A BRIEF Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecy of OBADIAH TOGETHER With usefull Notes delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-Hith LONDON By EDWARD MARBURY the then Pastor of the said Church Psal 101. Ver. 1. My song shall be of Mercy and Judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for George Calvert and are to be sold at the Signe of the Halfe-Moone in Watling-street neere Pauls-stump 1649. To my worthy friends the Citizens and Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Iames Garlickhith London all the blessings of this life and that which is to come I Have not without good cause inscribed this Commentary unto you First those Sermons were Preach'd amongst you Secondly some of you have heretofore often importuned the publication of this and some others of my Labours Thirdly you were my First fruits and therefore the First Commencement of my Labours in this kind doth properly belong to you As then it is justly Dedicated unto you so I desire it may have your favourable acceptance and passe under the Convoy of your worthy names I have by me an Exposition of three other of the the Small Prophets viz. Habakuk Zephanie and Haggai which together with this are Licensed and intended for the Presse but the charge of Printing being great and the number of Buyers of Bookes in these times if we may beleeve the Stationers very small I thought fit to send forth this as Joshua did the Spies to see what encouragement the rest may happily finde to follow after it I am of Saint Austins minde who accounted nothing his owne but what he did communicate and professed himselfe to be of that number qui scribunt proficiendo scribendo proficiunt that write what they have learn't and learne more by writing and if the graine be good it is fitter for the Market then for the Garner What entertainment this will finde there I know not for mine owne part I have taken the Councell of the Wise neither to praise nor dispraise my owne doings the one he saith is vanity the other folly others will be ready enough to save me that paines to whose uncertaine censure I submit my selfe to stand or fall before them Yet thus much I will make bold to say for my selfe that I have done little or nothing herein without consulting the best Authors both Ancient and Moderne to which I have added that light which God by his Spirit revealeth in my understanding to discerne what his will is and to suggest what I shall French in his Church as the Bee gathereth Hâ—ny and storeth her Hive out of severall sorts of Flowers for the Common-good so have I out of these Collected and Gathered sundry Honey-Combes of truth for the use and benefit of the Publick All my desire is to doe all the good I can and to that end my Tongâ—e being suspended for some time I have taken this opportunity to supply the defect thereof by my Pen. I am loth to lose our Crowne of rejoycing in the day of the Lord. Animae servatae the saving of Soules will procure us a better Garland at the coming of Christ then Cives servati the saving of Citizens did the Ancient Romanes That is the onely marke we aime at and if we be light and not smoake in the Church of Christ the onely Subject and Matter of all our Preaching and Writing And the saving of your Soules a part of that bounden duty and debt which by the just bond of thankfulnesse I owe unto you especially Testis est mihi Deus quomodo cupiam vos omnes in visceribus Jesu Christi God is my witnesse how much I have desired the good of you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ and if I have not been able to doe for you what I would yet that I have desired and endeavoured it what I could may deserve acceptance or at the least will satisfie my owne Conscience In a word to see the welfare and happinesse of you and yours how much will it revive his heart who professeth himselfe You affectionate Friend and Servant in the Lord EDW. MARBVRY A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the PROPHECY of Obadiah VERSE I. The Vision of OBADIAH THis short prophecie calleth to my remembrance the words of David concerning God with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward v. 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 18.26 but wilt bring down high looks For in the former part of this prophecie God thundereth with the terrours of his judgements in the latter part we hear the whisper and still voice of his mercy 2 Things set consideration a work at First 1. The title which sheweth 1. Whose 2. What. 2. The Prophecie it self 1. Whose Obadiah Whether this were the proper name of a man or a notation onely to expresse the calling of him that wrote this prophecie we may doubt for Abad servus a servant and Jah Dominus a Lord may denote this prophet in his function a servant of the Lord and so are all the ministers of the word in a speciall service concerning the building up of the house of God That which Lyranus saith to be the judgement of most Ecclesiasticall writers that this was the same Obadiah that was steward of king Ahabs house 1 Reg. 18.4 and hid the prophets in the cave and fed them with bread and water and was contemporary with Elias that how great authours soever it hath is so clearly confuted in the words of this prophecie that we resolve against it For the prophecit it mentioneth the taking of Jerusalem was 800 yeers after Ahab It is likely that it was the proper name of the prophet and Dorotheus thinketh him the same that lived in Ahabs time which cannot be as I have shewed It must suffice us that we know this prophecie to have been ever received in