love toward his Sister as nearest unto him in consanguinity his Spouse is nearest also in affinity Sanctior est copula cordis quam corporis Christ is indeared to his people in all manner of nearest relations For whosoever shall do the will of his Father the same is his Brother and Sister and Mother Mat. 12.50 Act. 10.35 And in every Nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him With one of thine eyes With that single eye of thine Mat. 6.22 that looks on mee singly abstracted from all other things and affects thine heart with pure love to mee for my self more than for my love-tokens that eye of Faith that looks up to my Mercy-seat yea that peirceth Heaven as St. Stephens bodily eye did hee being full of the Holy Ghost looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of Câ—â— Act. 7.55 Heaven is so high above the Earth that it is a just wonder that wee can look up to so admirable an height and that the very eye is not tired in the way But Faith hath a visive faculty peculiar to it self it is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 whiles it looks not at the things which are seen scil with the eye of sense but at the things that are not seen viz. but by the eye of Faith 2 Cor. 4.18 whereby Moses saw him who is invisible Heb. 1â— 27 Let as many as would behold the King in his beauty study Moses his Opticks get a Patriarchs eye see Christs day afar off as Abraham did and set him at their right hand as David Psal 16. So shall the King greatly desire their beauty yea set them at his right hand with the Queen his Spouse in gold of Ophir Psal 45.9 11. But then Christ must see their chain of obedience as well as their eye of Faith even the whole chain of spiritual graces linked one to another These are the daughters of Faith and good works the products of them are the fruits of Faith As chains adorn the neck so do true virtues a true Christian these as chains are visible and honourable testimonies of a lively Faith which works by love These make the true Manlii Torquati See the Notes on chap. 1. vers 10. Vers 10. How fair is thy love Heb. Loves in the plural noting not onely their multitude but excellency also such as do far praeponderate all carnal affections These are said to bee inexpressibly fair and lovely noted by the exclamation and repetition here used as if words were too weak to utter it because it is undissembled A man may paint fire but hee cannot paint heat A man may dissemble actions in Religion but hee cannot dissemble affections 2. It is rare and in respect of common Christians it may bee said as Ephes 3.18 to pass knowledge sith most have little of the life of it in their breasts less of the light and lustre of it in their lives How much better is thy love than Wine This same shee had said of him chap. 1.2 Now hee returns it upon her as is usual among Lovers Hee had confessed himself ravished with her love vers 9. Now here hee shews why hee was so Hee found her not lovely onely but loving hee had made her so and now takes singular delight and complacency in his own work as once hee did in his work of Creation Hee well perceived that hee had not lost his love upon his Church as David did upon his Absalom as Paul did upon his Corinthians of whom hee complains that the more hee had loved the less hee was beloved as Job upon his miserable comforters whom hee compares to the Brooks of Tema Job 6. that in a moisture swell in a drought fail But Christ findes no such fickleness or false-heartedness in his Beloved hee had love for love and as hee had been a sweet friend to her so was shee to him Her love was better than the best Wine which yet is both costly and comfortable yea than all the delights that this life can afford so much is implied by Wine here and so hee is pleased to esteem it Unworthy shee of so kind acceptance of that little shee can do this way if shee do not her utmost if shee cry not out with her son David I will love thee dearly or entirely with mine utmost bowels with the same tenderness of affections as is in Mothers towards the fruit of their bodies so the Hebrew word signifies Psal 18.1 And again I love so hee abruptly expresseth himself by a passionate pang of love because the Lord hath heard the voice of my supplications c. Psal 116.1 Hee saw and wee may all see so much cause to love the Lord as that hee must needs bee a monster and not a man that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity It was a miracle that those Worthies in Daniel should bee in the midst of a fiery furnace and not burn It is no less that men should bee in the midst of mercies on all hands and not love Christ It would bee as great a wonder men should fail here as for a River to run backwards I have drawn them by the bands of love by the cords of a man Hos 11.4 that is with reasons and motives of love befitting the nature of a man of a rational creature Oculis in utram partem fluat judicari non potest Caesar de bello Gal. lib. 1. But most men alass and those that profess to bee the children of the Church too move like the River Araris backward or forward who can tell This is to give Christ Vinegar for Wine this is as lukewarm water to his nice and nauseating stomack Rev. 3.16 There is a Prophesie reported in Telesphorus that Antichrist shall never overcome Venice nor Paris nor London But wee have a more certain word and let us take heed lest for our lukewarmness Christ spues us out of his mouth What hath been the opinion and fear of some not inconsiderable Divines that Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West and suppress the whole Protestant Churches for a punishment of their loss of their first love I pray Christ to avert And the smell of thine Oyntments than all spice That is of thy sweet graces actuated and exercised See Psal 89.20 John 2.20 27. It was an aggravation of the fall of Saul that hee fell as though hee had not been anointed 2 Sam. 1.21 So for the Saints to fall from their first love or from their own stedfastness Such a dead fly will cause their once-sweet Ointments to send forth a stinking savour Eccles 10.1 Corruptio optimâ— est pessima Vers 11. Thy lips Oh my Spouse drop as an Hony-comb Heb. drop the Hony-comb So Christ calls the doctrines and prayers of the Church her thanksgivings confessions conferences c. which are things most pleasing to Christ and do much comfort and
This day have I paid my vows A votary then shee was by all means and so more than ordinarily religious So was Doeg why else was hee deteined before the Lord 1 Sam. 21.7 A Doeg may set his foot as far into Gods Sanctuary as a David That many Popish Votaries are no better than this huswife in the text see the Lisbon-Nunnery c. besides those thousands of Infants skulls found in the fish-pools by Gregory the Great Vers 15. Therefore came I forth As having much good chear at home Sine Cerere Libero frigâ—t Venâ—â— as at all peace-offerings they had Gluttony is the gallery that libidinousness walks through Diligently to seek thy face Or thy person not thy purse thee not thine do I seek Quis credit And I have found thee By a providence no doubt God must have a hand in it or else 't is marvel God hath given mee my hire said Leah because I have given my Maid to my Husband Gen. 30.18 See 1 Sam. 23.7 Zach. 11.5 Vers 16. I have decked my bed Lest haply by being abroad so late hee should question where to have a bed shee assures him of a dainty one with curious curtains Vers 17. With Myrrhe Aloes c. This might have minded the young man that hee was going to his grave for the bodies of the dead were so perfumed Such a meditation would have much rebated his edge cooled his courage Jerusalems filthiness was in her skirts and why shee remembred not her latter end Lam. 1.9 As the stroaking of a dead hand they say cureth a tympany and as the ashes of a viper applied to the part that is stung draws the venome out of it so the serious thought of death will prove a death to fleshly lusts Mr. Wards Sermons I meet with a story of one that gave a loose young man a Ring with a deaths-head with this condition that hee should one hour daily for seven daies together look and think upon it which bred a strange alteration in his life Vers 18. Until the morning But what if death draw the curtains and look in the while If death do not yet guilt will And here beasts are more happy in carnal contentments than sensual voluptuaries for in their delights they seldome surfeit but never sin and so never finde any cause or use for pangs of repentance as Epicures do whose pleasure passeth but a sting staies behinde Job calleth sparks the sons of fire being ingendred by it upon fuel as pleasures are the sons of mens lusts when the object and they lye and couple together And they are not long-lived they are but as sparks they dye as soon as begotten Vers 19. For the good man is not at home Heb. The man not my man or my husband c. the very mention how much more the presence of such a man might have marred the mirth Vers 20. Hee hath taken a bag of mony And so will not return in haste Let not the children of this world bee wiser than wee Lay up treasure in Heaven provide your selves baggs that wax not old Luk. 12.33 Do as Merchants that being to travel into a far Country deliver their mony here upon the Exchange that there they may receive it Evagrius in Cedrenus bequeathed three hundred pound to the poor in his will but took a bond beforehand of Synesius the Bishop for the re-payment of this in another life according to the promise of our Saviour of an hundred fold advantage Vers 21. With much fair speech Fair words make fools fain This Circe so enchanted the yonker with her fine language that now shee may do what she will with him for hee is wholly at her devotion Vers 22. Hee goeth after her straightway Without any consideration of the sad consequents Lust had blinded and besotted him and even transformed him into a brute Nos animas etiam incarnavimus saith one Many men have made their very spirit a lump of flesh and are hurried on to Hell with greatest violence Chide them you do but give physick in a fit counsel them you do but give advice to a man that is running a race bee your counsel never so good hee cannot stay to hear you but will bee ready to answer as Antipater did when one presented him with a book treating of happiness he rejected it and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no leasure to read such discourses As an Oxe goeth to the slaughter When hee thinks hee goeth to the pasture or as those Oxen brought forth by Jupiters Priest with garlands unto the gates but it was for a slain-sacrifice Acts 14.13 Fatted ware are but fitted for the shambles Numella Beza in loc Or as a fool to the correction of the Stocks Such stocks as Paul and Silas yet no fools were thrust into feet and neck also as the word there signifieth Acts 14.24 This the fool fears not till hee feels till his head bee cooled and his heels too till hee hath slept out his drunkenness and then hee findes where hee is and must stick by it See this exemplified Prov. 5.11 How many such fools have wee now adaies Mori morantur quocunque sub axe morantur that rejoyce in their spiritual bondage and dance to Hell in their bolts as one saith nay are weary of deliverance They sit in the stocks when they are at prayers and come out of the Church when the tedious Sermon runs somewhat beyond the hour like prisoners out of a Gaol The Devil is at Iâ—ne with such saith Master Bradford and the Devil will keep holy-day as it were in Hell in respect of such saith another Vers 23. Till a dart strike thorow his liver i. e. Filthy lust that fiery dart of the Devil Plato in hepate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ponit Horat Ode 1. lib. 4. Ode 25. lib. 5. Ovid. Trist pointed and poisoned as the Sythian darts are said to bee with the gall of Asps and Vipers Philosophers place lust in the liver Mathematicians subject the liver to Venus the Poets complain of Cupids wounding them in that part Cor sapit pulmo loquitur fel commovit iras Splen ridere facit cogit amare jecor Or as some sense it till the Adulterer bee by the Whores husband or friends or by the hand of justice deprived of life perhaps in the very act as Zimri and Cozbi were by Phineas in the very flagrancy of their lust Vers 24. Hearken now therefore Call up the ears of thy minde to the ears of thy body that one sound may pierce both Solomon knew well how hard it was to get ground of a raging lust even as hard as to get ground of the Sea Hence hee so sets on his exhortation Vers 25. Let not thine heart Think not of her lust not after her Thoughts and affections are sibi mutuo causae Whilest I mused the fire burned Psal 39. so that thoughts kindle affections and these cause thoughts to boyl See Job
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as the Hebrews well note in a Proverb they have A mans minde is soonest discovered bekis bekos becognos in loculis in poculis in ira in his purse in his drink in his anger See my Common-place of Anger But a wise man covereth shame By concealing his wrath or rather by suppressing it when it would break forth to his disgrace or the just grief of another Ovid. Ut fragilis glacies occidit ira morâ This was Sauls wisdome 1 Sam. 10.27 And Jonathans when incensed by his Fathers frowardness hee went a shooting 1 Sam. 12.35 And Ahashuerosh when in a rage against Haman hee walked into the Garden The Philosopher wished Augustus when angry to say over the Greek Alphabet Ambrose desired an Angels Authority Gal. 1.8 Theodosius to repeat the Lords Prayer before hee decreed any thing Vers 17. Hee that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness will bee ready to help the truth in necessity and will do it boldly as the word signifies even with a courage not budging for Charity rejoyceth not in unrighteousness but rejoyceth in the truth 1 Cor. 13.6 But a false witness uttereth deceit Coloureth his sycophancies with plausible pretences and faceth down an untruth Psal 119.69 The proud have forged a lye against mee The Hebrew hath it Assuunt mendacium mendacio they eek out one lye with another they are loud and lewd liars as Egesippus saith of Pilate that hee was Vir nequam et parvi facieus mendacium What is truth said hee scornfully to our Saviour q. d. Thy life is in question and dost thou talk of truth Vers 18. There is that speaketh lies like the piercing c. False witnesses do so with a witness As Doeg Psal 52.2 And his fellow-hacksters with their murthering weapons in Davids bones Psal 42.10 whereby they killed him alive and buried him in their throats those gaping graves open sepulchres Ahimelech and his fellow-Priests were killed with the tongue as with a Tuck or Rapiet so was Naboth and his sons so was our Saviour Christ himself Reckon thou Shimei and Rabshekeh among the first and chiefest Kil-Christs saith one because ever an honest mind is more afflicted with words than with blows Act. 2.23 and 3.15 You shall finde some saith Erasmus that if death bee threatned can despise it but to bee belied they cannot brook nor from revenge contain themselves How was David enraged by Nabals railings Moses by the Peoples murmurings Jeremy by the derisions of the rude rabble Chap. 20.7 8 But the tongue of the wise is health Or a medicine as the Tench is to the wounded fishes or as that Noble Lady Elianors tongue was to her Husband Prince Edward afterward Edward the first who being traiterously wounded by a poisoned knife in the holy land Speed Camden was perfectly cured by her daily licking his rankling wounds whilest hee slept and yet her self received no harm So soveraign a medicine is a good tongue anointed with the virtue of love and wisdome Wholesome words as certain salves or treacles cure the wounds of afflicted hearts and extract the poison infused by evil tongues Vers 19. The lips of truth shall bee established for ever Veritas odium parit Truth breeds hatred a good Mistress shee is but hee that follows her too close at heels may hap have his teeth struck out Hee that prizeth truth shall never prosper by the possession or profession thereof saith Sir Walter Rawleigh Hist lib. 1. c. 1. This is most true for most part of the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2.5 the Doctrine according to godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly Rev. 10.9 very pleasant in it self but the publishing of it whereby the fruit of it might come to the rest of the members is full of trouble and anguish How many faithful witnesses of the truth have lost their lives in the defence of it All which notwithstanding the lips of truth shall bee established saith the Spirit here Great is the truth and shall prevail Hee that loseth his life in Christs cause shall finde it in Heaven his name also shall bee famous upon earth the Generation of the upright shall bee blessed The lying tongue is but for a moment As is to bee seen in Gehezi in Ananias and Sapphira in Doeg and others Psal 52.5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever and root thee out of the land of the living Did hee not deal so by Julian Ecebolius Latomus Bomelius Pendleton Harding and other both antient and modern Renegadoes and Apostates How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrour Psal 73.19 Vers 20. Deceit is in the heart of them c. Incendiaries and Make-bates Counsellours of contention have twenty devices to make trouble and to put all into a combustion but they shall either bee defeated of their purposes or have small joy of their atchievements witness our late English Boutifeaus with the whole Nation of Ignatius whose practice is to machinate mischief and breed hate being herein no less dangerous than once those Jews were who before they were banished hence threw bags of poison into the wells and fountains that the people were to drink of and so endeavoured to poison them all The just judgement of God upon Nicholas Saunders Priest the fire-brand of Ireland Anno 1580. spent with famine and forsaken of all succour is most worthy to bee kept in perpetual remembrance Hee being impatiently grieved at the evil successe of his rebellion with Earl Desmond and seeing that neither the Popes blessing B. Carletons thankf remem pag. 49. nor the consecrated banner nor the plume of Phoenix feathers so said to bee at least sent from Rome could do him any help lost himself and ran stark mad wandring up and down in the Mountains and Woods and finding no comfort died miserably Thus God met with a restlesse and wretched man and that foul mouth was stopped with famine that was ever open to sow sedition and stir up rebellions against the state But to the counsellours of peace there is joy They shall have peace for peace peace of conscience for peace of Country pax pectoris for pa◠temporis they shall be called and counted the children of peace yea the children of God have the comfort and credit of it Matth. 5.9 see the Note there as Augustus Caesar and our Henry the seventh had who as hee went into banishment together with the publick peace so hee brought it back with him at his return and was afterwards wont to say If wee Princes should take every occasion that is offered the world should never bee quiet but wearied with continual wars Vers 21. There shall no evil happen to the just First for evil of sin God wil not lead him into temptation but will cut off occasions remove stumbling-blocks out of his way devoratory evils as Tertullian calls them hee shall be sure not to fall
