It noteth leaning upon a staff, or upon any stay (1 Sam. 1.6.) Saul leaned upon his spear being weary in the battle. And, Prov. 3.5. Lean not to thine own understanding. Wise men, men of deep reach and judgement, lean to their own understandings, their wits are their props (Isa. 10.20.) The remnant of Israel shall no more stay themselves upon him that smote them but they shall stay upon the Lord, or, they shall lean upon the Lord, the holy One of Israel in truth. (2 Sam. 22.19.) they prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. God prevents his people with mercy, and their enemies prevent them with unkindnesses, but the love of God out-runs the malice of man; His love stays up those whom malice would cast down. The Lord was my stay. And hence, the Noun of this Verb in the Hebrew, signifies a staff, because we use a staff to lean and rest the body upon (Isa. 3.1.) Behold, the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The stay of bread, or, the staff of bread; because bread is that upon which the life of man leans or depends, as we depend or lean upon a staff.1 Bread is elegantly called a staff, because bread supports the life of man, as a staff doth the body. It implies this also, that the power, virtue and strength by which bread doth sustain us, comes from without; The staff of bread; he doth not call the bread it self a staff, but he saith, there is a staff of bread, the bread must have a staff (of blessing from God) or else it cannot be a staff (of strengthening to us) as the bread is the immediate staff of our bodies: so the blessing of God is the immediate staff of the bread: the bread leaneth upon the blessing of God, as we lean upon the bread. As an hungry man leans upon his bread, so an hypocrite leans upon his house, He shall lean upon his house. That's his stay.
It noteth leaning upon a staff, or upon any stay (1 Sam. 1.6.) Saul leaned upon his spear being weary in the battell. And, Prov. 3.5. Lean not to thine own understanding. Wise men, men of deep reach and judgement, lean to their own understandings, their wits are their props (Isa. 10.20.) The remnant of Israel shall no more stay themselves upon him that smote them but they shall stay upon the Lord, or, they shall lean upon the Lord, the holy One of Israel in truth. (2 Sam. 22.19.) they prevented me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. God prevents his people with mercy, and their enemies prevent them with unkindenesses, but the love of God out-runs the malice of man; His love staies up those whom malice would cast down. The Lord was my stay. And hence, the Noun of this Verb in the Hebrew, signifies a staff, because we use a staff to lean and rest the body upon (Isa. 3.1.) Behold, the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah, the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water. The stay of bread, or, the staff of bread; because bread is that upon which the life of man leans or depends, as we depend or lean upon a staff.1 Bread is elegantly called a staff, because bread supports the life of man, as a staff doth the body. It implies this also, that the power, vertue and strength by which bread doth sustain us, comes from without; The staff of bread; he doth not call the bread it self a staff, but he saith, there is a staff of bread, the bread must have a staff (of blessing from God) or else it cannot be a staff (of strengthening to us) as the bread is the immediate staff of our bodies: so the blessing of God is the immediate staff of the bread: the bread leaneth upon the blessing of God, as we lean upon the bread. As an hungry man leans upon his bread, so an hypocrite leans upon his house, He shall lean upon his house. That's his stay.
- 1Scita est Metaphora •um fulcimentum paniusurpat pro pane fulciente, s•• nificans foris vim illam panū accedere Ut enim gressus senum reguntur baculo, ita panis dicitur habere •acu um Moll. in Isa. 3.1.Scita est Metaphora •um fulcimentum paniusurpat pro pane fulciente, s•• nificans foris vim illam panū accedere Ʋt enim gressus senum reguntur baculo, ita panis dicitur habere •acu um Mol. in Isa. 3.1.
