An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of…

¹There is a fifth Interpretation, taking the word Chesed for corporal favour, or the beauty of the body, we say, such an one is well favoured, he hath an excellent feature; the favour of a man is seen in the feature of his face. Favour is the perfection of beauty. Some have a clear mixture of white and red, yet no favour. In this sense the word is used (Isa. 40.6.) where the Lord makes a proclamation, The voice said, Cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field; The word which we translate goodliness, is Chesed, All flesh is grass (man withers quickly) and Chesed, the goodliness thereof, all of man, his favour, beauty, strength, all these are as the flower of the field. Some read goodness for goodliness; the sense holds, if we take it so: the natural, the moral goodness of man is but a flower. As no goodliness, so no goodness of man, except spiritual, lasteth long, and that lasteth long and long, even for ever. Grace is not as the flower of the field, that is durable substance: that (as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8.) shall stand for ever. The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God, for his Word is the external seed or principle of grace. But all other goodness and goodliness of man, how good, how goodly soever, his other beauty, how beautiful soever, his strength how strong, his favour how well favoured so ever, is but as the flower of the field, which is either cut down while it is green, or soon fades while it stands.

¹There is a fifth Interpretation, taking the word Chesed for corporall favour, or the beauty of the body, we say, such an one is well favoured, he hath an excellent feature; the favour of a man is seen in the feature of his face. Favour is the perfection of beauty. Some have a clear mixture of white and red, yet no favour. In this sense the word is used (Isa. 40.6.) where the Lord makes a proclamation, The voice said, Cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grasse, and the goodlin•sse thereof as the flower of the field; The word which we translate goodlinesse, is Chesed, All flesh is grasse (man withers quickly) and Chesed, the goodlinesse thereof, all of man, his favour, beauty, strength, all these are as the flower of the field. Some read goodnesse for goodlinesse; the sense holds, if we take it so: the naturall, the morall goodnes of man is but a flower. As no goodlines, so no goodnes of man, except spiritual, lasteth long, and that lasteth long and long, even for ever. Grace is not as the flower of the field, that is durable substance: that (as the Prophet speaks there of the Word of God in v. 8.) shall stand for ever. The grace of God is as lasting as the Word of God, for his Word is the externall seed or principle of grace. But all other goodnesse and goodlinesse of man, how good, how goodly soever, his other beauty, how beautifull soever, his strength how strong, his favour how well favoured so ever, is but as the flower of the field, which is either cut down while it is green, or soon fades while it stands.