that distemperature departed the world which himself had so oft distempered Vers 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Septuagint render it And indeed it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that makes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All true mirth is from rectitude of the mind from a right frame of soul When Faith hath once healed the conscience and grace hath husht the affections and composed all within so that there is a Sabbath of Spirit and a blessed tranquillity lodged in the soul then the body also is vigorous and vigetous for most part in very good plight and healthful constitution which makes mans life very comfortable For si vales bene est And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go thy waies saith Solomon to him that hath a good conscience eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart Eccles 9.7 8 9. sith God accepteth thy works Let thy garments bee alwaies white and let thy head lack no ointment Live joyfully with the wife of thy youth c. bee lightsome in thy cloaths merry at thy meats painful in thy calling c. these do notably conduce to and help on health They that in the use of lawful means wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not bee weary they shall walk and not faint Isa 40.31 But a broken spirit drieth the bones By drinking up the marrow and radical moisture See this in David Psal 32.3 whose bones waxed old whose moisture or chief sap was turned into the drought of Summer his heart was smitten and withered like grass his daies consumed like smoak Psal 102.3 4. his whole body was like a bottle in the smoak Psal 119.83 hee was a very bag of bones and those also burnt as an hearth Psal 102. Aristotle in his book of long and short life assigns grief for a chief cause of death And the Apostle saith as much 2 Cor. 7.10 See the Note there and on Prov. 12.25 All immoderations saith Hippocrates are great enemies to health Vers 23. A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome i. e. closely and covertly as if neither God nor man should see him The words may bee also read thus Hee that is the corrupt Judge taketh a gift out of the wicked mans bosome there being never a better of them as Solomon intimateth by this ambiguous expression Stapleten Rain is good and ground is good yet ex corum conjunctione fit lutum So giving is kind and taking is courteous yet the mixing of them makes the smooth paths of justice foul and uneven Vers 24. Wisdome is before him that hath understanding Or Vultut index animi Profecto oculis animus inhabitat Plin. the face of an understanding man is wisdome his very face speaks him wise the government of his eyes especially is an argument of his gravity His eyes are in his head Eccles 2.14 hee scattereth away all evil with them Prov. 20.8 Hee hath oculum irretortum as Job had chap. 31. and Joseph had oculum in metam which was Ludovicus vives his Motto his eye fixt upon the mark hee looks right on Prov. 4.25 hee goes through the world as one in a deep muse or as one that hath haste of some special businesse and therefore over-looks every thing besides it Hee hath learned out of Isa 33.14 15. that he that shall see God to his comfort must not onely shake his hands from taking gifts as in the former verse but also stop his ears from hearing of blood and shut his eyes from seeing of evil Vitiis nobis in animum per oculos est via saith Quintilian Quintil. declam sin entereth into the little world thorow these windows and death by sin as fools finde too oft by casting their eyes into the corners of the earth suffering them to rove at randome without restraint by irregular glancing and inordinate gazing In Hebrew the same word signifies both an eye and a fountain to shew saith one that from the eye as from a fountain flows both sin and misery Shut up therefore the five windows that the house may be full of light as the Arabian Proverb hath it Wee read of one that making a journey to Rome and knowing it to bee a corrupt place and a corrupter of others entred the City with eyes close shut neither would hee see any thing there but Saint Peters Church which hee had a great mind to go visit Alipius in Austin being importuned to go to those bloody spectacles of the gladiatory combats resolved to wink and did But hearing an out-cry of applause looked abroad and was so taken with the sport that hee became an ordinary frequenter of those cruel meetings Vers 25. A foolish Son is a grief to his Father See the Note on chap. 10.1 and 15.20 Vers 26. Also to punish the just is not good The righteous are to be cherished and protected as those that uphold the state Semen sanctum statumen terrae Isa 6.13 What Aeneas Sylvins said of learning may bee more properly said of righteousness Vulgar men should esteem it as silver Noble-men as gold Prines prize it as pearls But they that punish it as persecutors do shall bee punished to purpose when God makes inquisition for blood Psal 9. Nor to strike Princes for equity Righteous men are Princes in all Lands Psa 45. yea they are Kings in righteousnesse as Melchisedec Indeed they are somewhat obscure Kings as hee was but Kings they appear to bee by comparing Mat. 13.17 with Luk. 10.24 Many righteous saith Matthew many Kings saith Luke Now to strike a King is high-treason Daniels Hist 198. And although Princes have put up blows as when one struck our Henry the sixth hee onely said Forsooth you do wrong your self more than mee to strike the Lords annointed Another also that had drawn blood of him when hee was in prison hee freely pardoned when hee was restored to his Kingdome saying Alass poor soul hee struck mee more to win favour with others than of any evil will hee bare mee So when one came to cry Cato mercy for having struck him once in the Bath hee answered that hee remembred no such matter Likewise Lycurgus is famous for pardoning him that smote out one of his eyes yet hee that shall touch the apple of Gods eye as every one doth that wrongeth a righteous man for equity especially shall have God for a revenger And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. Vers 27. Hee that hath knowledge spareth his words Taciturnity is a sign of solidity and talkativeness of worthlesness Epaminondas is worthily praised for this saith Plutarch that as no man knew more than hee so none spake less than hee did And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit Or of a cool spirit The deepest Seas are the most calm Where river smoothest
speak hath not God given us two ears and one tongue to teach us better to precipitate a censure or passe sentence before both Parties bee heard to speak evil of the things that a man knows not or weakly and insufficiently to defend that which is good against a subtle adversary Austin professeth this was it that hardened him and made him to triumph in his former Manichism that hee met with feeble opponents and such as his nimble wit was easily able to overturn Oecolampadius said of Carolostadius that hee had a good cause but wanted shoulders to support it Vers 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity Some sorry shift a man may make to bustle with and to rub thorow other aylements and aggrievances disasters or diseases sores or sicknesses of the body as the word here properly importeth Let a man bee sound within and upon good terms at peace with his own conscience and hee will bravely bear unspeakable pressures 2 Cor. 1.9 12. Paul was merry under his load because his heart was cheary in the Lord as an old beaten Porter to the Crosse maluit tolerare quà m deplorare his stroak was heavier than his groaning as Job chap. 23.2 Alexander Aphrodiseus gives a reason why Porters under their burdens go singing because the mind being delighted with the sweetnesse of the musick Problem 1. Numb 78. the body feels the weight so much the lesse Their shoulders while sound will bear great luggage but let a bone bee broken or but the skin rubbed up and raw the lightest load will bee grievous A little water in a leaden vessel is heavy so is a little trouble in an evil conscience But a wounded spirit who can bear q. d. It is a burthen importable able to quail the courage and crush the shoulders of the hugest Hercules of the mightiest man upon earth who can bear it The body cannot much lesse a diseased body And if the soul bee at unrest the body cannot but co-suffer Hence Job preferred and Judas chose strangling before it Bilney and Bainbam Act. Mon. fol. 938. after they had abjured felt such an hell in their consciences till they had openly professed their sorrow for that sin as they would not feel again for all the worlds good Daniel chose rather to bee cast into the den of Lions than to carry about a Lion in his bosome an enraged conscience The primitive Christians cried likewise Ad Leones potiùs quà m ad Lenones adjiciamur What a terrour to himself was our Richard the third after the cruel murther of his two innocent Nephews and Charls the ninth of France after that bloody massacre Hee could never endure to bee awakened in the night without musick or some like diversion But alass if the soul it self bee out of tune these outward things do no more good than a fair shooe to a gowty foot or a silken stocken to a broken legg Vers 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge Such as can keep the bird singing in their bosome and are free from inward perturbations these by meditating on the good Word of God and by listening to the wholesome words 〈◊〉 others get and gather knowledge that is great store of all sorts of knowlâ—â—â—e that which is divine especially and tends to the perfecting of the soul Vers â—â— A mans gift maketh roomth for him This Jacob knew well Gen. 43.11 and therefore â—â—de his Sons take a present for the Governour of the Land though it were but of every good thing a little So Saul 1 Sam. 9.7 when to go to the man of God to enquire about the Asses But behold said hee to his servant if wee go what shall wee bring the man what have wee See more in the Note on Chap. 17. vers 8. 23. Vers 17. Hee that is first in his own cause seemeth just The first tale is good till the second bee heard How fair a tale told Tertullus for the Jews against Paul till the Apostle came after him and unstarcht the Oratours trim speech Judges had need to get and keep that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Alexander boasted of to keep one ear clear and unprejudiced for the defendant for they shall meet with such active Actors or Pleaders as can make Quid libet ex quolibet Candida de nigris de candentibas atra as can draw a fair glove upon a foul hand blanch and smooth over the worst causes with goodly pretences as Ziba did against Mephibosheth Potiphars wife against Joseph c. Hee must therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Athenian Judges were sworn to do hear both sides indifferently and as that Levite said Judg. 19. Consider consult and then give sentence doing nothing by partiality or prejudice Vers 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease As it did Josh 14.2 Where it is remarkable that Joshua that lotted out the Land left none to himself and that portion that was given him and hee content withall was but a mean one in the barren mountains So again Act. 1.26 where it is remarkable that this Joseph called Barsabas seeing it was not Gods mind by lot to make choice of him now to succeed Judas in the Apostleship was content with a lower condition therefore afterwards God called him to that high and honourable office of an Apostle if at least this Joseph Barsabas were the same with that Joseph Barnabas Act. 4.36 as the Centurists are of opinion See the Note on Chap. 16.23 Vers 19. A brother offended is harder to bee won c. Whether it bee a brother by race place or grace Corruptio optimi pessima Those oft that loved most dearly if once the Devil cast his club betwixt them they hate most deadly See this exemplified in Cain and Abel Esau and Jacob Polynices and Eteocles Romulus and Remus Caracalla and Geta the two sons of Severus the Emperour Robert and Rufus the sons of William the Conquerour the Civil dissentions between the houses of York and Lancaster wherein were slain eighty Princes of the blood-royal the dissentions between England and Scotland Daniel 192. which consumed more Christian-blood wrought more spoil and destruction and continued longer than ever quarrel wee read of did between any two people of the world As for Brethren by profession and that of the true Religion too among Protestants you shall meet with many divisions and those prosecuted with a great deal of bitternesse Eucholcer Nullum bellum citius exardescit nullum deflagrat tardius quà m Theologicum No war breaks out sooner or lasts longer than that among Divines or as that about the Sacrament a Sacrament of love a Communion and yet the occasion by accident of much dissention Melch. Adam in vita This made holy Strigelius weary of his life Cupio ex hac vita migrare ob duas causas saith hee For two causes chiefly do I desire to depart out of this world First That I may injoy the
him drunk As Ale Beer Sider Perry Metheglin c. Of this Pliny cries out Hei mirâ vitiorum solertiâ inventum est quemadmodum aqua quoque inebriaret Portentosum sanè potionis genus Lib. 14 cap. ult quasi non ad alium usum natura parens humano generi fruges dedisse videatur So witty is wickedness grown now that there is a way invented to make a man drunk with water a monstrous kinde of drink surely as if Dame nature had bestowed corn upon us to such a base a base See the Note on Chap 23.29 Saint Paul very fitly yoaketh together Drunkards and Raylers 1 Cor. 6.9 And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise For when the wine is in the wit is out They have a practice of drinking the Out 's as they call it all the wit out of the head all the money out of the purse c. And thereby affect the title of Roaring Boyes by a woful Prolepsis doubtless here for hereafter Vers 2. The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lion See Chap. 16.14 and 19.12 Vers 3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife To stint it rather than to stir it to bee first in promoting peace and seeking reconciliation as Abraham did in the controversie with Lot Memento said Aristippus to Aeschines Plutarch de cohib ira with whom hee had a long strife quod cum essem natu major prior te accesserim Remember said hee that though I am the elder man yet I first sought reconciliation I shall well remember it said Aeschines and whiles I live Laer. l. 2. I shall acknowledge thee the better man because I was first in falling out and thou art first in falling in again But every fool will bee medling Or mingling himself with strife hee hath an itching to bee doing with it to bee quarrelling brabling lawing Caesar com Once it was counted ominous to commence actions and follow sutes Now nothing more ordinary for every trifle treading upon their grass or the like This is as great folly as for every slight infirmity to take Physick Vers 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold So the spiritual sluggard either dreams of a delicacy in the wayes of God which is a great vanity or else if heaven bee not to bee had without the hardship of holiness Christ may keep his heaven to himself Mat. 19.22 The young man in the Gospel went away grieved that Christ required such things that hee could not bee willing to yeeld to The Hebrews have a common Proverb amongst them Hee that on the even of the Sabbath hath not gathered what to eat shall not at all eat on the Sabbath Meaning thereby that none shall reign in heaven that hath not wrought on earth Man goeth forth saith the Psalmist to his work and to his labour untill the evening Psal 104.23 So till the Sun of his life bee set hee must bee working out his salvation This is to work the work of him that sent us as our Saviour did Which expression of working a work notes his strong intention upon it as Jer. 18.18 to devise devices notes strong plotting to mischief the Prophet So Luke 22.15 With a desire have I desired c. yea how am I straightned till it bee accomplished Luke 12.50 Lo Christ thirsted exceedingly after our salvation though hee knew it should cost him so dear Is not this check to our dulness and sloth Vers 5. Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water See Chap. 18.4 As the red Rose though outwardly not so fragrant is inwardly far more cordial than the Damask being more thrifty of its sweetness and reserving it in it self So it is with many good Christians But a man of understanding will draw it out And surely this is a fine skill to bee able to pierce a man that is like a vessel full of wine and to set him a running Vers 6. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness As the Kings of Egypt would needs bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bountiful or Benefactors many of the Popes Pit and Bonifacii c. The Turks will needs bee stiled the only Musulmans or true Beleevers as Papists the onely Catholicks The Swenk feldians Stinkfeldians Scblussenb Luther called them from the ill savour of their opinions intituled themselves with that glorious name The Confessours of the glory of Christ Histor Dav. Georg. David George that monstrous Heretick that was so far from accounting Adulteries Fornications Incests c. for being any sins that hee did recommend them to his most perfect Scholars as acts of grace and mortification c. yet hee was wonderfully confident of the absolute truth of his tenets and doubted not but that the whole world would soon submit to him and hold with him Hee wrote to Charles the Emperour and the rest of the States of Germany an humble and serious admonition as hee stiled it written by the command of the Omnipotent God diligently to bee obeyed because it contained those things whereupon eternal life did depend But a faithful man who can finde Diaconos paucitas honorabiles fecit saith Hierome The paucity of pious persons makes them precious Perrarò grati reperiuntur saith Cicero It is hard to finde a thankful man Faithful friends are in this age all for the most part gone in Pilgrimage Daniels Hist and their return is uncertain said the Duke of Buckingham to Bishop Morton in Richard the third his time Vers 7. The just man walketh in his integrity Walketh constantly not for a step or two onely Continenter ambulat when the good fit is upon him See the Note on Gen. 17.1 His children are blessed after him Personal goodness is profitable to posterity yet not of merit but of free grace and for the promise sake which Jehu's children found and felt to the fourth Generation though himself were a wicked Idolater Vers 8. A King that sitteth in the Throne of Judgement c. Kings in their own persons should sit and judge of causes sometimes to take knowledge at least what is done by their officers of Justice I have seen the King of Persia many times to alight from his horse saith a late Traveller onely to do justice to a poor body The Preachers Travels by John Cartwright Hee punisheth theft and man-slaughter so severely that in an age a man shall hardly hear either of the one or of the other Vers 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean That can I saith the proud Pharisee and the Popish Justitiary Non habeo Domine quod mihi ignoscas I have nothing Lord for thee to pardon said Isidore the Monk When Saint Paul that had been in the third Heaven complains of his inward impurities Rom. 7.15 and though hee should have known no evil by himself yet durst hee not look to bee thereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 And holy Job
