that almightie God spake himself by the mouth of the prophet Therfore I say which perteyneth to the first part of this chapter that the destruction of the Edomites is certayne For God himself is the author therof Vnto this parte also perteyneth the title of the prophesie in that it is called a vision Of visions there is often mentiō made in the Scriptures as in the prophesies of Ieremie Ezechiel Daniell and in the Reuelations of Iohn Daniell in a dreame sawe a vision of foure Beastes And Sainct Iohn in a traunce saw a vision of seuē candlesticks Of this and suche other visions his whole booke of Reuelations consisteth Which are declarations of things to come by similitudes darke kinds of spéech But in this prophesie a visiō is otherwise vnderstanded for it signifieth héere a declaratiō of things to come in playne words without any similitude or allegorie As a Prophet in olde time was called a Seer so heere the prophesie of Abdias is called the sight or vision of Abdias A Prophet in olde tyme was called a Seer bicause he did foresée things that shuld come to passe afterwards so héere Abdias prophesie is called a vision bicause it is a thing foreseene that shoulde be fulfilled in tyme to come These two are both one in effecte a Vision and a Prophesie yet some difference there is betwéene them For a Vision is a reuelation of that thing whiche God hath appoynted to bring to passe afterwards and a Prophesie is an vttring of that is reuealed As Prophets are dyuers so are prophesies some false some true but a visiō is always certain so called bicause it is séene reueled by god vnto mā That is truly called a visiō wherof we can testifie that haue séene it Whatsoeuer writing may truely be so called it is an argumēt that the doctrine therin conteined is true Therfore the prophet giueth this title vnto his prophesie to declare the certentie therof Our Sauior vseth the like argumēt in defēce of his doctrine saying That which I haue séene I testifie vnto you And after this sort s Iohn beginneth his first Epistle saying That which we haue heard which we haue séene with our eyes which we haue looked vpon whiche our hands haue handled that declare we vnto you The title of this prophesie is almost one with this title of S. Iohns Epistle For the vision of Abdias is as much to say as that whiche Abdias hath seene or that whiche God hath reuealed vnto him for a certayntie to be fulfilled in time to come Therefore I say this prophesie is called a vision bicause this worde conteyneth in it an argument that it shal come to passe in déede as the Prophet hath spoken or rather as God hath spoken by the mouth of the Prophet And bicause God reuealed it vnto him it is called his vision At what time this prophesie was reuealed or at what time Abdias vttred it is not expressedly declared eyther in this booke nor in any other booke of the Scripture The Iewes write that this was the same Abdias that liued in the dayes of king Ahab and dyd saue an hundred of the true Prophets hyding them by fiftie fiftie in a caue and gaue them necessarie sustenance But the opinion of the Iewes séemeth contrarie to the truthe For there is good reason to shew that Abdias liued at the same time that Ieremie and Ezechiell prophesied For they prophesie all agaynst one and the same people they all declare the miserie and calamitie of the Edomites and the causes of their destructiō Abdias doth agrée in words with Ieremie as though he had learned the maner of handling his prophesie of him as the scholer of the master Therefore it séemeth that they liued and prophesied bothe at one tyme whiche was when Nabuchodonosor had destroyed Ierusalem and caried the inhabitantes thereof prisoners vnto Babilon whiche captiuitie was full thrée hundred yeres after the reigne of Achab. Therefore that Abdias which was in his tyme could not be aliue in these dayes Moses in his prayer a lyttle before his death sayth that in his dayes the age of man was but thréescore yéeres and ten In Achabs tyme it is likely that mans age was rather shortned than prolonged bicause in his dayes the worlde was aboue fiue hundred yeres older than it was in Moses time For the older the world is the shorter is the life of man Althoughe some men liue now a dayes longer than the common sort doe yet the age of man commonly is but thréescore or fourescore yeres So Moses liued an hūdred twentie yeres And if God in like maner were so beneficial to Abdias that was in Ahabs time that he liued .40 yeres longer than the common age of man yet he could not liue vnto the captiuitie of Babilon For then he must haue liued aboue thrée hundred yeres Therfore our Abdias and he were diuers persons as their state condition was diuers for the one was a lay man the other a Cleargie man the one was a Courtier the other a Prophet But in this they do both agrée that they might both be truly named Abdias that is to say the seruaunts of god For they both did God good seruice the one in sauing his