the Canon of the Church Melitâ— in his epistle to Onesimus Euseb 4.25 naming the books of Canonicall Scripture doth name one book of the twelve prophets whereof this is one And I never read the authority of this prophecie doubted of in any age of the church he was one of those holy men 2 Pet. 2. who wrote and spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The maid that came to the door when Peter knockt Act. 2.14 knew him by his voice and surely the Majesty and weight that is in the Canonicall Scriptures doth declare them to be the voice of God which wanteth in all the Apocryphall Assuments as a reader diligently exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern These holy writings addressed to the perpetuall light of the Church are spare in their inscriptions Who wrote the books of Joshua Iudges Ruth Samuel Kings Chronicles Ester They are written they are ours the wisdom of God is seen in them the grace of God is confirmed by them the church of
God ever received them the Spirit of God testifieth of them and God in all ages hath been glorified by them The church of Rome doth attribute to the church a power of authorizing books of Scripture and maketh the Churches authority the warrant for the authorising thereof S. Aug. alloweth the Church the reputation of a witnesse Contra Faust 33.6 but not the power of authority herein for he saith Platonis Aristotelis Ciceronis libros unde noverint homines quod ipsorum sint nisi temporum sibi succedentium contestatione continua therefore that these books were the Canon of scripture the testimony of all ages in their successions doth maintain but this testimony doth not give them authority but witnesseth the authority given them by the Spirit of God We finde that even the authority of holy scriptures hath been denied by Hereticks Sadducaei nullas Scripturas recipiebant nisi quinq libros Mosis Simon prophetas minimè curandos dixit Iren. 1.20 quia a mundi fabricatoribus angelis Prophetias acceperunt Saturninus totum vetus test repudiebat Ptolemaitae libros Mosis Epiph. Haer 33. Nicolaitae et Gnostici librum Psalmorum Anabapt Cant. Salomonis Et lib. Iob. Porphyrius scripsit volumen Cont lib. Danielis The New Testament hath had many enemies the children of darknes have ever made war against light We are better taught and seeing the Holy Ghost hath not satisfied us from whence this our prophet came but hath only given us his name and his prophecie this contenteth us The vessel was but of earth which brought us this treasure if we have lost the vessell and kept the treasure The messenger was a man like us the message was the Lords if the messenger be gone and the message do yet remain the matter is not great Let us glorifie God for his Saints whom God hath used as instruments of our good and praise him for all his prophets and holy men by whom these heavenly oracles were received from him and communicated to the church The son of Sirach Ecclus. 4. Let us now commend the famous men in old time by whom the Lord hath gotten great glory let the people speak of their wisdom and the congregation of their praise Of this there is a double use 1 That we that do Legere read may learn Degere Sanctorum vitas to live the lives of saints and do the church of God all the good service we can 2 That God may be honoured in Saâ—ictis in the saints as saint Jerome saith Honoramus servos ut honor servorum redundet ad Dominum This is the honour of God and this is the praise of this prophet Obadiah whosoever he was he liveth in this prophecie to preach the will of God to you here present and to let you know both the justice of God against the enemies of his church and his mercy to his own beloved people For as the Apostle doth say of Abels faith and by it he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 so may we say of this and all other pen-men of holy Scripture that by these works of theirs though they be dead yet they do now speak in the church of God Avel spake two ways for there was 1 Vox sanguinis a voice of blood which cryed for judgement Gen. 4.10 Heb. 11.4 and 2 Vox fidei a voice of faith which is example for imitation Thus all Ecclesiasticall writers do speak and we in our studies do confer with dead men and take light from them That is the reason that the elect of God do not arise to their full reward before the resurrection of all flesh because their works do follow them in order as they are done and their light goeth not out by night Death doth not quench their candle Thus the antient fathers of the Church have left living monuments of their holy learning and we come after them and enter upon their labours They are unthankfull and spightfull that despise their names and refuse their testimonies which they have given to the truth and blemish their memory as if they were unworthy to be named in our sermons or to their judgements to be held in any estimation It is the only way for a man gloriously to out-live himself to be the instrument of doing good to the church of God when he is gone hence and is no more seen Blessed is that servant whom his Master when he cometh shall finde so doing 2. What The Vision Some have confounded these two termes Vision and Prophecie as both expressing the same act of Propheticall vocation I finde three of these titles used together Now the acts of David the King first and last 1 Châ—on 29 29. behold they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer Where though our English Translation do use the same word for Samuel and Gad calling them both Seers the Hebrew distinguisheth them and a learned Professor of Divinity