Aegypt Auson Therefore that was no evil counsel of the Poet. Imprimis reverere teipsum And Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time Vers 28. Mercy and truth preserve the King These are the best guard of his Body and supporters of his Throne Mildness and righteousness leuity and fidelity doe more safe-guard a Prince than munitions of rocks or any war-like preparations amidst which Henry the fourth of France perished when Queen Elizabeth of England lived and dyed with glory That French King being perswaded by the Duke of Sully not to re-admit the Jesuits answered Give me then security for my life But he was shortly after stabbed to death by their instigation when our Queen that stuck fast to her Principles was not more loved of her Friends than feared of her Foes being protected by God beyond expectation Our King John thought to strengthen himself by gathering mony the sinews of War but mean-while he lost his peoples affections those joynts of peace and came after endless turmoyls to an unhappy end So did our late Soveraign of bleeding memory Vers 29. The glory of young men is their strength sc If well used in following their Callings and fighting for their Countries as those young men of the Princes of the Provinces did 1 King 20.20 and not in quarrelling and Duelling as those yongsters of Helketh-hezzurim 2 Sam. 2. who sheathed their swords in their fellows bowels And the beauty of old men is their gray-head That silver crown of hoary hairs saith one which the finger of God doth set upon their heads makes them Venerable in all places where they come so that they carry an authority or majesty with them as it were See the Note on chap. 16.31 Vers 30. The blownesse of the wound cleanseth Some must be beaten black and blew ere they will be better neither is wit any thing worth with them till they have paid well for it The Jewes were ever best when in worst condition The Athenians Non nisi atrati would never mend till they were in mourning And Anglica geus est optima fleus pessima rident As a great States-man said of this Nation Physicians commonly cure a Lethargie by a Fever Chirurgians let their Patients bloud sometimes etiam ad deliquium animae The Scorpion heals his own wounds and the Viper being beaten and applied cures his own biting Surely as the scourging of the garment with a stick beats out the mothes and the dust so doe corrections corruptions from the heart and as launcing lets out filth so doth affliction sin CHAP. XXI Vers 1. The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord BEE Kings never so absolute and unaccountable to any yet are they ruled and over-ruled by Him that is higher than the highest Eccles 5.8 Gods heart is not in the Kings hand as that foolish Prince in Mexico pretends when at his Coronation he swears that it shall not rain unseasonably neither shall there be Famine or Pestilence during his Reign in his Dominions but the Kings heart that is his will desires devices resolutions are Gods to dispose of he turneth them this way or that way with as much ease as the Plowman doth the water-course with his paddle or the Gardiner with his hand Thus he turned the heart of Pharaoh to Joseph of Saul to David of Nebuchadnezzar to Jeremy of Darius to Daniel of Cyrus and afterwards of Alexander the great to the Jewes of some of the Roman Persecutors to the Primitive Christians and of Charls the fifth who ruled over twenty eight flourishing Kingdoms to the late Reformers Melanchthon Pomeran and other famous men of God whom when he had in his power after hee had conquered the Protestant Princes he not only determined not any thing extreamly against them Act. Mon. fol. 1784. but also intreating them gently he sent them away not so much as once forbidding them to publish openly the Doctrine that they professed albeit all Christendome had not a more prudent Prince than he was saith Mr. Fox nor the Church of Christ almost a sorer enemy Vers 2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes See the Note on chap. 16.2 Such is our sinful Self-love that Suffenus-like wee easily admire that little Nothing of any good that is in us we so clasp and hugg the barn of our own brain with the Ape that we strangle it we set up a Counter for a thousand pounds and boast of those graces whereunto wee are perfect strangers We turn the perspective and gladly see our selves bigger others lesser than they are we flatter out own souls as Micah did his Judg. 17.13 Wherein it falls out oft as it did with the riflers of Semiramis her tomb who where they expected to finde the richest Treasure met with a deadly Poyson Seem wee never so just because first in our own cause God as Salomon saith of a mans Neighbour comes and searches us and then things appears otherwise Luke 16.15 Vers 3. Is more acceptable to the Lord Qui non vult ex rapina holocaustum as Heathens could see and say by the light of Nature The Jewes thought to expiate their miscarriages toward men and to set off with God by their Ceremonies and Sacrifices Isa 1. Jer. 7. Mich. 6. Some Heathens also as that Roman Emperour could say Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret Wee have not been at so much charge with the gods that they should give us up into the enemies hands But the Scripture gave the Jewes to understand that to obey was better than sacrifice that God would have mercy and not sacrifice and that for a man to love God above all and his Neighbour as himself is more than all whole Burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mar. 12.33 The Heathens also were told as much by their Sages as Plato in his book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Socrates reprehending the gilt-horned Bulls of the Grecians and the sumptuous sacrifices of the Trojans at length infers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It were a grievous thing if the gods should more respect mens offerings and Sacrifices than the holiness of their hearts and the righteousness of their lives c. Aristotle in his Rhetoricks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith he It is not likely that God takes pleasure in the costliness of sacrifices but rather in the good conversation of the sacrificers Vers 4. An high look and proud heart See the Note on Prov. 6.17 And the plowing of the wicked is sin As they plot and plow mischief being the Devils hindes and drudges so all their actions natural moral spiritual are turned into sin whether they plow or play or pray or eat or sleep to the impure and unbeleeving all things are impure Tit. 1.15 Their proud or big-swoln heart is full of filthy corrupt matter that woozeth out still and offendeth the eyes of Gods glory Every thing they do is as an evil vapour reaking
unsearchable Profundum sine fundo God gave Salomon a large heart even as the sand that is on the Sea-shore 1 Kings 4.29 A vast capacity an extraordinary judgement and wisdome to reserve himself No bad cause was too hard for him to detect no practices which he did not smell out no complotter which he did not speedily intrap in their wiles as Adonijah Vers 4. Take away the drosse from the silver The holy Prophets were not onely most exactly seen in the peerless skill of Divinity but most exquisitely also furnished with the entire knowledge of all things natural Hence their many Similies wherewith they learnedly beautifie their matter and deck out their terms words and sentences giving thereunto a certain kind of lively gesture attiring the same with light perspicuity easiness estimation and dignity stirring up thereby mens drowsie minds to the acknowledgement of the truth and pursute of godliness Vers 5. Take away the wicked Who are compared elsewhere also to dross Ezek. 22.19 and fitly for as dross is a kind of unprofitable earth and hath no good metal in it so in the wicked is no good to be found but pride worldliness c. Forbisher in his voyage to discover the Straits being tossed up and down with foul weather snows and unconstant winds returned home having gathered a great quantity of stones which he thought to be minerals from which when there could be drawn neither gold nor silver nor any other metal we have seen them saith Master Camden cast forth to mend the high ways Evill Counsellours about a Prince Camd. Elisah fol. 189. are means of a great deal of mischief as were Doâ—g Haman Rheoboams and Herods flatterers Pharoahs sorcerers c. Of a certain Prince of Germany it was said Esset alius si esset apud alios He would be another man if he were but amongst other men Say they be not so drossie but that some good oar is to be found in them yet all is not good that hath some good in it It is Scaligers Note Malum non est nisi in bono The original nature of the Devil is good wherein all his wickedness subsisteth When one highly commended the Cardinal Julian to Sigismund hee answered Tamen Romanus est yet he is a Roman and therefore not to bee trusted Those Cardinals and Popish Bishops being much about Princes have greatly impoysoned them and hindered the Reformation Zuinglius fitly compares them to that wakeful Dragon that kept the golden fleece as the Poets have feigned They get the royalty of their ear and then doe with them whatsoever they list David therefore vows as a good Finer to quit the Court of such drosse Psal 101.4 and gives order upon his death-bed to his Son Salomon to take out of the way those men of bloud 1 King 1. that his throne might be established in righteousnesse Vers 6. Put not forth thy self in the presence of the King Ne te ornes coram rege Compare not vye not with him in apparel furniture house-keeping c. as the Hebrews sense it This was the ruine of Cardinal Wolsey and of Viscount Verulam And stand not in the place of great men Exalt not thy self but wait till God shall reach out the hand from Heaven and raise thee Psal 75.5 6 7 8. Adonijah is branded for this that he exalted himself saying I will be King 1 King 1.5 When none else would lift Hildebrand up into Peters Chair he gat up himself Quintil. lib. 9. cap. 2. For who said he can better judge of my worth than I can Harden thy fore-head said Calvus to Vatinius and say boldly that thou deservest the Praetorship better than Cato Ambition rides without reigns as Tullia did over the dead body of her own father to bee made a Queen See my common-place of Ambition Vers 7. For better it is that it be said unto thee From this Text our Saviour takes that Parable of his put forth to those that were bidden to a feast Luk. 14.10 Now if before an earthly Prince men should carry themselves thus modestly and humbly how much more before the King of heaven And if among guests at a feast how much more among the Saints and Angels in the holy assemblies That is an excellent saying of Bernard Omnino oportet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestem in qua Rex regum stellato sedet solio circumdante innumerabili ineffabili beatorum Spirituam exercitu Quantâ ergo cum reverentiâ quanto timore Bern. de divers quantâ illuc humilitate accedere debet è palude sua procedens repens vilis ranuncula At prayer-time we should enter into the Court of heaven where sitteth the King of Kings with a guard of innumerable blessed Spirits With how great reverence then with how great fear and self-abasement should wee come like so many vile Vermine creeping and crawling out of some sorry pool or puddle Vers 8. Goe not forth hastily to strive Contention is the Daughter of Arrogance and Ambition Jam. 4.1 Hence Salomon whose very name imports peace perswades to peaceablenesse very oft in this Book and sets forth the mischief or strife and dissention Stir not strife saith he but make haste to stint it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heredot so the words may be rendred you may doe that in your haste that you may repent by leasure Hasty men wee say never want woe If every man were a law to himself as the Thracians are said to be there would not bee so much lawing warbling and warring as there is There is a curse upon those that delight in War as King Pyrrhus did Psal 68.30 but a blessing for all the children of peace Mat. 10. who shall also bee called the Children of God Mat. 5. Paul and Barnabas had a sharp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but short fit of falling out Acts 15.39 Hierom and Austine had their bickerings in their Disputations but it was no great matter who gained the day for they would both win by understanding their errours When thy Neighbour hath put thee to shame That is when thine Adversary hath got the upper hand and foyled thee Those are ignoble quarrels saith one Vbi vincere inglorium est atteri sordidum wherein whether a man get the better or the worse he is sure to go by the worse to sit down with loss in his name state or both Vers 9. Debate thy cause with thy Neighbour c. What shall I do then may some say if I may not right my self by law You may saith he so you do it deliberately and have first privately debated the cause out of desire of agreement and moved for a compremise See Mat. 18.15 And discover not the secret of another Meerly to be revenged on him for some supposed injury There are that in their rage care not what they disclose to the prejudice of another Charity chargeth the contrary 1 Cor. 13. It claps a plaister on the sore
49.5 Vers 13. The poor and the usurer meet together That is the poor and the rich as chap. 22.2 because commonly Usurers are rich men and many rich men usurers The Lord lighteneth both their eyes That is hee gives them the light of life Joh. 1.8 and the comforts of life Matth. 5.45 so that their eyes are lightned as Jonathans were after he had tasted of the wild hony 1 Sam. 14. Others read it thus The poor and the deceived or crushed by the usurer meet together that is condole or comfort one another because they are both in the dark as it were of poverty and misery they can do one another but little help more than by commending their cases to God who thereupon enlightneth them both that is either he supplies their wants and so their eyes are opened as Jonathans were or else gives them patience as he did those beleeving Hebrews chap. 10.32 But call to remembrance the former days in the which after yee were illuminated viz. to see the glory that shall be revealed whereof all the sufferings of this life are not worthy Rom. 8.18 Ye endured a great fight of affliction If we read it The poor and the usurer meet together the Lord enlightneth both their eyes understand it thus The poor man he enlightneth by patience the usurer by repentance and grace to break off his sinnes by righteousness and his iniquity by shewing mercy to the poor as Zacheus Matthew and those usurious Jews did Neh. 5. Vers 14. The King that faithfully judgeth the poor c. An office not unbeseeming the greatest King to sit in person to hear the poor mans cause James the fourth of Scotland was for this cause called the poor mans King I have seen saith a late Traveller the King of Persia many times to alight from his horse onely to do justice to a poor body Help O King said the poor woman to Jehoram And if thou wilt not hear and right me why dost thou take upon thee to be King said another woman to Philip King of Macedony Cic. pro Milone It is a mercy to have Judges modo audeant quae sentiunt as the Oratour hath it so that they have courage to do what they judge fit to be done Inferiour Judges may be weighed and swayed by gifts or greatness of an Adversary to pass an unrighteous sentence Not so a King he neither needs nor fears any man but is if he be right as one saith of a just Law an heart without affection an eye without lust a mind without passion a treasurer which keepeth for every man what he hath and distributeth to every man what hee ought to have Phocyl 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo such a Prince shall sit firm upon his throne his Kingdome shall be bound to him with chains of Adamant as Dionysius dreampt that his was he shall have the hearts of his Subjects which is the best life-guard and God for his protection for he is professedly the poor mans Patron Psal 9. and makes heavy complaints of those that wrong them Isa 3. and 10. Amos 5. and 8. Zeph. 3. Vers 15. The rod and reproof give wisdome If reproof do the deed the rod may be spared and not else Chrysippus is by some cried out upon as the first that brought the use of a rod into the schools but there is no doing without it for children are foolish apt to imitate others in their vices before they know them to be vices and though better taught yet easily corrupted by evil company as young Lapwings are soon snatcht up by every Buzzard Now therefore as moths are beaten out of Garments with a rod so must vices out of childrens hearts Vexatio dat intellectum Smart makes wit it is put in with the rod of correction See chap. 22.15 But a childe left to himself bringeth his mother c. For her fondness in cockering of him and hiding his faults from his father lest he should correct or casheer him Mothers have a main hand in education of the children and usually Partus sequitur ventrem the birth follows the belly as we see in the Kings of Judah whose mothers are therefore frequently nominated No wonder therefore though the mother deeply share in the shame and grief of her darlings miscarriages See chap. 15.20 Vers 16. When the wicked are multiplied transgression encreaseth As saith the Proverb of the Ancients wickedness proceedeth from the wicked Miserable man hath by his fall from God contracted a necessity of sinning against God And when a rabble of Rebels are gotten together are grown many and mighty they make account to carry all before them and not to suffer a godly man to live as in Spain and where the Inquisition is admitted But the righteous shall see their fall shall see it and rejoyce at it as the Hebrew Doctors expound this text by comparing it with Obad. 12.13 Thou shouldst not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day of his calamity neither shouldst thou have rejoyced over the children of Judah Alterius Perditio tua caâ—tio c. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance being moved with a zeal of God hee shall rejoyce with trembling he shall wash his feet in the bloud of the wicked beholding their ruine he shall become more cautious so that a man shall say any man but of an ordinary capacity shall make this observation Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.10 11. that will sink to the bottom the bottle of wickedness when once filled with those bitter waters Gen. 15.16 Vers 17. Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest Hee will grow so towardly that thou shalt with lesse adoe rule him when grown up or at least thou shalt have peace within in that thou hast used Gods means to mend him Yea he shall give delight See chap. 10.1 The often urging this nurturing of Children shews that it is a most necessary but much neglected duty Vers 18. Where there is no vision the people perish Or are barred of all vertue laid naked and open to the dint of Divine displeasure scattered worsted and driven back Great is the misery of those Brasileans of whom it is said that they are sine fide sine rege sine lege without faith King or Law And no less unhappy those Israelites about Asa's time that for a long season had been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law 2 Chron. 15.3 Then it was that Gods people were destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And not long after that they sorrowfully complained that there was no more any Prophet among them nor any that knew how long Psalm 74.9 no Minister ordinary or extraordinary How did it pitty our Saviour to see the people as sheep without a Shepherd This troubled him more than their bodily bondage to the Romans which yet was
that pinched with penury water their plants feed upon tears And although bread and other comforts cast upon such may seem cast down the waters because no hope of recompence yet thou shalt bee recompenced at the Resurrection of the Just saith Christ to such and blessed in the mean while Luk. 14.14 Temporalia Dei servis impensa non pereunt sed paerâ—uriunt Almes perisheth not but is put to use Vers 7. A time to rent and a time to sew As in making a new or translating an old garment Fuller Turks wonder at English for pincking or cutting their cloathes and making holes in whole cloth which time of it self would tear too soon It was a custom among the Jews to rent their cloathes in case of sad occurrences The Prophet Ahijah rent Jeroboams new garment in twelve peeces to shew that God would rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon 1 King 11.31 Schismaticks rend the Church Hereticks the Scriptures God will stitch up all in his own time and heal the breaches thereof Psal 60.2 A time to keep silence and a time to speak It is a singular skill to time a word Isa 50.4 to set it upon its wheels Prov. 25.11 as Abigail did for her family 1 Sam. 25. as Esther did against Haman And it is an happy thing when a man can pray as one once did Det Deus ut sermo meus adeo commodus sit quam sit accommodus God grant my speech may bee as profitable as it is seasonable He that would be able to speak when and as he ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythagorica Cuspin de Coesarib 475. must first learn silence as the Pythagoreans did of old as the Turks doe at this day Perpetuum silentium tenent ut muti they are not suffered to speak Discamus prius non loqui saith Hierome upon this text Let us first learn not to speak that afterwards we may open our mouthes to speak wisely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cic. de Amiciâ— Silence is fitly set here before speaking and first takes its time and turn It is a good rule that one gives either keep silence or speak that that is better than silence Vers 8. A time to love and a time to hate Yet I like not his counsel that said Ama tanquam osurus odi tanquam amaturus Let a man chuse whom he may love and then love whom he hath chosen Let love be without dissimulation abhor the evil cleave to the good Rom. 12.9 Hate wee may but then it must be Non virum sed vitium not the man but his evil qualities whereof also we must seek to bereave him that he may bee totus desiderabilis altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 A time of war and a time of peace Time saith an Interpreter is a circle and the Preacher shutteth up this passage of time in a circle For having begun with a time to be born and a time to dye he endeth with a time of warre which is a time of dying and with a time of peace which is a time wherein people by bringing forth are multiplied Vers 9. What profit hath he that worketh c. i. e. How can any man by any means he can use help Cui bono or hinder this volubility and vanity that he meets with in every creature What profit see the Note on chap. 1.3 whereunto this verse relateth as being a conclusion of the principal argument Vers 10. I have seen the travell that God c. Not Fortune but Providence ordereth all crosse occurrences a wheel there is within a wheel Ezek. 1. then when men may think things run on wheels at sixes and sevens as they say Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 His holy hand hath a special stroke in all our travels Hee both ordaineth Act. 2. and ordereth all Gen. 50.20 altering the property Rom. 8.28 and disposing them to good raysing profit from all Thus men afflicted Job for covetousnesse the Devil for malice chap. 1. God for trial and exercise of his graces to bee exercised therein saith the text or as the word signifieth to bee humbled therewith to hide pride from man Job 33. to tame and take him a link lower Their hearts are brought down Isa 29.4 saith the Prophet they speak out of the ground that erst set their mouthes against Heaven and said I am and besides mee there is none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab or natu Mundus a mundicie Vers 11. He hath made every thing beautiful c. Plato was wont to say that God did always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work by Geometry Another sage said Pondere me sura numero Deus omnia fecit God hath done all in number weight and measure made and set all things in comely and curious order and equipage he hath also prefined afore-hand a convenient and beautiful season for every thing ordering the disorders of the world to his own glory and his Churches good Also he hath set the world in their heart i. e. Hee hath given to men the Creature to contemplate together with an earnest desire to search into Natures secrets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.22 The Vulgar renders this Text thus Et mundum tradidit disputationi corum And he hath delivered the world to their disputations But so foolishly and impiously have men disputed of God of his Providence of his Judgements of the chief happinesse c. that they have reasoned or rather wrangled away the truth being neither able to find out the beginning nor end of the causes or uses of Gods works See Rom. 1.21 22. Veritatem Philosophiae quaerit Theologia invenit Religio possidet said Picus Mirandula Philosophy inquires after truth Divinity findes it out and Religion only improves it Glossa Minor Vers 12. I know that there is no good in them i. e. No other good but for a man to rejoyce and doe good in his life i. e. Frui praesentibus facere quod in futuro profit to enjoy things present and to do that that may doe him good a thousand years hence to expend what he hath upon himself and to extend it unto others that are in necessity this is to lay up in store for himself a good foundation against the time to come this is to lay hold upon eternal life 1 Tim. 6.18 19. 