Prophets from the cruel tyrannie of Iesabell and in giuing them bodily sustenance the other in vttering the Prophesie that God had reuealed vnto him and in feeding his people with spirituall foode The foode wherewith the Prophet féedeth Gods people is the foode of consolation and comforte whiche is ministred by the declaration of the certayn destruction of their enimies whiche is declared vnto them in these words Thus hath the Lorde Iehoua sayde The Lorde hathe spoken it Adonai is the Hebrue worde which signifieth such a Lorde as is an helper a sucourer a preseruer one that is of power might and also hath a care of his people Therfore was Ioseph called Adonai bicause he was an helper and succourer of the Egyptians bicause he was of great power might amōg them bicause he had not onely a care of the people but also by the pollicie wisdome that God had giuen him they were preserued in time of derth Such a Lorde sayth the Prophet hath spokē these words which he vttreth vnto the people And bicause there are many that are called Adonai or Lorde for difference sake he addeth this name Iehoua That Lorde saythe he whose name is Iehoua hathe spoken it who is God aboue all Lordes who is almightie and ruler of all the worlde and therefore is able to performe whatsoeuer he sayth and he hath alreadie sayd it it is alreadie determined and therefore can not be altered Although the minde of man may be changed God is vnchangeable he hath sayde it and therefore certeinly it shall come to passe For confirmation whereof it followeth VVe haue hearde this voyce from Iehoua The Prophet Ieremie
hath the same words in effect He sayth I haue heard this voyce from Iehoua He speaketh of him selfe in the singular number Although in effecte there be no more certeintie in the words of the one than of the other yet in our eares Abdias séemeth to speake more certeinely bicause he speaketh in the plurall number not of him selfe onely but also of other Prophets he seemeth to saye thus muche Not onely God hath spoken it but also that you may vnderstād I speake of knowledge I testifie vnto you that we haue hearde it not onely I but also my fellow Prophets Ieremie and Ezechiel for they haue prophesied the same things that I shall declare vnto you Thus hée bringeth witnesses of that he saith That which is testified by two or thrée séemeth vnto vnto vs more certayne than that which is witnessed by one onely Therefore for the better credite of his words he sayth not I but we haue herd it and that not of any mortall man but of Iehoua the voyce came from almightie God whereof I and Ezechiel and Ieremie are witnesses And this is the voyce That an Embassadour is sent among the Nations Thir is the Hebrue word which properly signifieth the hinges of a doore vpō which the doore goeth too and fro and is thereby ruled But figuratiuely it signifieth an Embassadour suche a one as is a chiefe mā vnder the Prince by whose wisdome the common weale is ruled and vpon whom the good estate of the Prince and people dothe depende So this Embassadour heere mentioned is a chéefe man by whom I vnderstande the sonne of God the seconde person in trinitie who is the euerlasting wisedome of the father by whom the world was made and without whō nothing was made that was made by whom the world is gouerned by whō Princes do reigne and kings do beare rule who sendeth peace and warre he is the Lorde that doth all these things It is he that moueth the Nations agaynst the Edomites to destroy them All Nations must obey this Embassadour he is not sent to one nation but to a multitude of Nations they all shall come agaynst the Edomites Therfore their destruction is certayne The Embassadour is alreadie sent sayth the Prophet This matter is not now in consultatiō it is alreadie past it can not be stayde His commission is deliuered vnto him and he is gone on his iourney And this is his commission to the Nations to warre agaynst the Edomites saying Vp and let vs arise agaynst hir vnto battel In Ieremie it is thus Gather your selues togither come agaynst hir rise to battell In Ieremie the Embassadour speaketh vnto the nations willing them to rise against the Inhabitants of Idumea but in our prophet Abdias he speaketh muche more cōfortably signifying that he him selfe will go with them vnto the warre that he wil be a chéef captayne among them He maketh him selfe one of the number shewing therby that they shall haue his helpe that he wil fight with them who can compasse and bring to passe al things as pleaseth him Let vs sayth he rise agaynst hir that is to say agaynst the nation of the Edomites God him selfe promiseth to fight with his people therfore the enimies shal surely be destroyed his childrē shall ouercome For if God be on our side who shal be agaynst vs This is the first part of the former chapt declaring the certentie of the Edomites destructiō In the which there is to be noted a lessō for al ministers preachers of gods word in that the prophet