doth read in verbis Samnelis inspicientis the Inspector Dr. Humâ— Decor-Interpret lib. 3. Nathan Prophetae the Prophet Gad videntis the Seer I do not take these to be three distinct Offices but three parts of the same Office For 1. Such must be Videntes Seers God must open their eyes that they may see what the will of God is Balaam being to prophecie at the request of Balak against Israel beginneth thus Balaam the son of Beor hath said the man whose eyes are open hath said Num. 24.3 He hath said which heard the words of God which saw the Vision of the Almighty who had his eyes shut but now open Therefore they must be videntes Seers for if the blinde do lead the blinde you know where to finde them both 2. Such must be inspicientes inspectors and that both in regard of the suggestion that it be no humane phantasie no satannicall illusion but a divine and spirituall revelation As also in regard of the thing suggested that they may rightly informe themselves in the will of God and so farre as God revealeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may boldly say and maintaine Sic dicit Dominus thus saith the Lord. 3. Thus prepared they may be Prophets that is the Publishers of this will of God to them to whom they be sent So that Vision and Inspection belong to preparation prophecie to execution of that Office from whence Docemur we are taught 1. Doctrine The faithfull minister of the word of God must receive his information and instructions from the Spirit of God before he preach or prophesie We are ambassadours and messengers from God and the warrant of our calling is our mission the Apostle saith How shall he preach except he be sent for mission importeth fit instructions in the errand God hath laid blame upon them that run unsent and no man putteth himself in that imployment but he that was sent as was Aaron The Son
come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me Adoni-Bezek confest this justice of retaliation executed on him for they took him and cut off his thumbs and great toes and he said Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbs and toes cut off gathered their meat at my table Ver. 23. Jude 1.6 as I have done God hath requited me So saith God to the Chaldeans Because thou hast spoyled many Nations Heb 2.8 all the remnant of the people shall spoyle thee And God made this judgement good against Amalek for they sought to destroy Israel and God by Israel destroyed them Samuel said to Agag their King As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among other women 1 Sam. 1.5 33. so he hewed him in peeces before the Lord. Ahab slew Naboth and himself was slain 1 King 21.19 Jezabel shed Naboths blood Thus saith the Lord In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick even thy blood also The dogs shal eat Jezabel by the wals of Iezreel As Solomon threatneth They shall eate the fruit of their own way Prov. 1.31 and be filled with their own devises The Apostle calleth this righteousnesse in God It is a righteous thing with God 2 Thes 1.6 to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you The word is decomposite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth a retribution contrary to them that in the same they shal be Patients wherein they have been Agents From this fountain of justice cometh that Law judiciall Ex. 21.24 an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth which Law Christ did not abrogate but interpret and put it into the power of the Magistrate where it ought to be taking it away from private persons Vse Let us all lay this justice of God to heart and let us look for it at the hands of God that he will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to us our iniquities unrepented Let the Adulterer heare Job If my heart have been deceived by a woman or if I have laid wait at the doore of my neighbour let my wife grind to another Job 31.9 10. and let other men bow down upon her Let the cruel oppressor of his brethren look to be oppressed in himself or in his posterity If the daughter of Babel oppresse Blessed shall he be Psa 137.8 that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us It it Gods own word He that honoureth me him will I honour but he that despiseth me shall be despised Doctr. 3 There is no true love and peace between the ungodly Here hath been much confederacy between Edom and other Nations they were men of Peace they did eat and drink together yet even those turned perfidious to Edom and betrayed him Christ in his legacy of Peace said pacem meam do vobis non sicut mundus dat Job 14 27 My peace I give unto you not as the world giveth For Either it is pax adulationis the Peace of Adulation of which David saith Olâ—um peccatoris non confringet capat meum Ravennas note is that in all Sacrifices to God salt was used for God cannot be flattered when we say the most we can of him we come short Adulatio quam similis est amicitiae non imitatur tantum sed praecedit Poore men have the advantage of the rich in this for who flattereth them Sinners say we need not this waste why should we bestow it on them that cannot requite us We will save it and give it to them which are mighty 2. Or it is pax malae confederationis the peace of evil confederacie such as is between Thieves we will all have one purse these be as old Jacob said of Simeon and Levi fratres in malo brothers in evil St. Aug. calleth this ne fariam amicitiam a wicked friendship into their secret let not my soule come These tares bind themselves in bundles for the fire 3. Pax simulationis a dissembling peace when men hide malice under a shew