2 Thess 3. Vers 13. And enjoy the good of all his labour They that will not labour must not eat saith the Apostle As they that doe shall enjoy the good of all their labour eat the labour of their hands and be thrice happy Psal 12.8 12. Jabal and Jubal Gen. 4. Valeat possessor oportes Si comportatis rebus bone cogitat uti Horat. Psal 43.5 Frugality and Musick good husbandry and good content dwell together and yet not alwayes but where God gives the gift Hee gives strength to labour and health to enjoy the good of our labour This the
than a wise man Eram apud te sicut bestia Mercer David calls himself not a Beast onely but Beasts in the plural Behemoth or at least a very great Beast not an Ape but an Elephant And this is that which God would have all good men see hâ—mmah lahem as this text hath it themselves to themselves in their humble account of themselves as holy Agur did Prov 30. 2. See the Note there Vers 19. For that which befalleth the sons of men As hunger thirst heat cold diseases aches and other ill accidents Noc te tua plurima Pentheu Labeutem texit pietas As the one dieth They are sure to dye both of them Yea they have all one breath They breathe in the same ayr and exspire alike in respect of the body So that a man hath no preheminence Unless it bee in reason and speech which hee frequently abuseth to his own utter destruction But otherwise Nos aper auditu praecellit aranca tactu Vultur odoratu lynx visu simia gustu Vers 20. All are of the dust See the Note on Gen. 3.19 Vers 21. Who knoweth the Spirit q. d. Who but a man that is spiritually rational and rationally spiritual 1 Cor. 2.16 Who but hee that hath the mind of Christ that hath seen the Insides of Nature and Grace Whether Plato and Tully beleeved themselves in what they wrote touching the immortality of the soul is a great question Vers 22. Whether I perceive Hee resumeth his assertion v. 13. and concludeth See chap. 2.24 CHAP. IV. Vers 1. So I returned and considered HEre 's a second instance of corruption in civil State added to that chap. 3.16 to fill up the nest of vanities And behold the tears of such c. Heb. Tear as if they had wept their utmost Expletur Iachrymis egeriturque dolor Ovid. Et vix unicam lachrymulam extorquere possent and could hardly squeeze out one poor tear more for their own ease For as Hindes by calving so men by weeping cast out their sorrows Job 39.3 Now tears are of many sorts Lachrymas angustiae exprimit crux Alsted lachrymas poenitentiae peccatum lachrymas sympathia affectus lachrymas letitiae excellentia gandii denique lachrymas nequitiae vel hypocrisis vel vindictae cupiditas Oppression draws tears of grief Sin tears of repentance affection tears of compassion good success tears of joy hypocrisy or spite tears of wickedness And they had no comforter This was Jobs doleful case and Davids Psal 69.21 and the Churches in the Lamentations chap. 1.2 Affert solatium lugentibus suspiriorum societas saith Basil Pitty allays misery but incompassionateness of others increaseth it This was one of Sodoms sinnes Ezek. 16.49 and of those Epicures in Amos chap. 6.6 The King and Haman sate drinking in the gate but the whole City of Susan was in heaviness Esth 3.15 And on the side of their oppressours c. The oppressed Romans sighed out to Pompey Nostra miseria tu es Magnus The world hath almost as many wild Beasts and Monsters as it hath Landlords in divers places It is a woful thing surely to see how great ones quaff the tears of the oppressed and to hear them make musick of shricks Vers 2. Wherefore I praised the dead Because they are out of the reach of wrong-doers and if dead in the Lord they have entred into peace they doe rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightnesse Isa 57.2 But if otherwise men had better doe any thing suffer any thing here than dye sith by death as by a trap-doâ—e they enter into those terrors and torments that shall never either mend or end Men like silly fishes see one another caught and jerkt out of the Pond of life but they see not alas the fire and pan into the which they are cast that dye in their sins Oh! it had been better surely for such if they had never been born as Christ said of Judas than thus to be brought forth to the murtherer to that old Man-slayer to be hurled into Hell Hos 4. there to suffer such things as they shall never be able to avoyd or abide Vers 3. Yea better is he than both they The Heathen could say Optimum non nasci proximum mori Life is certainly a blessing of God though never so calamitous Why is living man sorrowful saith the Prophet Lam. 3.39 and it is as if he should say Man if alive hath some cause of comfort amidst all his miseries if he may scape though but with the skin of his teeth and have his life for a prey he should see matter of thankfulness and say Job 19.20 Lam. 3. It is the Lords mercy that I am not consumed that I am yet on this side hell But those that have set their hearts upon earthly things if ever they lose them they are filled almost with unmedicinable sorrows so as they will praise the dead above the living and wish they had never been born These are they whom Solomon in this sentence is by some thought to personate Vers 4. That for this a man is envied of his neighbour This is another peece of lifes vanity that as greater men will lye heavie upon you and oppresse you so meaner men will be envying at you and oppose you as Cain did Abel Sauls Courtiers did David the Peers of Persia Daniel the Scribes and Pharisees our Saviour Every Zopyrus shall be sure to have his Zoilus The garment of righteousnesse party-coloured with all variety of graces is a great eye-sore to the wicked and makes the Saints maligned See Prov. 27.4 with the note there Vers 5. The fool foldeth his hands together A graphical and lively description of a Sluggard fitly called a fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a naughty person Thou idle and evil servant Matth. 25.26 God puts no difference betwixt Nequaquam and Nequam a drone and a naughty-pack seem he never so wise in his own eyes Prov. 26.16 and have he never so much reason to alledge for himself as in the verse here next following a fool he is and so he will soon prove himself For he folds up his hands and hides them in his own bosome Prov. 26.15 A great many chares hee is likely to doe the while See the Note on Prov. 19.24 And as Neque mola neque farina nothing doe nothing have hee cateth hit own flesh he maketh many an hungry meal he hath a Doggs life as we say Ease slayeth this fool Prov. 1.32 poverty comes upon him as an armed man Grief also slayes him Prov. 21.25 envie consumes his flesh and he is vexed at the plenty of painful persons and because he cannot come at or rather pull out their hearts he feeds upon his own Vers 6. Better is an handful with quietnesse This is the sluggards plea whereby hee boulstereth himself up in his wickedness and would make you beleeve that he did non sine ratione insanire not play
being little less than a Monster What so monstrous as to behold green Apples on a tree in winter and what so indecent as to see the sins of youth prevailing in times of age among old decrepit Goats that they should bee capering after capparis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of Capers as the Septuagint and Vulgar render it here Because man goeth to his long home Heb. to his old home scil to the dust from whence hee was taken Or to the house of his eternity that is the grave that house of all living where hee shall lye long till the Resurrection Tremellius renders it in domum saeculi sui to the house of his generation where hee and all his contemporaries meet Cajetan in domum mundi sui into the house of his world that which the world provides for him as nature at first provided for him the house of the womb Toward this home of his the old man is now on gate having one foot in the grave already Hee sits and sings with Job My spirit is spent my daies are extinct the graves are ready for mee Job 17.1 And the mourners go about the streets The proverb is Senex â—os non lugetur An old man dies unlamented But not so the good old man Great moan was made for old Jacob Moses Aaron Samuel The Romans took the death of old Augustus so heavily that they wished hee had either never been born or never died Those indeed that live wickedly dye wishedly But godly men are worthily lamented and ought to bee so Isa 57.1 This is one of the dues of the dead so it bee done aright But they were hard bestead that were fain to hire mourners that as Midwives brought their friends into the world so those widows should carry them out of it See Job 3.8 Jer. 9.17 Vers 6. Or ever the silver cord bee loosed Or lengthened i. e. before the marrow of the back which is of a silver colour bee consumed From this Cord many sinews are derived which when they are loosened the back bendeth motion is slow and feeling faileth Or the golden bowl be broken i. e. The heart say some or the Pericardium the Brain-pan say others or the Piamater compassing the brain like a swathing-cloath or inner rind of a tree Or the pitcher bee broken at the fountain That is the veins at the Liver which is the shop of sangnification or blood-making as one calls it but especially Vena porta and Vena cava Read the Anatomists Or the wheel bee broken at the cistern i. e. The head which draws the power of life from the heart to the which the blood runs back in any great fright as to the fountain of life Vers 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth c. What is man saith Nazianzen but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul and Soil Breath and Body a puff of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either Zoroaster and some other antient Heathens imagined that the soul had wings that having broken these wings shee fell headlong into the body and that recovering her wings again shee flies up to Heaven her original habitation That of Epicharmus is better to bee liked and comes nearer to the truth here delivered by the Preacher Concretum fuit discretum est rediitque unde venerat terra deorsum spiritus sursum It was together but is now by death set asunder and returned to the place whence it came the Earth downward the Spirit upward See Gen. 2.7 God made man of the dust of the earth to note our frailty vility and impurity Lutum enim conspurcat omnia sic caro saith one Dirt defiles all things so doth the flesh It should seem so truly by mans soul which coming pure out of Gods hands soon becomes Mens oblita Dei vitiorumque oblita coeno Bernard complains not without just cause that our souls by commerce with the flesh are become fleshly Sure it is that by their mutual defilement corruption is so far rooted in us now that it is not cleansed out of us by meer death as is to bee seen in Lazarus and others that died but by cinerification or turning of the body to dust and ashes The spirit returns to God that gave it For it is divinae particula aurae an immaterial immortal substance that after death returns to God the Fountain of life D. Prest The soul moves and guides the body saith a worthy Divine as the Pilot doth the ship Now the Pilot may bee safe though the ship bee split on the rock And as in a chicken it grows still and so the shell breaks and falls off So it is with the soul the body hangs on it but as a shell and when the soul is grown to perfection it falls away and the soul returns to the Father of spirits Augustine after Origen held a long while that the soul was begotten by the Parents as was the body At length hee began to doubt of this point and afterward altered his opinion confessing inter caetera testimonia hoc esse praecipuum that among other testimonies this to bee the chief to prove the contrary to that which hee had formerly held Vers 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Who chose for his Text this Argument of the vanity of humane things which having fully proved and improved hee here resumes and concludes Vide supra Vers 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise Hee well knew how hard it was to work men to a beleef of what hee had affirmed concerning earthly vanities and therefore heaps up here many forcible and cogent Arguments as First that himself was no baby but wise above all men in the world by Gods own testimony therefore his words should bee well regarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our wise men expound to day said the Jews one to another Come let us go up to the house of the Lord c. Cicero had that high opinion of Plato for his wisdome that hee professed that hee would rather go wrong with him than go right with others Averroes over-admired Aristotle as if hee had been infallible But this is a praise proper to the holy Pen-men guided by the Spirit of Truth and filled with wisdome from on high for the purpose To them therefore and to the word of prophecy by them must men give heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place c. 2 Pet. 1.19 Hee still taught the people knowledge Hee hid not his talent in a Napkin but used it to the instruction of his people Have not I written for thee excellent things or three several sorts of Books viz. Proverbial Penitential Nuptial in counsels and knowledge Prov. 22.20 Synesius speaks of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes that having great worth in them will as soon part with their hearts as with their conceptions And Gregory observeth that there are not a few who being enriched with spiritual gifts
Champion as Christ who is in love with her and will take her part fight her quarrel and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn Isa 54.17 As the ecclipsed Moon by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendour So it shall bee with the Spouse Yea shee shall bee able to answer those that reproach and cast dirt upon her for her keeping close to Christs colours and suffering hardship for him as the Emperour Adrian did the Poet Florus who sate on an Ale-bench and sang Nolo ego Caesar esse Ambulare per Britannos Rigidas pati pruinas c. The witty Emperour replied upon him assoon as hee heard of it Melanchthon in Chron. Carion Nolo ego Florus esse Ambulare per tabernas Latitare per popinas Pulices pati rotundos Vers 5. Stay mee with flaggons Not with cups or bowls onely but with flaggons larger measures of that Wine that was set before her in Christs Wine-house Comfort mee with Apples such as fall from Christs Apple-tree spoken of in the former verse the precious mellifluous promises which are sweet like the Apples of the Garden of Eden as the Chaldee here hath it Boulster mee up with these for I am even sinking and swooning with an excess of love with an exuberancy of spiritual joy in God my Saviour such as I can hardly stand under Stay mee therefore saith shee to the Ministers Poly. hist cap. 56. Smells are applied to the nostrils of them that faint those pillars to support the weak Gal. 2.9 and to comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Stay mee or sustain mee with flaggons comfort mee with Apples Solinus tells of some near the River Ganges that live odore pomorum sylvestrium by the smell of Forrest Apples which is somewhat strange For I am sick of love Surprized with a love-qualm as an honest Virgin may bee meeting her Love unawares enjoying him in the fulness of joy and fearing the loss of his company for a long season Lomb. Seâ—t lib. 3. distine 34. Vide August Epist 121. ad Hoxorâ— This is timor amicalis which Lombard thus describeth ne offendamus quem diligimus ne ab eo separemur The fear of love is lest wee should offend him whom our soul loveth and so cause him to withdraw Hic timor transit in charitatem saith Gregory This fear passeth into love and overwhelms the spirit sometimes This was it that made Jacob when hee saw nothing but visions of love and mercy cry out How dreadful is this place This made that mixture of passions in those good women that coming to look Christ Gosr in Vit. Bern. departed from the grave with fear and great joy From this cause it was that Bernard for a certain time after his conversion remained as it were deprived of his senses by the excessive consolations hee had from God Cyprian writes to his friend Donatus that before his conversion hee thought it impossible to finde such raptures and ravishments as now hee did in a Christian course Epist l. 1. Confess l. 6. c. 22. Hee begins his Epistle thus Accipe quod sentitur antequam discitur c. Augustine saith the like of himself What unconceiveable and unutterable extasies of joy then may wee well think there is in Heaven where the Lord Christ perpetually and without intermission manifesteth the most glorious and visible signs of his presence and seals of his love Hee pours forth all plenteous demonstrations of his goodness to his Saints and gives them eyes to see it minds to conceive it and then fills them with exceeding fulness of love to him again so that they swim in pleasure and are even overwhelmed with joy a joy too big to enter into them they must enter into it Mat. 25.21 Oh pray pray with that great Apostle that had been in Heaven and seen that which eye never saw that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened Verbis exprimi non potest experimento opus est Chrys you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes 1.18 3.19 A glory fitter to bee beleeved than possible to bee discoursed An exceeding excessive eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Such a weight as if the body were not upheld by the power of God it were impossible but it should faint under it How ready are our spirits to expire here when any extraordinary unexpected comfort befalls us The Church is sick of love Jacobs heart fainted when hee heard of Josephs life and honour in Egypt The Queen of Sheba was astonied at Solomons wisdome and magnificence so that shee had no spirit more in her Viscount Lisley in Henry the Eighths time died for joy of an unexpected pardon What then may wee think of those in Heaven and should not wee hasten in our affections to that happy place Oh do but think saith one though it far pass the reach of any mortal thought what an infinite inexplicable happiness it will bee to look for ever upon the glorious body of Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty far above the brightest Cherub and to consider that even every vein of that blessed body bled to bring thee to Heaven Think of it I say and then exhale thy self in continual sallies as it were of most earnest desires to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is far the better Phil. 1.23 As in the mean while let thy soul sweetly converse with him in all his holy Ordinances but especially at his Holy Table where hee saith unto thee as once to Thomas Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and bee not faithless but beleeving Let thy soul also there reciprocate and say My Lord and my God! Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth Psa 73.25 none in comparison of thee Rabboni Come quickly Vers 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace mee As if shee should have said I called unto you my friends to relieve and raise mee falling into a spiritual swoon but behold the consolation that is in Christ Phil. 2.1 2 the comfort of love the fellowship of the Spirit the bowels and mercies of my dear Husband hee hath fulfilled my joy hee hath prevented your help or at least hee hath wrought together with the means and made it successeful You have stayed mee with flaggons Psal 23.2 but hee hath restored my soul You have bolstered mee up with Apples but when that would not do hee hath put his left hand under my head as a pillow to rest upon and with his right hand hee hath embraced mee as a loving Husband cherisheth his sick wife and doth her all the help hee can Ephes 5.29 The whole virtue and power of the Ministry cometh from Christ They do their worthy indeavour to stay and under-prop our Faith but
