver. 3.-There are neither speeches nor languages in which their voices are not heard.

What "their" is here meant? Most certainly the heavens, the days, and the nights, which declare the glory of God and the works of his hands. But where shall we hear these heavens? in what nation? and in what tongues will they speak? David here answers: They shall speak in the tongues of all nations: as the

following verse will shew. And this was fulfilled when the apostles spoke in various tongues the wonderful works of God and it is still fulfilled throughout the whole world. Because the Gospel, being spread abroad by the apostles in various tongues, still sounds in those same tongues, and will do unto the end of the world: though all may not speak in other tongues as each of the apostles did; nor is that necessary.

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This verse stops the mouths of those who say the apostles all spoke in the same Hebrew tongue, but that each nation or people heard them in their own tongue. But David says here, that there was no speech or language where their voices were not heard. If, therefore, the voices were of the apostles, and they were heard by men of all languages, they certainly spoke in various languages: for if they did not speak in various languages the voices were not theirs, but the voices of them that heard, or of the intermediate air.

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But by what miracle it was that the apostles so spoke forth various languages as not to confound the hearing of the hearers (for the same ear could not hear all languages at once) who can tell! He that enabled them to speak in various tongues, could also cause that each nation should hear their own language without tumult and without any confusion of the tongues: even as Christ spoke from heaven and was heard by Paul only. And this is what Luke says, Acts ii. that the amazed multitude, without any confusion, heard the apostles speak 'every man in his own language. As if he had said, His own tongue attracted or engaged each man only; and yet they all heard the same aposties, and the apostles spoke in various tongues. For he does not say, They all heard their own tongue: but, They all heard the apostles speaking in their own tongue: that is, the apostles were not only heard in each nation's own tongue, but they all spoke each nation's tongue. Otherwise, what need was there for the apostles to know the Greek tongue, in which they wrote? For the Hebrew would have been sufficient. Indeed, if the opinion above mentioned were true, the apostles would not

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have been said to have spoken in cach nation's tongue, but to have been heard in each nation's tongue: and the miracle would not then have been in them that spoke, but in them that heard: not in the tongues, but in the

ears.

But here observe again how David commends faith: for those things which are thus "declared" are not seen, but the voices of the preachers are heard: it is the hearing only that is required in the church of God.

Hieronymus renders the passage thus, There are no speeches, no words, in which their voice is not heard.' Here the Hebrew of what Hieronymus renders' words' is DEBARIM: which sometimes signifies recorded facts, or histories, or reports: but it is not in this sense that the word is to be understood here.

Nor does David here commend faith only, but the efficacy and fruit of the Word. For the apostles are not said to have spoken merely to the wind: but their voices are "heard:" that is, are received and embraced: which takes place by faith.-I here omit to say any thing about that question which many start: asking, Whether this verse can be said to be fulfilled, when all nations have not yet heard the Gospel? Every one can easily answer such a question as that.

Ver. 4.-Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.

Here, as I before said, David shews the place where these "heavens" are heard: that no one might complain or have room for any excuse, by saying, that he is not able to get across the sea, or to ascend into heaven in order to hear. Says Moses, Deut. xxx. “The Word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thine heart." It was for this very end that the apostles were gifted with the different tongues, that their sound might go into all the earth.-And observe how very carefully the Holy Spirit expresses himself, and places his words, that the apostles might not be thought to be themselves the authors of the words which they spoke, he here clearly makes them ministers only and instruments.

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As Christ says, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of my Father that speaketh in you." And again, He glorifieth me and beareth witness of me: and ye also shall bear witness of me.' Hence it is that David says, "Their voices are heard; but it is another that speaketh in them." Their sound goeth forth, but it is another that speaks and sends it forth, using as instruments their mouths and words.

Although the Hebrew has it 'their line' (or 'rule') is gone out into all the earth,' yet the Apostle, Rom. 1. says, "their sound:" which is indeed the same thing: for the sound of the Gospel is that rule according to which the church is built. For it is not built by the corporal arms of carpenters and masons, but by the Word of life. And by this word "line" or rule' is signified a certain measure: that is, that measure in which the ministry was committed to the apostles to carry throughout the whole world. For they did not all preach in the same place, but were sent in different directions throughout the whole world: not that they might gather its riches unto themselves, but that each might bring his portion unto Christ.

He hath set his tabernacle in the sun.

This, in the Hebrew, is the last part of the preceding verse and the Hebrew is thus, 'He hath set a taber nacle for the sun in them.' Here some receive the sun in a literal signification, as signifying this visible sun. But we must here understand the prophet to proceed with his allegory; and that the "sun" is he who is put into, and who dwells in these heavens: and this the fol lowing verse indicates, which is as a bridegroom coming out," &c. The sense is, therefore, he hath set Christ, who is the Sun of righteousness, (as it is said Malachi iv. that the Sun of righteousness shall arise in them that fear him, with healing in his wings,) in his apostles. For it is he that illuminates them, speaks in them, works in and by them, and is all things in them.

For we see that in these spiritual heavens also the Sun is their glory and their whole life and substance.

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