entitleth his booke a vision in that he saith Thus hath the lord Iehoua said this voyce haue we herd frō Iehoua wherby is giuē vs to vnderstād that he vttereth such things only as he hath séene and suche as God hath reuealed vnto him Suche things as he hathe heard of God and nothing else but that which God hath spoken This was alwayes the maner of the Prophetes and also of the Apostles as appeareth in their Epistles and in the reuelations of S. Iohn not to speake their owne fansies not to preache doctrine deuised by them selues not to be wise in their owne opinions but to teach the truthe procéeding from God him selfe and nothing else but that whiche he hath taught This maner all Gods ministers oughte to obserue which they shal do if they speake nothing rashly and vnaduisedly but do diligently examine and searche the knowledge of God in his worde whiche teacheth the true wisedome and giueth good vnderstanding euen to the simple rude and ignorante persons and as the Apostle saythe is able to make a man wise as muche as is requisite vnto saluation If Gods ministers suffer their lippes to vtter nothing but that whiche is truely grounded vpon this worde they may be bolde to say Thus hath the Lorde sayd This voyce haue we heard frō the lord This euery preacher ought not to say only but also it is requisite that he be sure that he may truly say it For there are many false Prophets and false teachers that say Thus sayth the Lord this is the worde of God when they teache their owne fansies Suche take the name of God in vayne abusing it for the aduauncing of them selues and the encrease of their owne wealth Suche shall be gréeuously punished for God will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vayne Therefore it is requisite that euery one whiche taketh vpon him to be a minister and preacher of the Gospell do diligently examine his doctrine by the worde of God and then he may truly say with the Prophet This hath the Lorde sayde and that which we haue heard we testifie vnto you Then he may say with the Apostle that which I receiued of the Lorde I haue deliuered vnto you and this is the Lords saying and not myne This is a lesson for all the ministers of Gods word noted in this first part of the chapter Héere is also a lesson for the instruction of al true Christians in that the Prophet signifieth that the sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie is sent as an Embassadour to stirre vp the nations to warre agaynst Gods enimies and in that he giueth vs to vnderstande that God him selfe will fight with thē agaynst the aduersaries of his children héereby we learne that God careth for his childrē that he helpeth those that call vpon him in aduersitie as he hath promised saying Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thée He fighteth for vs agaynst our enimies therefore they can not preuayle agaynst vs For it is written if God be on our side who can be agaynst vs Where God taketh parte there is the victorie In vayne dothe any Prince make battell agaynst his will for all the creatures in the world are ruled by him mā beast sunne moone fire and water the earth the sea the cloudes are at his cōmandement he vseth al
sayth When I am exalted I will draw all men vnto me that is to say all that do beléeue and S. Paule sayth All men séeke their owne profite that is to say all men for the most parte neglecte their dutie towards God and their neighboure So in this place where the Prophet signifieth that God will plague all Nations he vnderstandeth all those that are enimies vnto the people of God and not all nations vniuersally as it is signified by these words As thou hast done it shall be done vnto thée For this is the purpose of the Prophet to comforte the Israelites whose consolation consisteth not in the destruction of all nations but in the ouerthrow of their enimies Therfore he giueth them to vnderstande that their enimies shall be vtterly destroyed saying For euen as you haue drunke vpon my holy hill so all nations shall drinke continually yea they shall drinke and swalowe vp and they shall be as though they had not beene By this worde drinke metaphorically or figuratiuely is vnderstanded affliction oftentimes in the scriptures as in these words of our Sauiour Let this cup passe from me but if it can not passe from me but I must néedes drink it thy wil be done Heere by drinking of the cup he meaneth the suffring of his most paynful passion Also the prophet Ieremie preaching the destruction of the Edomites with Abdias hath these words Thus sayth the Lorde Beholde they whose iudgement was not to drink of the cup haue assuredly drunken and art thou he that shalt escape free Thou shalte not goe free but thou shalte surely drinke of it For I haue sworne by my selfe sayth the Lorde that Bosra shall be wast and for a reproch and a desolation and a curse and all the cities thereof shal be perpetuall desolations These words do plainly teache vs that to drinke