Gods people as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice â— Ezek. 33.32 It is mel in ore melos in aure to the Elect as it was to Austin who coming to hear Ambrose had his ears tickled his heart touched so had that unlearned Corinthian 1 Cor. 14.25 and the whole City of Samaria wherein there was great joy at the receiving of the Gospel Luk. 2.10 Act. 8.8 Behold wee bring you good tidings of great joy to all people said those Angels to the Shepherds that sang Christ into the world and from whom the preaching of the Gospel was afterwards taken and given to the Ministers whose proper office it is to publish peace to bring good tidings of good Thy Watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing c. Isa 52.7 8. If they do otherwise to any if they sing doleful accents to guilty persons if the voice of these Gospel birds bee to such like that of Abijah to Jeroboams wife I am sent to thee with heavy tidings 1 King 24.6 they may thank themselves To fall out with the Minister is as great folly as if some fond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the cause of their war Or as if some ignorant peasant when hee sees his fowls bathing in his pond should cry out of them as the causes of soul weather What do faithful Ministers do more what can they do less if they will be true to their souls than tax mens sins fore-tell their judgements This when they do it is diversly taken Ravenous and unclean birds like the Ravens of Arabia See Ezek. 7.16 Isidor scriech â—orribly scratch terribly Turtles and Doves whose voice is here said to be heard in the Land when other birds are sweetly singing come in with a mournful tone mixt with a groaning sadness whence also the Turtle hath its name scil a somo quem edit per onomatopoeiam and may well serve to set forth the unutterable groans of gracious spirits grieving for their sins mourning bitterly over Christ crucified before their eyes Zach. 12.10 Gal. 3.1 and evidently set forth by their faithful Ministers so that they need no other crucifix to draw tears from them tabring upon their breasts with the voice of Doves Nah. 2.7 Yea smiting upon their breasts with the penitent Publican and saying or rather sighing out each for himself Lord bee merciful to mee a sinner And here assert solatium lugentibus suspiriorum societas Basiâ— It is an heavenly hearing when a Church-full of good people wrought upon by their godly Preachers send up a volly of sighs to God and as Hindes by calving so they by weeping cast out their sorrows Job 39.3 such as shew their hearts to bee as so many Hadadrimmons Aug. in Psa 10 Austin perswades a Preacher so long to insist upon some needful point until by the groans and looks of his hearers hee perceive that they understand it and are affected with it Such hearers Paul had at Athens that wept as hee did Act. 20.37 but this is but few mens happiness Turtles are rare birds in our Land Vers 13. The Fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grapes c. These two trees put forth their fruits first when other trees for most part Post flores fructus c. Lib. 17. cap. 13 put forth first flowers and then fruits in their season Pliny numbers the Fig-tree among the trees of quick Nature And our Saviour Luk. 21.29 30. makes the shooting forth of the Fig-tree to bee a sign of Summers approaching When himself came hungry to that Fig-tree Matth. 21.19 hee thought to have found something on it more than leaves onely for though the time of Figs was not yet that is of ripe Figs Mark 11.13 yet grossuli green Figs at least hee looked for those untimely Figs that shee casteth when shee is shaken of a mighty wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grossus Hinc ficus fig. Hinc puto Bethphage dictam quasi locum grossorum Mercer Unde pomum decerpseris alterum protuberat Rev. 6.13 his hunger would have made somewhat of them It was at Bethphage that house of green Figs as the word signifieth or near unto it that hee cursed this barren Fig-tree Mark 11.1 13. and therefore cursed it because it answered not his expectation It behoves us therefore not onely to make a flourish of goodly words with Naphtali but to bee fruitful boughs with Joseph being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 Joseph is a fruitful bough Gen. 49.22 that is of the Vine saith the Chaldee Paraphrast there But it may bee Jacob meant it of the Aegyptian Fig-tree Uno anno septies fructus sufficit whereof Solinus reporteth that it beareth fruit seven times a year pull off one Fig and another presently puts forth Now if the Fig-tree slack not her duty but laboureth quickly to bring forth her first-fruit that so again and again shee may bee more fruitful how much more should wee hasten the fruits of holiness break off our sins and bee abrupt in our repentance Dan. 4.27 cut the cart-ropes of vanity and cast away the deeds of darkness Rom. 13.12 bring forth fruits meet for repentance parallel to it and tantamount such as were to bee seen in the penitent theef that suffered with our Saviour Aarons Rod was not sooner changed from a withered stick into a flourishing tree than hee was from a barren malefactor into a fruitful professor for see what a deal of fruit hee bears in an instant hee confesseth his own sin rebuketh his companion giveth a good testimony unto Christ and praies that Christ would remember him when he came into his Kingdome This incouragement among many other wee have that Christ will bless our very budds Isa 44.3 see the Geneva Translation hee will taste of our green Figs Unâ— minutula R. David of our tender Grapes which if not yet of a good taste yet because they give a good smell as this Text hath it they are well resented Christ when hee comes into his garden takes all hee findes well aworth Hee gathereth his myrrhe with his spice hee eats not onely of his hony but of his hony-comb and drinks not onely of his Wine but of his Milk Cant. 5.1 Vers 14. Oh my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock The Dove is meek mournful simple sociable fearful beautiful faithful to her mate fruitful neat so is the Church And because the Dove is sought after by birds of prey therefore shee builds in strong and steep places in clefts of Rocks in the sides of the holes mouth as Jeremy hath it chap. 48.28 The Church also is forced many times to flie into the wildernesse Rev. 12. into the further parts of the world and hide it self in corners to avoid persecution So many so
gold that is upon a foundation both fine and firm for gold hardly rusteth or cankereth whence it was likely that Tithonus and his Son Memnon when they built the City of Susa in Persia they joyned the stones together with gold as Cassiodorus writeth Christs power is founded upon his divine Nature and this is the Rock upon which the Church is built and whereby it is set in safety from all miseries and molestations satanical or secular The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Christ and the Father are one Psal 89.19 therefore none shall take her out of his hands God hath laid help upon one that is mighty even upon Emanuel the mighty strong God as hee is called Isa 9.6 declared to bee the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 that your Faith and hope might bee in God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prorsus perpotuo perfecte 1 Pet. 1.21 Trust perfectly therefore to or hope to the end for the grace that is to bee brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus sith hee is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him 1 Pet. 1.13 Heb. 7.25 His countenance is as Lebanon His aspect his look or general view i. e. Whatsoever of himself Christ is pleased to manifest and lay open unto us is pleasant and delightful goodly and glorious excellent and eximious choice as the Cedars that are chosen before other trees and why see the Note on chap. 1.17 Vers 16. His mouth is most sweet Heb. His palat that is his word and promises which are as it were the breath of Christs mouth is all sweet This shee had celebrated before vers 13. but as not satisfied therewith shee repeats it and rolls it again as sugar under her tongue Shee doubles this commendation to shew that that is the chief lovely thing in Christ his Word this fruit shee had found sweet unto her palat chap. 2.3 and shee spareth not to set it forth as here the second time Mallemus carere c. Wee had rather bee without Fire Water Bread Sun Air c. saith a Dutch Divine than that one sweet sentence of our blessed Saviour Come unto mee all yee that are weary c. Yea hee is altogether lovely Totus totus desiderabilis wholly amiable every whit of him to bee desired Moses thought him so when hee preferred the reproach of Christ the worst part of him the heaviest peece of his cross before all the treasures in Egypt that Magazin of the world Heb. 11.26 Those of this world see no such excellency and desireableness in Christ and his waies Psal 22.7 nor can do till soundly shaken Hag. 2.7 I will shake all Nations and then the desire of all Nations that is Christ shall come with stirring affections saying as Isa 26.9 with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within mee will I seek thee early Loe this is the voice of every true childe of the Church and these desires of the righteous shall bee satisfied Prov. 10.24 This is my Beloved c. q.d. You may see I have cause to seek after him neither can you do better than to do likewise howsoever when you see him do my errand to him as vers 7. And here wee have most excellent Rhetorick which in the beginning of a speech requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milder affections in the end of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stronger passions that may leaved deepest impressions CHAP. VI. Vers 1. Whither is thy Beloved gone c ALL Christs Disciples are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquisitive after the truth that is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 and are fellow-helpers to it John 3.8 There is also quid divinum in auscultatione as one well noteth that is a strange and strong energy or forcibleness in hearing whether publiquely or in private conference Christ and his excellencies displayed and discoursed of Let but his name as an ointment bee powred out and the Virgins can do no less than love him Cant. 1.3 These daughters of Jerusalem are by hearing the Church describing her Spouse and painting him out in lively colours fired up to an holy contention in godliness and might they but know where to have him they would bee at any pains to partake of the benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 They wondred at first why shee should make such ado about Christ But when they conversed a while with her and had heard her speak with such affection and admiration they are turned and will now go seek him with her God is pleased many times to water the holy meetings and conferences of his people with blessing beyond expectation or belief Wee should frame our selves to an easie discourse of the glory of Christs Kingdome and talk of his power Psal 145.8 9. Our tongues in this argument should bee as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 that wee may bee able to speak oft to one another with profit and power in the best thing Mal. 3.10 Little do wee know what a deal of good may bee done hereby Mr. Fox speaking of Gods little flock in the days of Henry the 8. saith in such rarity of good books and want of teachers Act. Mon. fol. 750. this one thing I cannot but marvell and muse at to note in the registers and consider how the word of God did multiply so exceedingly amongst them For I finde that one neighbour resorting and conferring with another eftsoons with a few words of their first or second talk did win and turn their minds to that wherein they desired to perswade them touching the truth of Gods Word and Sacraments c. In all ages such as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13.48 after that they had heard the Word of truth they beleeved and were sealed Irridentis vex non interrogantis Contrariwise reprobates either refuse to hear the Church preaching Christ John 8.47 Of else they hear and jear as Pilat with his What 's truth in meer mockage John 18.38 hear and blaspheme Acts 13.45 or at best hear and admire and that 's all they leave the Word where they found it for any thing they will practice They think they do a great chare to sit out a Sermon and then commend it But Wisdoms children will not onely justifie her Mat. 11.19 but also glorifie her Acts 13.48 they will seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore Psal 105.4 Seek him in his holy Temple seek him in and with the Church as here They know that extra Ecclesiam nulla salus The Church is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 in as much as by her ministery the authority dignity knowledge virtue and use of the truth of the Gospel is preserved in the world and held out Philip. 2.16 as the hand holds forth the torch or the watch-tower the light and so the haven to the weather-beaten Mariners
way of truth and holiness The Papists propose rewards to such as shall relinquish the Protestant religion and turn to theirs as in Ausborough where they say there is a known price for it of ten Florens a year In France Spec. Europ where the Clergy have made contributions for the maintenance of runagate Ministers Stratagema nunc est Pontificum ditare multos ut pii esse desinant saith one that was no stranger to them Joh. Bapt. Gell. dial 5. It is a cunning trick that the Popes have taken up to enrich men that they may rob them of their religion And though Luther would not swallow that hook yet there are those that will not a few Tell men a tale of Utile promise them preferment and you may perswade them to any thing Fac me Pontificem ero Christianus said one Pammachius an Heathen once to the Pope Make mee a Bishop and I 'le turn Christian But as one said of Papists that they must have two conversions ere they come to heaven one from Popery and another from prophaneness like as corn must be first threshed and then winnowed so this money-merchant this preferment-proselyte might have been a Christian at large had hee had his desired Bishoprick but Christ never favoured any such self-seeking followers See Mat. 8.20 John 6.26 their love hee knows to be no better than meretricious and mercenary It is a sad thing that any Augustine should have cause to complain Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum that scarce any man loves Christ but for his rewards like the mixt multitude that came up with Israel out of Egypt for a better fortune Or those Persians that in Mordecai's daies for self-respects became Jews All Gods people should bee like those Medes in Isaiah that regarded not silver and as for gold they delighted not in it chap. 13.17 Christs love should bee better to them than wine Cant. 1.2 and when in exchange for it the devill doth offer them this worlds good they should answer him as the witch of Endor did Saul 1 Sam. 28.9 Judg. 9.11 Wherefore laiest thou a snare for my soul to cause mee to dye or as the vine and fig-tree in Jonathans Parable answered the rest of the trees Should I leave my fatness and sweetness derived unto mee from Christ and so go out of Gods blessing into the worlds warm Sunne God forbid that I should part with my patrimony as Naboth said take an apple for paradise as Adam did lose the love of Christ for the worlds blandishments c. Vers 8. Wee have a little sister Thou Lord and I have such a sister sc the Church of the Gentiles known to thee and fore-appointed to conversion as James speaketh in that first Christian counsell Act. 15.18 from the beginning of the world unknown to mee more than by hear-say from the holy Prophets 1 Pet. 1.10 who prophecied of the grace that should come unto her but not unloved or undesired Now therefore as a fruit of my true love unto thee such as no floods of troubles can quench or drench no earthly commodity can compass or buy off I desire not onely to deliberate with thee about the enlargement of thy Kingdome by the accession of the elect Gentiles thereunto but also by making as I may say large and liberal offers set forth my care and study for their eternal salvation See the like affection in St. Paul toward his country-men the Jews proceeding from that full assurance that hee found in himself Rom. 8.38 39. with chap. 9.1 And learn wee to pray as earnestly for their conversion as they have done for ours longing after them from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ as Philipp 1.8 and turning to the Lord that they may the sooner finde compassion It is Hezekiah's reason and a very remarkable one 2 Chron. 30.9 And shee hath no breasts i. e. Shee is not yet Nubilis apta viro marriageable and fit for Christ to bee presented as a chaste Virgin unto him shee wanted such paranymphs as Paul was to do it for her 2 Cor. 11.2 Shee had not a stablished Ministry to nurse up her children withall And at this same pass was the old Church at first not onely small but unshapen Ezek. 16.7 8. A society of men without the preaching of the Word is like a mother of children without breasts All the Churches children must suck and bee satisfied Isa 66.11 they must desire the sincere milk of the Word and grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 not like the changeling Luther speaks of ever sucking never batling Such shall be made to know that their mother hath verbera as well as ubera rods as well as dugges Their father will also repent him as once David did of his kindness to Nabal and take up his old complaint Isai 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The ox knoweth his owner c. the most salvage creatures will bee at the beck and check of those that feed them disobedience therefore under means of grace especially is against the principles of nature It is to bee like the horse and mule yea like the young mulet which hath no sooner done sucking her dammes teats but shee turns up her heels and kicks her What shall wee do for our sister Love is not more cogitative than operative and delights to bee doing for the beloved I love the Lord c. What shall I render unto him I will pay my vows c. Psal 116. Jonathan will disrobe and strip himself even to his sword and girdle for David because hee loved him as his own soul 1 Sam. 18.3 4. Shechem will do all that can be done for his beloved Dinah The Macedonians will over-do for their poor brethren Pauls love to the Jews was like the Ivy which if it cleave to a stone or an old wall will rather die than forsake it Rom. 9.3 He tells his Hebrews of their labour of love Heb. 6. all love is laborious In the day when shee shall bee spoken for Or wherein speech shall he had concerning her viz. for an husband for her how wee may best prefer her in marriage The care of disposing young people to fit yoke-fellows lay upon their parents and other kindred The Church as an elder-sister shews her self solicitous and propounds the matter to Christ as the onely best husband for her the partition-wall being broken down Vers 9. If shee be a wall wee will build upon her c. Christ answers If she be as she ought to be strong and well-grounded in the faith able to bear a good weight laid upon her as a wall pillar and ground of truth not sinking or fainting under the heaviest burden of these light afflictions which are but for a moment but patient and perseverant in the faith unto the death then will I do all for her that may bee done to make her happy This speech is somewhat like that of Solomon concerning Adonijah