of Peace that they may sub amici fallere nomen that they deceive under shew of friendship so â—udas kisseth and betrayeth Amasa entreateth and stabbeth 4. Pax temporalis a temporall peace when men maintain love and friendship and exchange great gifts and tender love and service to serve a turn So men set up the Ladders that they clime by as high as they can but when their turn is served they lay them along upon the ground This is the peace which the world giveth and there is no true friendship in it Pro. 17.17 for a friend loveth at all times Nec ullis divulsus querimoniis Suprema citius solvit amor die True peace is like the dew of Hermon none but the Elect of God have it My Peace I give to you it is not like the light of the Sun that shines on good and bad This is like the light that shined on Gosâ—en when all Egypt else was in palpable darknesse This is like the pretious oyle powred on Aarons head and running down to the skirts of his raiment Psa 133.2 3. for there the Lord Commanded the blessing and life for ever more Aristotle held that friendship contracted either by pleasure or profit could not hold for the cement and glew that should tye them together is but weak this continuation is but hujus ad hoc of this to that But the union of the faithful is hujus in hoc of this in that For they be incorporate in one body and they are made members of Christ and members one of another one flesh one body We see men in their greatnesse followed and served and petitioned observed and presented with choisest and richest gifts if we see them decline in favour or power we see them forsaken of their servants We see young prodigals frequented with company courted with complements feasted and swelled with all delights but when the fountain of this friendship is drawn dry and the means faile who calleth those men friends or seeketh their conversation This yet appeareth more plainly in the Idumeans of Rome that have long persecuted the true Church of God for though they have laboured ever since the first corruption of the Church to maintain their Hereticall opinions yet could they never be at any perfect peace amongst themselves And this ofter our Church may boldly make to them that there is no Tenet in our Religion we maintain against them but we wil renounce it if we do not find it averred by some one or most of eminent learning amongst themselves And because it will take up too much time to give instance in al particulars of our difference from the Trent Church For a taste let me refer so many as are desirous of better satisfaction to read that learned proofe of this truth in the Reverend Dean of Glocesters third book of the Church at the end of it where he nameth the agreement of our
Lords Trumpet dat sonum certum gives a certain sound Doct. 3. The preaching of all true and faithfull Ministers and Prophets accord to their instructions is rumor a Domino a rumor from the Lord and because weake and distressed Consciences do often heare suggestions of feare they must examine the rumor si a Domino if it be of the Lord. 2. The rumour was that God would punish Edom by war Doct. 1. All warres are ordained by God Doct. 2. God punisheth one evil Nation by another Doct. 3. Warre is one of Gods rods to punish sinne Doct. 4. The people of God may lawfully make warre 3. The effect of this warre ver 2. 1. From God I have made thee small 2. From man Thou art greatly despised In both Doct. God giveth warning of his judgements to those whom he foreseeth such as will not take warning to amend In the first God maketh small his enemies 1. God casteth down the proud Doct. In the second thou art despised 2. They that despise God shall be despised 2. The despaire of all their hopes five hopes 1. In the pride of their own hearts 2. In the safety of their dwelling ver 3 4 5 6. 3. In the strength of their confederates ver 7. 4. In their wisedome ver 8. 5. In the strength of their own men ver 9. 1. Hope in their own pride Doct. God resisteth the proud Pride is an abominable sin in the sight of God and it deceiveth man 2. Hope in the strength of their dwelling Doct. No place is safe without Gods protection for the hidden things of Esau shall be searched and found out 3. Hope in their confederates Doct. 1. God punisheth one sinne by another for the sinne of Edom in casting off their trust in God is punished by their trusting in men Doct. 2. God requiteth sinners with the same measure that they have measured to others Doct. 3. The falling out of these confederates with Edom sheweth that there is not true peace between the ungodly Doct. 4. Those who put their trust in men have no understanding 4. Hope in their wise men Doct. Humane wisdome and counsell against the Lord are no fense for any state 5. Hope in their strong men Doct. Vaine is the help of man against God 3. The cause provoking God to this severe prosecution of Edom. 1. Set down in generall termes ver â—0 2. In a particular description ver 11 12 13 14. 1. In generall they are charged with cruelty to their brother Jacob. 