figuratiuely signifieth to suffer affliction This therefore is that he sayth in the person of God euen as you that are my people haue ben afflicted in your owne countrey which I haue chosen as a peculiar place for my selfe to be worshipped in so all nations that haue afflicted you shall be plaged yea they shall be miserably scourged and brought to perpetuall desolation Thus the Prophete endeth the first chapter of his prophesie whiche concerneth the destruction of the Edomites nowe he describeth the felicitie and prosperitie of the Israelites But vpō mount Sion there shal be saluation and it shal be holy and the house of Iacob shall recouer their possessions And the house of Iacob shall be a fyre and the house of Ioseph a flame and the house of Esau as stubble and they shall kindle among them and consume them and there shall be none left of the house of Esau for Iehoua hath spoken it Sion is the hill vpon the whiche Ierusalem was buylded and is taken for the whole countrey of the Israelites They shall be deliuered saythe the prophet they shal recouer their possessions and also destroy their enimies euen as fire doth consume stubble For therfore are the Israelites likened vnto fire the Edomites to stubble to declare the sodayne destruction that God shall sende vpon the posteritie of Esau by the hands of the inhabitants of Ierusalem Which the Prophet Ezechiel expresseth in playne words saying I will execute my iudgement vpon Edom by the hande of my people Israell and they shall do in Edom according to my anger and according to my indignation and they shall knowe my vengeance sayth the Lorde God. Thus God threatneth destruction to the Edomites but the Israelites shall flourishe as in the words following it is declared And they shall possesse the Southe side of mounte Esau and the champion countrey of the Philistines and they shall possesse the feelden countrey of Ephraim and the feelden countrey of Samaria and Beniamin shal possesse Gilead Héere the Prophet sheweth the Israelites how their dominion shall be enlarged The south side of Idumea or of moūt Seir is the furthest parte of the countrey from Israell This is it therefore that is giuen them to vnderstande that they shal inhabite not onely their owne countrey but also the countrey of the Edomites and the Philistines and Beniamin whose habitation is in the west shall possesse Gilead which is in the East that is to say the Israelites shall haue dominion from the west to the East and from the North to South which in the words following is further declared And they of this host of the Israelites that are in captiuitie among the Cananites shall possesse vnto Sarephath and they of Ierusalem that are in captiuitie in Sephared shall possesse the cities of the South And there shal come vp in mount Sion sauiours to giue sentēce agaynst the mount of Esau and Iehoua shal haue the kingdome That is to say the Israelites dominion shall be from the South to the North and from the North to the South from the one ende of the countrey to the other For the Cananites dwelled in the South countrey and Sarephath otherwise called Sarepta was in the North so was also Seraphad otherwise called Bosphorus according to the iudgement of some Interpreters This benefite God promiseth by his Prophet vnto his people for bringing of whiche thing to passe he vsed the ministerie of certayne noble men and chiefe captaynes as Zorobabell Nehemias Esdras and such other who héere are called Sauiours bicause God by their hands chiefly saued the people So in the booke of the Iudges Othniell and Ehud are called Sauiours bicause they were the captaynes by whose meanes the Israelites were deliuered from the bondage of their enimies The like prosperitie God promiseth héere vnto the same people the which béeing brought to passe the Prophet sayth that the kingdome shall be the Lordes that is to say the Israelites shall not onely be restored to their countrey landes and possessions but also they shall serue God and worshippe him according to his will. For although God ruleth all the world and all natiōs perteyne to his kingdome yet that properly is called the kingdome of the diuell where men follow their owne lust and neglect the worship of God and there is the kingdome of God where he is truely worshipped the Gospell preached and his lawes obeyed Where the Lorde is king there is no tyrannie or bondage but libertie and fréedome that people that serueth the Lord shall florish shall prosper and shall be blessed in this life and in the life to come for he is euerlasting therfore his people shall be euerlasting Briefly this is it that the Prophet in the former wordes giueth vs to vnderstand that the children of God shall abound both in earthly and heauenly possessions Whereby we are taught to put our trust in him for he is able to help vs to pray vnto him in al our necessities for he is readie willing to helpe vs to giue him thanks for his benefites for great is his goodnes toward