all things as from whom come all alterations and changes and so to teach them to rely on his providence at all times and turns This they thought not on and are therefore turn'd off with contempt Your appointed Feasts Or rather your set-meetings whether for Feasts or Fasts My soul hateth Not all his sences only were offended but his very soul also which is an Emphatical speech and an argument of his hearty detestation Hypocrisie is hatefull to men much more to the holy God When Bernardine Ochin offered the Cardinal of Lorrain his service in writing against the Protestants he sleighted him with greatest scorn because he knew he had dissembled and plaid the Hypocrite The other Papists should have dealt in like sort with Bolsecus that twice-banished and thrice-runnagate Fryar and Physitian whom they basely hired to write the lives of Calvin and Beza alledging him in all their writings as Canonical They are a trouble unto me or a burthen a combrance God though he be not weary of bearing up the whole world yet under this burden he buckles as it were and elswhere complains that he is pressed under it as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2.13 Ver. 15. And when ye spread forth your hands This was the ancient guise and garb in extraordinary and most earnest prayer especially to spread forth the arms and lay open the hands as it were to receive a blessing from the Allmighty Exod. 9.24 Psalm 44.20 143.6 1 King 8.22 38. I will hide mine eyes from you tanquam à teterrimo cadavere quod oculos nasum ut occludatis faciat The eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and his ears are open to their cry But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil Psalm 34.15 16. his pure eyes cannot behold them with patience Hab. 1.13 Yea when ye make many prayers as hoping to be heard for your much babling The Turks pray constantly five times a day The Jews pronounce daily an hundred benedictions The Papists pray more by tale then by weight of Zeal The wild Irish pray for a blessing on their theft also I will not hear Your prayers are as jarring in mine ears as if divers distracted Musicians should play upon divers had Instruments so many several tunes at one time or as if so many dogs should set up a Howl together Hos 7.14 See the Note there Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs those black Santi's for I will not hear the melody of thy viols Amos 5.23 The Jews at this day conclude their Sabbath with singing or caterwawling rather which they continue as long as they can for the ease of souls departed and withall they pray many times over and over that Elias would hasten his coming even the next Sabbath if he please to give them notice of the Messias his coming All this is lost labor Your hands are full of blood Ac proinde horrorem mihi incutiunt Hands imbrued in blood are horrible to behold Should he who hath assassined the Kings son come to him with a petition presently upon it And should not pure hands be everywhere lifted up to God without wrath and without doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 By Blood here may be meant not only Injustice and Oppression of the poor but all other sins also allowed and wallowed in when blood toucheth blood Hos 4.2 one foul sin is added to another Ver. 16. Wash ye make ye clean Wash your hearts from wickedness that ye may be saved Jer. 4.14 Yea cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4.8 But how is that done Be afflicted and mourn and weep c. ver 9. Ye cannot wash your bloody hands in innocency wash them therefore in tears which are a second Baptism of the soul where it is rinsed anew And surely as the sins of the old world so of this little world need a Deluge Set to work therefore and God will soon set in with you Wash your selves with the tears of true Repentance and God will wash you with the blood of his Son only be sure to do your work throughly wash hard rub rinse we have inveterate stains which will hardly be got out till the cloth be almost rubd to peeces And as an error in the first Concoction is not mended in the second nor of the second in the third so if a mans humiliation hath not been sound his reformation cannot be right Wash therefore and then Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes Away with that abominable thing that is so grievous to all my five senses yea to my very soul as is above said Sin is in Scripture called Pollution Leprosie Contagion Vomit of a dog wallowing of a swine in the mire c and must therefore be rid and removed out of the heart and life or we cannot find favour Cease to do evil This is first to be done Depart from evil and do good break off your sins by Repentance and be abrupt in the work sow not among the Thorns cast away all your transgressions c. The Prophets pressing moral duties in this sort do it as Explainers of the Law they did but unfold and draw out that Arras which was folded together before Learn to do well Turn over a new leaf take out a new lesson Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest God's soul depart from thee Jer. 6.8 Deliver thy self wholly up to his Discipline Religion is the best learning Philosophia sacra To know Christ and him crucified is as much as Saint Paul cared for Deum cognoscere colere is the whole duty of man add this to the former Negative goodness profiteth not Seek Judgment relieve the oppressed c. Look to the Duties of the second Table those of your own particular places especially Exercise your general Calling in your particular and think not to set off with God by your sacrifices for your oppressions I will have Mercy and not sacrifice Primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur saith Luther All Gods Laws were in Davids sight Psalm 119.198 all his wayes in Gods sight What a good Justicer and Housholder both he was see Psalm 101. Relieve the oppressed Heb righten the sowred or leavened Judge the fatherless plead for the widdow These are Gods own Clyents Exodus 22.21 Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together In the Greek Church at the beginning of Divine service the Deacon cryed out Sacra Sacris Holy souls to holy service Chrysost Basil Liturg. God will not treat with this people till purified till resolved upon better practices As when he is content by a wonderfull condescention to make them even as Judges in their own cause The Vulgar rendreth it but not so well Et venite arguite me See chap. 5.3 Jer. 2.9 Mic. 6.1 2 3. Alluâ—it ad habitum meretricum A Lap. Though your sin be of scarlet blood-red as ver 15. and of
making peace with God as they ought to do they mutter and growl against him as these hypocrites do for his over-great severity Fearfulnesse hath surprised the hypocrites The Jews were an hypocritical Nation chap. 9. Epiphanius when he left Constantinople said that he left three great things behind him viz. a great City a great Palace ingentem hypocrisin and a great deal of hypocrisy That facies hypocritic of our Nation is that facies Hippocratica which Physicians speak of of a spent dying man that looks gastly it is a mortal complexion a sad prognistick Oh that these frozen hearts of ours sith they must have a thew or it will be worse might melt here and be unfoldered from hypocrisy that we might be saved though so as by fire rather then to be reserved to be thawed with everlasting burnings the portion of hypocrites Matth. 24. So might we dwell with everlasting burnings that is within the knowledge of Gods terrible presence and sight of his great Judgements whereof the hypocrites of the world are afraid because this fire melteth off their paint and threatneth to wash off their varnish with rivers of brimstone Who among us shall dwell Or who of us can but fear a devouring fire Ver. 15. He that walketh righteously q. d. Though you cannot yet there are those that can viz. those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Surely to such there is no one condemnation Rom. 8.1 Christ standeth as a skreen betwixt the wrath of God and his Elect for whose sake also this Paschal Lamb was once for all roasted in the fire of his fathers indignation whereby they are not only delivered from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 but also have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him Eph. 3.12 2.18 He that walketh righteously Through whose whole life righteousness runneth as the woof doth through the web as the blood doth through the veins c. And speaketh uprightly Heb. Evennesses non blasphema impudica fescennina not the language of Hell but of Canaan see Jam. 3.2 That despiseth the gain of oppressions The Mammon of iniquity wealth gotten by force or fraud A publick person especially as he should have nothing to lose so he should have nothing to get he should be above all price or sale Nec prece nec precio should be his Motto That shaketh his hands from holding of bribes He doth not only not do wrong but not receive a gift whereby he may be engaged or inclined to do it That stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood He not only not sheddeth it but refuseth to hear any communing about such a business Quintil. declam That shutteth his eyes from seeing of evil Lest his heart should thereby be betrayed for vitiis nobis in animum per oculos est via could an Heathen say By the eyes evil getteth into the heart by looking cometh lusting and millions dye of the wound in the eye Ver. 16. He shall dwell on high Extra jactum out of the gun-shot the reach of evils and enemies Or in heaven shall he dwell with God in safety who is to the wicked a consuming fire ver 14. His place of defence shall be the munitions of Rocks Rocks within Rocks Rocks beneath above Rocks Rocks so deep no Pioner can undermine them so thick no Canon can pierce them so high no Ladder can scale them c. Bread shall be given him his waters shall not fail He shall have all that heart can wish or need require Ver. 17. Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Hezekiah in his pristine state and lustre yea more glorious and renowned then ever before Hierom understandeth it of Christ reigning gloriously in Heaven and the Saints looking from thence should see the earth a farre off as little and contemptible and say O quam angusti sunt mortalium termini O quam angusti sunt mortalium animi Austine wished that he might have seen these three things Romam in flore Paulum in ore Christum in corpore Rome in the flourish Paul in the pulpit Christ in the body of flesh Venerable Bede came after him and wished rather that he might see his King Christ in his beauty as he is now at the right-hand of his Father far outshining the brightest Cherub in Heaven Oiim haec meminisse juvabit Ver. 18. Thine hearts shall meditate terror But thou shalt now think of it as waters that are past calling to mind what speeches amongst those late distractions had fallen from thee Where is the Scribe Or the Muster-master of the Assyrian Army Verba sunt insultantium exsultantium saith Piscator they are the words of Gods people insulting over the enemy now overthrown and dispersed See the like done by the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.10 Ver. 19. Thou shalt not see a fierce people Or Look not upon a fierce people or as some render it a barbarous people of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand such as are most of the School-men seven years said one are but sufficient to understand the barbarisms of Scotus upon Lombard but rather look upon Zion Ver. 20. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities where God is daily and duely served and is therefore her sheild and exceeding great reward Gen. 17.1 If that Heathen King hearing of his enemies approach whilst he was sacrificing could answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am serving my Gods and therefore fear not their force how much more cause had Zion to be confident and to sing as Psal 46.1 2 3 c. See Psal 48.12 13. Ver. 21. But there the glorious Lord will be The Church must needs be invincible because the glorious Lord is her Champion or will do gallantly for us as the words may be rendered Her name is Jehovah-Shammah Ezek. 48.35 The Lord is there and how many reckon we him at He alone is a potent Army Isa 52.12 A place of broad rivers and Streams Such as Mesopotamia was or the Garden of God Or he shall be instead of broad rivers c. even a river that shall not be drawn dry or sucked out as Euphrates was by Cyrus when he took Babylon a river that shall not fail the dwellers by as Nilus once at least did Egypt for nine years together Ovid Art l. 1. Creditur Aegyptus caruisse juvantibus arva Imbribus atque annis sicca fuisse novem But shall fill its banks and shores perpetually and keep a full stock of streams and waters Wherein shall go no gally nor gallant ship i. e. None of the enemies navies shall annoy it England had the experience of this in that famous 88. when the Seas were turreted with such a Navy of Ships as her swelling waves could hardly be seen and the Flags Streamers and Ensignes so spred in the wind that they seemed to darken even the Sun but the glorious God defeated them Ver. 22. For the Lord
art also the head of the Elect that Israel of God Gal. 6.16 Ver. 4. Then said I I have laboured in vaine I have done little more than preached my hearers to hell The Pharisees and the Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7.30 they would not be forewarned to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 to escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23.33 Our Saviour lost his sweet words upon them so did the Prophet Isaiah upon his untoward Countrymen who refused to be reformed hated to be healed Nothing was unconquerable to his pains who had as one saith of Jul. Scaliger a golden wit in an iron body but this matter was not malleable hence he spake to them to as little purpose as Bede did when he preached to an heap of stones Hence his complaint chap. 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report he might haply hope at first as holy Melanchthon did that it was impossible for his hearers to withstand the evidence of the Gospel but after he had been a Preacher a while 't is said be complained that old Adam was too hard for young Melanchthon Reverend Mr. Greenham besides his publike paines in season and out of season was wont to walk out into the fields and to confer with his neighbours as they were at plough But Dry-Draiton the place where he was Minister many years though so often watered with his teares prayers and paines was little the better for all Mr. Fullers Church-hist the generality of his parish remained ignorant and obstinate to their Pastours great grief and their own greater dammage and disgrace Hence the verses Greenham had pastures green But sheep full lean c. He might well cry out as many also do at this day Eheu quam pingui macer est mihi taurus in arvo Our people alasse are like Labans-lambs or Pharaohs kine they are even Ministrorum opprobria But if Ministers toyle all night and take nothing 't is to be feared saith one well that Satan caught the fish ere they came at their net Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord He will do me right and reward me howsoever The Physician hath his praise and pay though his Patient dyes The Lawyer hath his see though his Clients cause miscarry Curam exigeris non curationem saith Bernard to a frienk of his Jer. 20. it is the care not the cure of your charge that is charged upon you Jeremy was impatient and would preach no more but that might not be Mr. Greenham left Dry-Draiton upon friends importunity and removed to London but he afterwards repented it Latimer speaking of a certain Minister who gave this answer why he left off preaching because he saw he did no good This saith Latimer is a naughty a very naughty answer Ver. 5. To bring Jacob again to him To convert and reduce him to the fold this is the proper work of the Archshepherd 1 Pet. 2.25 and 3.18 and 5.4 Men may speak perswasively but Christ alone can perswade the heart Meum est docere saith Cyril vestrum auscultare Dei verò perficere Though Israel be not gathered Viz. By Gods Word which is his Arme chap. 53.1 or will not be gathered as Mat. 23.37 Yet I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord Who will reward me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to my paines and not according to my successe yea it is more than probable that such as patiently persist in the work of the ministery Secundum laborem non secundum proventum Bern. though few or none be converted thereby shall have a greater measure of glory than those that see much fruit of their labours and so have their honey-comb here to feed on Ver. 6. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles De vocatione gentium illustre testimonium and to this purpose it is cited by Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.47 See Joh. 12.46 Luk. 1.78 79. That thou mayst be my Salvation Vide quam Deo cordi curae sit salus nostra A Lap cum eam vocat suam See how God mindeth and fancieth our salvation when he calleth it here his salvation Ver. 7. To him whom man despiseth Christ was extreamly despised in the state of his humiliation Isa 53.2 3. his Soul was filled with scorn and contempt as Psal 123.3 4. he was hartily hated To him whom the Nation abhorreth Hierom saith that to this day that execrable nation curseth Christ three times a day in their Synagogues and professeth that if their Messiah should come rather than the Gentiles should share with them in his benefits they would crucifie him over and over To a servant of Rulers Christ was basely used by the Rulers of the Jews who never left till they had nailed him to the Tree which was a slaves death among the Romans Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship As did Constantine Theodosius Valentinian Charles the Great c. who called themselves vasallos Christi the vasals of Christ And he shall choose thee i. e. He shall declare that he hath chosen thee to be the Saviour of his people Ver. 8. In an acceptable time Heb. In a time of my good pleasure or goodwill i. e. when of free grace I am pleased to send thee into the world and to cause the Gospel to be preached all abroad thereby declaring my self fully appeased which the men of my good will as the Elect are called Luk. 2.14 Confer 2 Cor. 6.2 Have I heard thee Or will I hear thee sc interceding and will I help thee sc conflicting And give thee for a Covenant i. e. For a Mediatour of the New Covenant which is ratified by thy blood as was signified by the book sprinkled with the blood of the slain sacrifice To establish the earth Had not Christ undertook the shattered condition of the world to uphold it it had faln about Adams cares To cause to inherit the desolate heritages i. e. Heaven forfeited by us in our first Parents or as others the Countries of the Nations now converted Ver. 9. That thou mayst say to the prisoners i. e. To such as lie hampered and enthralled in the invisible chaines of the Kingdom of darkness To these Christ saith be refreshed with the light of saving knowledge and with the liberty of the sons of God They shall feed in the wayes As cattle do that are removed from place to place they shall have a subsistence till they get home to their Fathers house where is bread enough Ver. 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst A sufficiency the Saints have even of outward comfotts if not a superfluity and for inward sunt nobis pascua pocula panis coelestis they shall not want Psal 23.1 yea they shall over-exceedingly abound 2 Cor. 7.4 So little cause is there for the Jew to jear us as poor and forlorn spiritual alimony we are sure of and bread and water with the Gospel are good chear See Rev.