2. In particular they are charged 1. With cruelty of combination Doctr. They that joyne with others in action of murther or robbery are actually culpable as ayders abettors and maintainers of cruelty and wrong 2 With the cruelty of the eye Doctr. They that look upon the injuries done to their brethren with delight and without compassion or reliefe of them be equally culpable with them that wrong them 3. With the cruelty of the heart they rejoyced against their brethren Doctr. The heart of man affected to wrong though neither the head of counsell nor the hand of assistance joyne with it doth break the Law of charity 4. With the cruelty of the tongue Doctr. The proud words of the enemies of God do break peace and transgresse the current of charity 5. With cruelty of hands shewed in these things 1. Invasion of their City 2. Direption of their goods 3. Insidiation for life 4. Depopulation not sparing the residue Doct. Whatsoever is done against our brother in his person or in his goods breaketh the Law The Fourth part Gods revengement This containeth two things 1. A judgement of God revealed against the ungodly 2. A sweet consolation of the Church In the Iudgement I note six things 1. The Certainty the day set 2. The Propinquity near at hand 3. The extent to all the Heathen 4. The equity as thou hast done c. 5. The Contents they shall drink 6. The duration continually Doct. 1 God hath set a time to punish every sinne of the impenitent Doct. 2 That time is at hand Doct. 3 God doth punish those whom himselfe hath stirred up to be his instruments to punish others Doct. 4 God doth punish by retaliation Doct. 5 Though the judgement of God do begin at the House of God the wicked shall not go unpunished The judgement of the wicked and unmercifull Doct. 6 is without all mercy 2. The comfort of the Church 1. He speaketh of their judgement as past Doctrine Though the Church of God do live under the Crosse for a time it shall not be ever so Doctrine 2 He calleth Sion though thus layd waste his holy Mountaine Where God loveth once he loveth ever and though he afflicteth yet he loveth still 3. He revealth to his Church their owne deliverance and the destruction of their enemies Doctrine The Cup of wrath shall passe from the Church to her enemies the knowledge whereof is a great setling to the Church in comfort The second part of the Prophecy Containing the consolation of the Church against all her enemies wherein observe 1. A promise of restitution to their owne 2. Of victory against their enemies 3. The meanes ordained for thiâ— 1. In the promise of restitution Doct. 1 God requireth of them whom he delivereth from evils holinesse of life Doct. That God delivereth his Church first that after they may serve him 2. The victories of their enemies Doct. 1 The afflictions of the Church do turne to their greater good Doct. God punisheth the enemies of his Church by his Church against which they have formerly prevailed The Church hath good warrant to settle their faith in the assurance of this because the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Doct. 3 3. The meanes to effect this 1. Here is a promise of Saviours to them Doct. 1 Though God do long punish he doth ever love his people Doct. 2 Though God have all power and means under command yet he doth choose to make us instruments of his favour to one another men Saviours Doct. 3 We are taught to give due honour to the meanes of Gods favours by the example of Gods communicating to his instruments his owne great title of Saviours 2. Here is a promise of victory to his Church full victory They shall judge the mount of Esau Doct. Though the enemies of the Church do resist long yet God at last will give his Church a compleat victory over them all 3. The issue and effect of all The Kingdome shall be the Lords Doct. This is the proper worke and fruit of all Gods favours to his Church to advance the Kingdome of God on earth and to submit our selves a faithful subjects to the Dominion Thus have I drawn the the two breasts of this prophecy and milked it to you vâ—nite ad muâ—ctram for it hath two parts Binos alit utere faetus 1. Here is the Doctrine of Gods justice 2. The Doctrine of his mercy I have done more I have gathered the creame of this milke for these Doctrines which I have collected be Plos Lactis I confesse that I have studied this Prophecy with singular delight which hath turned the paines I took in it into sweet and gracious recreations for in this short only Chapter of this Prophecy Here is a sweet meeting 1. Of the Majesty and authority in the sender and fidelity in the Messenger 2. Of great substance and weight of matter with admirable oratory of words and sentences and with sweet disposition of order and method Righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Righteousnesse punishing Edom and the Heathen and avenging the cause of Sion Peace establishing the Kingdome of God in the restauration of his Church The Prophecy is like a seasonable March it comes in like a Lyon to end Winter it goes out like a Lambe to bring in the cheerfull Spring For it begins at Bella horrida bella it ends with Peace be within thy borders and plenteousnesse within thy Palaces In the Title of this Prophecy which is called The Vision of Obadiah I can shew you the best Book in my Study and the light of all my Meditations even the Vision which God by his Spirit revealeth in my understanding to discerne what his will is and to suggest what I shall preach in his Church Great are the helpes of a plentifull Library to furnish us for this service but he that hath not the helpe of Vision from him that giveth eyes to the blind shall walke in the darke and not know whether he goweth I may say with S. Iohn What I have seen and heard that have I delivered unto you and I have no more to say of it but I wish the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush to second his outward Ordinance of semination with a blessing of encrease without which he that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing To him let us give the honour due to his name and say Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto Amen Amen Amen FINIS