and other external priviledges Though Abram be ignorant of us Ipsi nunc sua quiete fruuntur they are at rest and know nothing of our affaires The Monks tell us that the Saints departed see things done here in the face of God as in a glass But this is a meer fiction of theirs See Psal 27.10 2 King 22.20 Augustine saith of his mother Monica deceased Lib de curae pro mortuis agenda cap. 13. Eccius in locis that she did now no longer yeeld him comfort because she knew not what befel him The greatest Popish Clerkes themselves confess that the invocation of Saints departed hath neither precept promise nor precedent in the Book of God Moreover they cannot determine how the Saints know our hearts and prayers whether by hearing or seeing or presence everywhere or by Gods relating or revealing mens prayers and needs unto them All which wayes some of them hold as possible or probable and others deny and confute them as untrue Mortons Appeale lib. 2. cap. 12. sect 5. The Syriack and Arabick render the text thus Thou art our Father we are ignorant of Abraham and we acknowledge not Israel Thou O Lord art our Father c. Agreeable whereunto is that of the Heathen Contemno minutos istos Deos moao Jovem mihi propitium habeam I care not for those petty-gods so that Jupiter will stand my friend And that better saying of a devout Christian Vna est in trepida mihi re medicina Jehova Cor patrium os ver ax omnipotensque manus Nathan Chytraeus It hath been well observed that the defeat given to the Spanish Fleet Anno 1588. fell out to be on St. James his day whom the Spaniards pray to as their Patrone or St. Tutelar Thy name is from eternity i. e. This name of thine our Redeemer Some read the text thus Our Redeemer is from of old thy Name Our Redemption was not of yesterday but verily fore ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 Ver. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies c. i. e. Given us up to errour and obstinacy Why dost thou thus punish sin with sin for the illustration of thy Justice and jealousy against us who have rebelled and vexed thine holy Spirit ver 10. Oh be pleased to deal with us rather according to thy mercy Return for thy servants sake the good people that are yet left amongst us give us hearts of flesh and lead us in the way everlasting Here observe that Gods best children may find in themselves hardness of heart Hos 4.16 yet not total but mixt with softness and tenderness in every part so that though they resist neglect profit not as they might do through pride worldliness voluptuousness Mat 13.22 Luke 21.34 hypocritical hiding of any sin Psal 32.3 4. Prov. 28.14 letting fall the watch of the Lord 2 Chron. 32.25 yet it is not done with full consent but with reluctance now and repentance afterwards The tribes of thine inheritance q. d. Wilt thou abhor thy people in covenant with thee and abandon thine own inheritance How few are there that thus urge the seale and enter a suit with the Lord Ver. 18. The people of thine holiness have possessed it but a little while viz. In respect of that perpetuity promised them by Thee Gen. 17.8 26.3 28.13 Exod. 32.13 Besides the many calamities that have befaln us whereby we have had small enjoyment of this thine inheritance All the daies of the afflicted are evil Prov. 15.15 their life lifeless and not to be reckoned on Our adversaries have trodden down thy Sanctuary This they did in the daies of Antiochus but especially about the time of our Saviours incarnation when the scepter departed from Judah Pompey with his Army entered into the Sanctuary Herod got the governement the Romans sat up their Ensignes and Statues in the holy of holies c. This desolation of the second Temple the Jews do here bewail but we have cause to rejoyce for that by Christ the whole world is now become a Temple and every place a goodly Oratory 1 Tim. 2.8 Ver. 19. We are thine And shouldest thou then deal with us as some profane idolatrous Nation See here the holy boldness of Faith standing upon interrogatories 1 Pet. 3.21 and filling her mouth with arguments of all sorts Thou never barest rule over them No such reason or relation is there of children servants subjects wherefore they should thus be favoured and we disowned Amos 3.2 See on ver 17. CHAP. LXIV Ver. 1. O That thou wouldest rent the Heaven That Thou wouldest lie no longer hid there as to some it may seem but making thy way through all impediments and obstacles Lyra. Alex. Ales. thou wouldest powerfully appear for our help as out of an engine Vtinam lacerares coelos descenderes Some take the words for a hearty wish that Christ would come in the flesh others that he would make haste and come to Judgement laté fisso coelo ad percellendum impios The Metaphor seemeth to be taken from such as being desirous suddainly and effectually to help others in distress do break open doors and cast aside all lets to make their way to them That the mountains may flow down As Judg. 5.5 By mountains some understand the enemies kingdoms Ver. 2. As when the melting fire burneth So let the mountains burn and boyl at thy presence Aristotle reporteth that from the hill Aetna there once ran down a torrent of fire De mundo cap. 6. So Hecla and Hogla in Iseland that consumed all the houses thereabout The like is recorded of Vesuvius and of Peitra Mala a mountain in the highest part of the Apenines which perpetually burneth Ver. 3. When thou didest terrible things Or As when thou diddest c. as thou didst of old for our Forefathers Which we looked not for See Deut. 4.32 33. where God himself extolleth them Ver. 4. For from the beginning of the world men have not heard sc The mysteries of the Gospel revealed by the Spirit whereunto the Angels also desire to look as the Apostles witness 1 Cor. 2.9 1 Pet. 1.12 Neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee or a God beside thee i. e. That can do as thou doest For him that waiteth for him For them that love him saith the Apostle It is by faith and hope that we wait upon God now Faith Hope and Charity are near of kin and never severed All that truly love God are well content to wait for him yea to want if he see it fit being desirous rather that God may be glorified than themselves gratified Ver. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness That doth thy work diligently and with delight that being acted by thee acteth vigorously for thee Tantum velis Deus tibi praeoccurret saith an Ancient as the Prodigals Father met him upon the way If ye be willing and
obedient ye shall eat the good things of the land chap. 1.21 which that we may be Nolentem praevenit Deus ut velit Aug. volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit God worketh in us both to will and to doe of his own good pleasure Howbeit he expecteth that we shouâ—d go as far as we can naturally if ever we look that He should meet us graciously Though the Miller cannot command a wind yet he will spread his fails be in the way to have it if it come In those is continuance i. e. In those sins of ours and shall we be saved Or in those wayes of thine thy wayes of mercy and fidelity is permanency therefore we shall be saved our sins notwithstanding Ver. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing Both our persons and our actions are so for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean What a mercy is it then that God should look upon such walking dunghils as we are and accept the work of our hands And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Or as a coat of patches Panno ancumulenta Scultet a beggers coat vestis centonum vestis è vilibus paniculis consuta Heb. a cloth of separations a matury rag a menstrous clout nauseons and odious such as a man would loath to touch much more to take up Such are our best works as they proceed from us when there springeth up any sweet fountain of grace within us our hearts closely cast in their filthy dirt as the Philistines dealt by Isaac they drop down from their impure hands some filth upon that pure web the Spirit weaveth and make it a menstruous cloth Where then are Justitiaries our Merit-mongers c. Those that seek to be saved by their works Luther fitly calleth the Devils Martyrs they suffer much and take great pains to go to Hell We are all apt to weave a web of righteousness of our own to spin a thred of our own to climb up to Heaven by but that cannot be We must do all righteousnesses rest in none but Christs disclaiming our own best as spotted and imperfect And we all fade as a leaf That falleth to the ground in Autumn The Poet could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom And our iniquities like the wind have taken us away Out of thy presence and will hurry us to Hell if thou foresend not Ver. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name i. e. Very few for that God had then a praying people this very prayer declareth Apparent rari nantâ—s in gurgite vasto but they were drowned in the multiude being scarce discernable That stirreth up himself to take hold of thee That rouseth up himself and wrastleth with God laying hold on him by faith and prayer resolved to retain him Let us go forth as Sampson did and shake up our selves against that indevotion and spiritual sloth that will creep upon us in doing good See for this Mr. Whitfield's Help to stirring up an excellent Treatise written upon this text For thou hast hid thy face from us Or though thou hast hid thy face Ne tuis quidem ferulis caesi resipuimus Ver. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father Or Yet now O Lord thou art our Father therefore we shall not dye say they Hab. 1.12 boldly but warrantably See on chap. 63.16 We are the clay and thou art our potter This was grown to a Proverb among the Heathens also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man is a clod of clay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a piece of clay neatly made up saith Arrian upon Epictetus Fictus ex argilla luto homulus Orat. ad Pison saith Cicero And Nigidius was sirnamed Figulus or the Potter saith Augustine because he used to say that man was nothing else but an earthen vessel See 2 Cor. 4.7 5.1 We are all the work of thy hands Both as made and re-made by Thee therefore despise us not Job 10.8 9 Psal 138.8 Look upon the wounds of thy hands and forsake not the work of thine hands prayed Queen Elisabeth Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord Neither over-much nor over-long but spare us as a man spareth his own son that serveth him This is commended for the best line in all Terence Pro peccato magno paululum supplicii satis est Patri Ver. 10. Thy holy Cities are a Wilderness And is that for thine honour Behold see we beseech thee Ver. 11. Our holy and our beautiful house The Church riseth higher and higher in her complaints to God we must do likewise Where our Fathers praised thee Their own praises there they mention not as not holding them worth mentioning Ver. 12. Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things Or Canst thou contain thy self at these things No he cannot witness his answer hereunto chap. 65.1 The obstinate Jews do in vain still recite these words in their Synagogues as Hierom here noteth Wilt thou hold thy peace And by thy silence seem to consent to the enemies outrages and our calamities Habet acrimonianâ— saith Hyperius there is some sharpness in these short questions and yet because they were full of faith and fervency they were highly accepted in Heaven And afflict us very sore Heb. Vsque valde unto very much or unto extremity CHAP. LXV Piscat Ver. 1. I Am sought of them that asked not for me I am sought that is I am found as Eccles 3.6 Or I am sought to by those that asked not of me viz. by the Gentiles who knew me not enquired not of me See Rom. 10.20 21. where the Apostle then whom we cannot have a better Interpreter expoundeth this verse of the calling of the Gentiles and the next verse of the rejection of the Jews and herein Esaias was very bold saith St. Paul so bold say Origen and others that for this cause among others he was sawn asunder by his unworthy Countrey-men See on chap. 1.10 I am found of them that sought me not The first act of our Coversion then the infusion of the sap is of God our will prevents it not but followes it See 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 8.7 Joh. 6.44 1 Cor. 12.3 Deut. 29.3 4. Psal 36.10 Note this against the Patrons of Nature Free-will men Papists especially who not only ascribe the beginning of salvation to themselves in coworking with God in their first conversion but also the end and the accomplishment of it by works of condignity meritorious of eternal life I said Behold me behold me We are not easily arroused out of that dead Lethargy into which sin and Satan hath cast us hence this Lo I Lo I. And here we have both Gods answer to the Churches prayer chap. 64. and the scope of the whole book as Oecolampadius observeth set down in the perclose viz. the coming in of the Gentiles and the casting off of the Jews for their many and mighty sins Amos 5.12 Prov. 1.24 Act. 26.1 Ver. 2. I have
for posterity alone but live a long while to take benefit of their own labours For as the dayes of a tree are the dayes of my people i. e. Robusti atque diuturni they shall be hearty healthy and long-lasting as Psal 52.10 92.13 even as if they had eaten of that tree of life in Paradise Ver. 23. They shall not labour in vain As wicked men shall Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Hag. 1.6 See the Note there Nor bring forth for trouble Bring forth children to the murtherer Hos 9.13 to the great grief and trouble of their poor parents Ver. 24. And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer Mirabilis certè promissio a wonderful promise verily saith Scultetus The prayers of the Saints do sooner peirce from their hearts to heaven then they can find way from their hearts to their mouths So David found it Psal 32.5 and Daniel chap. 10.12 and that Prodigal Luke 15.18 20. Our Saviour who came out of the bosom of the Father gives two reasons 1. The Father himsef loveth you Joh. 16.27 and love is liberal 2. The Father knoweth before ye ask that ye have need of all these things Mat. 6.32 And while they are yet speaking I will hear Thus he heard those praying Israelites at the meet at Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. David Psal 6.8 9. Daniel chap 9.21 Cornelius Acts 10.3 and his company ver 44. Luther when he came leaping out out of his study where he had been praying with Vicimus Vicimus in his mouth the day is ours we shall carry the cause Antipathiam in ympathiam convertent Lap. Ver. 25. The wolf and the Lamb shall feed together Heb. as one See chap. 11.6 There shall be an holy harmony of hearts and all good agreement among Christs Subjects when they come to heaven especially And dust shall be the serpents meat He shall be held in to his first condemnation Gen. 3.14 The Devil also that old serpent shall be limited to the heel of the Saints the head he shall not touch he shall be tyed up to his own meat viz. that unquenchable fire prepared for him and his angels from the beginning They shall not hurt c. See on chap. 11.9 CHAP. LXVI Ver. 1. THus saith the Lord The same he saith in effect here in this last Chapter that he had done in the first rejecting the Jews vain confidence in their Temple and Sacrifices and shewing that he was neither confined to their Temple nor contented with their Sacrifices so long as the hidden man of the heart and the spiritual worship was wanting so long as they neglected his Laws and served their own lusts ver 3. Heaven is my throne Caelum est solium meum there do I manifest the most glorious and visible signs of my presence there I am in a special manner worshipped according to mine exccellent greâ—tnesse and there my Courtiers have a more ardent zeal for me then those flatterers had for Darius Dan. 6.7 The earth is my foot-stool So it should be ours sith God hath in Christ put all things under our feet Psal 8.6 The earth hath its name in Hebrew from treading upon and Terra à terendo these earthly things should be trampled on as base and bootless Where is the house that ye build unto me q. d. An house indeed I commanded to be built for me but not to hold me or there to keep me coopt up as in a cell that you should there hence conclude The Temple Gods house shall never perish therefore neither shall we You must know that I am intra extra supra circa infra omnia within and without and above and about and beneath all things Entèr praesentèr Deus hic ubique potenter This the Heathens knew Empedocles said that God was a circle the center whereof is everywhere the circumference nowhere This the Turks acknowledge by building their Mosches or Temples open at the top to shew that God is nowhere circumscriptively and definitively but repletively everywhere He is higher then Heaven saith Bernard deeper then Hell larger then Earth broader then the Sea he is nowhere and yet evrywhere ye he is everywhere alpresent The Heavens have a large place but they have one part here and another there but the Lord is totally present wheresoever present not commensurable by any place whatsoever Ver. 2. For all those things hath my hand made And could not I then have made my self an house without your help if I had lifted or needed Required I a Temple for any other use or purpose but for the furtherance of your faith in Christ and love one to another These things have I made yet these all I regard not in comparison but To this man will I look viz. With special intimation of my care and kindness q d. To thee be it spoken I have an eye to thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit Sept. Humble and quiet Vera Sabbata agens that being poor in spirit hath a Sabbath of spirit comforting himself in the Lord his God to such God looketh He cannot look upwards saith One because he hath none above him nor on either side Humilitas est thronus sapphirinus in quo Deus cum majestate residet because he hath none equal unto him therefore he is said to look down and that also upon the humble and broken-hearted with singular delight and complacency And trembleth as my Word viz. With a filial fear flowing from faith in Christ trembling at the threatnings before they come into execution This is a point of singular prudence for God therefore threateneth that he may not inflict punishment but they that tremble not in hearing shall be crusht to peeces in feeling said that Martyr What then will be the end of such as hear the menaces of Gods mouth no otherwise then they do the stories of forrain wars or the predictions of a Prognostication which they think may come to pass and it may be not Ver. 3. He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a Man Unless together with his Ox he kill his corruptions and lay fast hold upon Christ who himself wa sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 by a lively faith Heathens sacrificed men to Saturn dogs also and swine and other unclean creatures to their other dunghil-dieties Mass-priests do the like by their cruelty hypocrisy idolatry impudency luxury their prayers therefore fastings pennances pilgrimages c. are disaccepted He that sacrificeth a Lamb Unless withal he sacrifice his lusts and look to the Lamb of God slain from the beginning of the world c. As if he cut off a dogs neck Heb. as if he necked a dog that is decolled him beheaded him for sacrifice this was absolutely forbidden Deut. 23.18 Excerebraret Vulg. Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Athenians also suffered not a dog to enter into their Tower dedicated to Minerva for
friends in Judah 1 Sam. 30.26 Great Alexander when he had prevailed at the river Granicum and was now ascended into the upper parts of Asia sent back many gifts to assure them of his love in Macedonia The like doth God to his Church by sending them Pastours with such two adjuncts as are here 1. Adherent his own approbation 2. Inherent skill to teach the people See Eph. 4.8 with the Notes Ver. 16. They shall say no more the Ark c. When the Gospel shall be preached Paulus ea vocat stercora rudera the ancient ceremonies shall be abolished This was not so easily beleeved and is therefore here again and again assured Ver. 17. They shall call Jerusalem i. e. The Church Christian The throne of the Lord The throne of glory chap. 4.21 So Exod. 17.16 because the hand upon the throne of the Lord that is say some Amalecks hand upon the Church which is elsewhere also called the Temple of God Neither shall they walk any more c. i. e. Not at random but by rule Eph. 5.15 Heb. not any more after the sight of their heart i. e. as themselves thought good but as God directeth them Ver. 18. In that day shall the house of Judah walk with the house of Israel All the Elect shall be reunited in Christ unless we shall understand it of the last reduction of the Nation into one Isa 11.13 Ezek. 37.16 22. Hos 1.11 And they shall come together out of the land of the North i. e. Out of the place of their captivity whereby was figured our spiritual captivity c. Ver. 19. But I said How shall I put thee among the children How but by my free grace alone sith thou hast so little deserved it the causes of our Adoption see Eph. 1.5 6. And give thee a pleasant land The heavenly Canaan which is here fitly called a land of desire or delight an heritage or possession of goodliness a land of the Hâ—sts or desires of the Nations And I said thou shalt call me My Father And My Father affectionately uttered is an effectual prayer As Pater I brevissima quidem vex est sed omnia complectitur saith Luther i. e. Ah Father is but a little word but very comprehensive it is such a piece of eloquence as far exceedeth the rowlings of Demosthenes Cicero or whatsoever most excellent Orator Ver. 20. Surely as a treacherous wife c. This ye have done but that 's your present grief and now you look upon your former disloyalties with a lively hatred of them holding that the time past of your life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. 1 Pet. 4.3 Ver. 21. A voyce was heard upon the high places Where they were wont to worship Idols now they weep for their sins and pray for pardon For they have perverted their wayes This is it that now draweth from them prayers and teares See Chap. 31.18 Lam 5.14 Oi nalanu chi chattanu Wo worth us that ever we thus sinned Some understand those words A voyce is heard as shewing Gods readiness to hear penitent sinners so soon as they begin to turn to him even before they speak as the Father of the Prodigal met him c. Ver. 22. Return ye backsliding children Give the whole turn and not the half-turn only So Act. 2.38 Peter said to them that were already prickt at heart Repent ye even to a transmentation and chap. 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Repent not only for sin but from sin too be through in your repentance set it be such as shall never be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 It is not a slight sorrow that will serve Apostates turn it must be deep and down-right And I will heal your back slidings Pardon your sins and heal your natures I will love you freely and cause your broken bones to rejoyce Hos 14.4 Isa 19.22 Oh sweetest promise I what wonder then that their hard hearts were forthwith melted by it into such a gracious compliance as followeth Behold we come to thee See Zach. 13.9 with the Note Ver. 23. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills Heb. Truly in vain from the hills the multitude the mountaines it is like to that Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us neither will we say any more to the works of our hands Ye are our gods See the Notes there Truely in the Lord our God They trust not God at all that not alone Ver. 24. For shame hath devoured the labour of our Fathers That shameful thing Baal hath done it Chap. 11.13 Hos 9.10 he hath even eaten up our cattle and our Children of whom if any be left yet there is nothing left for them And this we now see long and last poenitentia ducti nostro malo edocti having bought our wit and paid dear for our learning And may not many ill husbands amongst us say as much of their drunkenness and wantonness See Prov. 5.9 10 11 12. with the Notes Ver. 25 We lye down in our shame We that once had a whores forehead ver 3. and seemed past grace are now sore ashamed of former miscarriages yea our confusion covereth us as Psal 44.15 because we have sinned against the Lord our God we and our Fathers from our youth unto this day and have not obeyed the voyce of our God Lo here a dainty form and pattern of penitent confession such as is sure to find mercy Haec sanè omni tempore Christiana est satisfactio non meritoria aliqua Papistica atque nugivendula Only we must not acknowledge sin with dry eyes Zegedia but point every sin with a teare c. CHAP. IIII. Ver. 1. IF thou wilt return O Israel As thou seemest willing to do and for very good reason Chap. 2.22 23 24. Thou art but a beaten rebel and to stand it out with me is to no purpose thou must either turn or burn Neither will it help thee to return fainedly for I love truth in the inward parts and hate hypocrisie halting and tepidity If therefore thou wilt return Return unto me Return as far as to me not from one evil course to another chap. 2.36 for that is but to be tossed as a ball from one of the devils hands to the other but to me with thy whole heart seriously sincerely and zealously for Non amat qui non zelat To a tyrant thou shalt not turn but to one that will both assist thee Prov. 1.23 and accept thee Zach. 1.2 And if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight i. e. Thine Idols out of thine house and out of thine heart Ezek. 14.3 4. Then shalt thou not remove But still dwell in the land and do good feeding on faith as Tremellius rendreth that Psal 37.3 Ver. 2. And thou shalt swear The Lord liveth Not by Baal shalt thou swear or other Idols but by the living God or by the
blows It speaketh deceit See Psal 52.2 with the Notes One speaketh peaceably but in his heart he layeth his wait Such a one was the tyrant Tiberius and our Richard 3. who would use most complements and shew greatest signs of love and curtesie to him in the morning Dan hist 249. whose throat he had taken order to be cut that evening Ver. 9. Shall I not visit them See on chap. 5.9 Ver. 10. For the mountains will I take up a weeping Accingit se Propheta ad luctum Jeremy was better at weeping then Heraclitus and from a better principle Lachrymas angustiae exprimit Crux lachrymas poenitentiae peccatum lachrymas sympathiae affectus humanitatis vel Christianitatis lachrymas nequitiae vel hypocrisis vel vindictae cupiditas Jeremies tears were of the best sort Because they are burnt up The Rabbines tell us that after the people were carried captive to Babylon the land of Jury was burnt up with sulphur and salt But this may well passe for a Jewish fable Both the fowl of the heaven See chap. 4.25 Ver. 11. And I will make Jerusalem heaps So small a distance is there saith Seneca betwixt a great City and none The world is as full of mutation as of motion And a den of Dragons Because she made mine house a den of theeves chap. 7.11 Ver. 12. Who is the wise man that he may understand this This who and who denoteth a great paucity of such wise ones as consider common calamities in the true causes of them propter quid pereat haec terra for what the land perisheth and that great sins produce grievous judgements The most are apt to say with those Philistines It is a chance to attribute their sufferings to Fate or Fortune to accuse God of injustice rather then to accept of the punishment of their iniquity And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken q. d. Is there never a one of your Prophets that will set you right herein but the dust of covetousnesse hath put out their eyes and they can better sing Placentia then Lachrymae c. Ver. 13. And the Lord saith Or therefore the Lord saith q. d. Because neither your selves know nor have any else to tell you the true cause of your calamities hear it from Gods own mouth Ver. 14. But have walked after the imagination of their own heart Then the which they could not have chosen a worse guide sith it is evil only evil and continually so Gen. 6.5 See the note there Which their fathers taught them See chap. 7.18 Ver. 15. Behold I will feed them with wormwood i. e. With bitter afflictions Et haec poena inobedientiae fidei respondet The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes Prov. 14.14 he shall have his belly full of them as we use to say See chap. 8.14 Ver. 16. And I will scatter them also among the heathen As had been forethreatned Deut. 28. Lev. 26. But men will not beleeve till they feel They read the threats of Gods law as they do the old stories of forreign wars and as if they lived out of the reach of Gods rod. Ver. 17. Consider ye Intelligentes estote Is not your hard-heartednesse such as that ye need such an help to do that wherein you should be forward and free-hearted The Hollanders and French fast saith one but without exprobration be it spoken they had need to send for mourning-women Spec. bel sac 209. Vt flerent oculos erudiere suas Ovid. that by their cunning they may be taught to mourn And call for the mourning women In planctum omne pathos faciles such as could make exquisite lamentation and cunningly act the part of mourners at funerals so as to wring teares from the beholders These the Latines called Praeficas quia luctui praeficiebantur because they had the chief hand in funeral mournings for the better carrying on whereof they both sang doleful ditties See 2 Chron. 35.25 and played on certain heavily-sounding instruments Mat. 9.23 whence the Poet Cantabit maestis tibia funeribus Ovid. Ver. 18. And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us Of this vanity or affectation God approveth not as neither he did of the Olympick games of usury of that custome at Corinth 1 Ep. 15.29 which yet he maketh his use of Ver. 19. For a voyce of wailing is heard out of Zion How are we spoiled Ponit formulam threnodiae Quis tragoediam aptius magis graphice depingeret what tragedy was ever better set forth and in more lively expressions Ver. 20. Yet hear the Word of the Lord O ye women For souls have no sexes and ye are likely to have your share as deep as any in the common calamity you also are mostly more apt to weep then men and may sooner work your men to godly sorrow then those lamentatrices Ver. 21. For death is come up into our windows i. e. The killing Chaldees break in upon us at any place of entrance doors or windows Joel 2.9 Joh. 10.1 The Ancients give us warning here to see to our senses those windows of wickednesse that sin get not into the soul thereby and death by sin Ver. 22. Speak Thus saith the Lord Heb. Speak it is the Lords saying and therefore thou mayst be bold to speak it So 1 Thes 4.15 For I say unto you in or by the Word of the Lord. And as the handful after the harvest man Death shall cut them up by handfuls and lay them heaps upon heaps Ver. 23. Let not the wise-man glory in his wisdom q. d. You bear your selves bold upon your wisdom wealth strength and other such seeming supports and deceitful foundations as if these could save you from the evils threatned But all these will prove like a shadow that declineth delightful but deceitful as will well appear at the hour of death Charles the fifth whom of all men the world â—udged most happy cursed his honours a little afore his death his victories trophees and riches saying Abite hinc abite longe get you far enough for any good ye can now do me Abi perdita bestia quae me totum perdidisti be gone thou wretched creature that hast utterly undone me said Corn Agrippa the Magician to his familiar spirit when he lay a dying So may many say of their worldly wisdom wealth c. Let not the wise man glory Let not those of great parts be head-strong or top-heavy let them not think to wind out by their wiles and shifts Let not the mighty man glory Fortitudo nostra est infirmitatis in veritate cognitio Aug. in humilitate confessio Nor the rich man glory in his riches Sith they availe not in the day of wrath Zeph. 1.18 See the Note there Ver. 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this And yet not in this neither unlesse he can do it with self-denial and lowlymindednesse Let him glory
brutish for want of knowledge so the words may be rendred the heathen idol-makers especially Brutescit homo prae scientia so Vatablus 1. Every man is brutish in comparison of knowledge viz. of Gods knowledge whil'st he goeth about to search into the causes of rain lightening wind c. which God only understandeth Ver. 15. They are vanity Vanity in its largest extent is properly predicated of them And the work of errours Meer mockeries making men to embrace vanity for verity In the time of their visitation See on Isa 46.1 Ver. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them God is his peoples portion they are his possession Oh their dignity and security this the cock on the dunghil understands not Ver. 17. Gather up thy wares out of the land Make up thy pack and prevent a plundering Reculas tuas sarcinas compone Ver. 18. Behold I will fling out the inhabitants of this land I will easily and speedily sling them and fling them into Babylon so God will one day hurle into hell all the wicked of the earth Psal 9.17 And will distresse them that they may find it so Just so as they were foretold it would be but they could never be drawn to beleeve it Ver. 19. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous This is the moane that people make when in distresse and they find it so But what after a while of pausing Truly this is my grief and I must bear it i. e. Bear it off as well as I may by head and shoulders or bear up under it and rub through it wearing it out as well as I can when things are at worst they 'l mend again Crosses as they had a time to come in so they must have a time to go out c. This is not patience but pertinaecy the strength of stones and flesh of brasse Job 6.12 it draweth on more weight of plagues and punishments God liketh not this indolency this stupidity this despising of his corrections as he calleth it Heb. 12.5 such shall be made to cry when God bindeth them Job 36.11 as here Ver. 20. My Tabernacle is spoiled I am irreparably ruined like as when a camp is quite broken up not any part of a tent or hut is left standing Ver. 21. For the Pastours are become brutish The corrupt Prophets and Priests who seduced the people from the truth were persons that made no conscience of prayer hence all went to wrack and ruine Ver. 22. Behold the noise of the bruit is come This doleful peal he oft rung in their eares but they little regarded it See chap. 9.11 Ver. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself He is not master of his own way but is directed and over-ruled by the powerful providence even this cruel Chaldaan also that marcheth against us It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps We know not what to do or which way to turn our selves only our eyes are toward thee Behold we submit to thy justice and implore thy mercy This text doth mainly make against free-will saith Oecolampadius and yet the Pelagiam would hence gather that man can by his own strength walk in the way to heaven but he must be holpen say they by Gods grace that he may be perfect Cum ratione seu modo Leniter discretè Lap. Ver. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgement i. e. In mercy and in measure Correction is not simply to be deprecated the Prophet here cryes Corret me David saith It was good for me Job calleth Gods afflicting of us his magnifying of us chap. 7.17 Feri Domine feri clementer ipse paratus sam saith Luther Smite Lord smite me but gently and I am ready to bear it patiently King Alfred prayed God to send him alwayes some sicknesse whereby his body might be tamed and he the better disposed and affectioned to God-ward Ecclesiastical history telleth of one Servulus who sick of a palsie so that his life was a lingering death said ordinarily God be thanked Ver. 25. Pour out c. This is not more votum then vaticinium a prayer then a prophecy And upon the families Neglect of family-prayer uncovers the roof as it were for Gods curse to be rained down upon mens tables meat enterprizes c. CHAP. XI Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord To him it came but to be imparted to other Prophets say some Priests of Anathoth say others ver 2. which might be the reason why they were so enraged against him and fought his life ver 18 19. as the Popish Priests did Mancinels Savanarolas and other faithful Preachers for exciting them to do their duties Ver. 2. Hear ye the words and speak ye Ye Priests whose ordinary office it is to teach Jacob Gods judgements and Israel his Law Deut. 33.10 Ver. 3. And say thou unto them Thou Jeremy whether the rest will joyn with thee or not Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant It is probable that Jeremy when he said thus held the book in his hand viz. the book of Deuteronomy which the Rabbines call Sepher Tochechoth because of the many increpations and curses therein contained Ver. 4. From the iron furnace Where iron is melted and a fierce fire required Obey my voyce See chap 7.23 Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey With plenty of dainties The City of Aleppo is so called by the Turkes of Alep milk for if the via lactea were on earth it would be found there saith one So be it O Lord Amen Fiat Fiat Oh that there were an heart in this people to obey thy voyce And oh that thou would'st still continue them in this good land c. Our hearts should be stretched out after out Amen and we should be swallowed upon God say the Rabbines Ver. 6. Hear ye the words of this Covevant and do them Else ye hear to no purpose as the Salamander liveth in the fire and is not made hot by the fire as the Ethiopian goeth black into the Bath and as black he cometh forth Ver. 7. Rising early i. e. endeavouring earnestly See chap. 5.8 Ver. 8. Yet they obeyed not See chap. 7.24 Therefore I will bring Heb. and I brought upon them Ver. 9. A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah A combination in sinful courses this is not Vnity but Conspiracy See Ezek. 22.25 Hos 6.9 such is the unity of the Antichristian crew Rev. 17.13 The Turkes have as little dissension in their religion as any yet are a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven Ver. 10. They are turned away to the iniquities of their fore-fathers Shewing themselves herein to be a race of rebels as good at resisting the holy Ghost as ever their Fathers were and are therefore justly chargeable with their iniquities which needeth not Ver. 11. Which they shall not be able to escape To avert avoid or abide I
of which you shall have cause enough to say as Antigonus did of his Diadem O vilis pannus c. Or as another Monarch Nobilis es fateor rutilisque onerata lapillis Innumeris curis sed comitata venis Quod benè si nossent omnes expendere nemo Nemo foret qui te tollere vellet humo Ver. 19. The Cities of the South shall be shut up i. e. The Cities of Egypt whither ye think to fly shall be shut up against you through fear of the Chaldees Ver. 20. Lift up your eyes c. Still he bespeaketh the King and the Queen Where is the flock that was given thee Thee O Queen Regent for the Pronoun is Feminine or Thee O State Redde Vare legiones said Augustus bewailing the losse of so many gallant souldiers in Germany under the command of Varus who was there also slain Thy beautiful flock Heb. Thy flock of goodlinesse See Prov. 14.28 with the Note Ver. 21. For thou hast taught them to be Captaines and as chief over thee sc By thy crouching unto them and craving their help thou hast made the Chaldeans masters of all thou hast So did the Brittish Princes Vortiger and Vortimer bring in the Saxons here and the Greeks the Turkes Ver. 22. Are thy skirts discovered Thou art brought to most miserable shame and servitude having scarce a rag to thy back or a shooe for thy foot Ver. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin Proverbial speeches arguing a very great difficulty if not an utter impossibility Aethiopem abluo ut candidum reddam said Diogenes when he reproved an ill man to no purpose I do but wash a blackmore And the like said Nazianzen concerning Julian the Apostate It is said that the Negro's paint the devil white as being a colour contrary to their own and which they lesse well affect Will the Ethiopian change his skin so the Hebrew hath it Or the leopard his spots Sin is in us as the spots of a Leopard not by accident but by nature which no art can cure no water wash off because they are not in the skin but in the flesh and bones in the sinews and in the most inner parts Where then is mans free-will to good c Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Custome in sin takes away the sense of it and becomes a second nature which though expeld with a fork as it were will yet return again It looks for continual entertainment where it hath once gotten a haunt as humours fall toward their old issue Canâ—s qui semel didicerit edere corium nunquam desistet saith Lucian an evil custome is not easie left Nothing so weak as water yet let much water so sin Satan and custome be joyned together and nothing stronger It was not for nothing therefore that the Cretians when they would curse their enemies with most bitter execrations they wished that they might take delight in some or other evil custome modestoque voti genere efficacissimum ultionis genus reperiunt saith the Historian by a modest kind of with Vâ—l. Mâ—x they sufficiently avenged themselves Ver. 24. Therefore I will scatter them This was no small aggravation of their misery that they should be thus severed one from another So the Persecutors of the Primitive times relegated and confined the poor Christians to Isles and mines Cyprian epist where they could not have accesse one to another for mutual comfort and support as Cyprian complaineth Ver. 25. This is thy lot Look for no better sith thou by going after lying-vanities forsakest thine own mercies being miserable by thine own election Because thou hast forgotten me Esque oblita mei vitiorumque oblita coeno Ver. 26. Therefore I will discover thy skirts Sith thou hast discovered and prostituted thy self to other lovers I will shame thee before all men Ver. 27. Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean He closeth with this emphatical and most affectionate contestation pressing them to hearty and speedy repentance as he had done oft before but with little good successe The cock crowed though Peter still denyed his Master Peter knockt still though Rhode opened not to him He launched out into the deep though he had laboured all night for nothing So did good Jeremy here in obedience to God and good will to his unworthy countrymen CHAP. XIV Ver. 1. THe Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth De rebus retentionum that is concerning the drought or dearth by restraint of necessary raine and moisture unde frugum raritas annonâ— caritas fames whereupon followed a famine as there doth also a famine of the Word where the divine influences are restrained Junius rendreth it Super verbis cohibitionum concerning the words of cohibitions that is saith he concerning the prayers made by the Prophet and other good people for the diverting of Gods judgements publikely denounced Ver. 2. Judah mourneth The Prophets pitiful complaint bitterly bewailing the common calamity and labouring thereby to bring them to a sense of the true cause of it their sins See 2 Sam. 21.1 with the Note And the cry of Jerusalem is gone up sc To heaven for removal of this judgement Confer chap. 36.9 with ver 12. of this Chapter Ver. 3. And their Nobles Who would be sure to have it if it were to be had Sent their little ones Their boyes as they use to call their menial servants of the younger sort See Mat. 14.2 with the Note To the waters Such as were the waters of Siloe which only fountain saith Hierom Jerusalem maketh use of so long as it lasteth To the pits Or cisterns chap. 2.13 They covered their heads As close mourners do still Ver. 4. Because the ground is chapt As our hearts also are and will be when the heaven doth not hear the earth as Hos 2.21 It hath been before observed that in the use of the Ordinances if we open our shels our souls the heaven will drop the fruitful dew of grace to the making of pearles of good works and solid vertue Plin. l. 8. cap. 32. Ver. 5. Yea the hind also calved in the field and forlook it The loving Hind Prov. 5.19 Alioqui studiosa sui partus that is otherwise so exceeding chary and careful of her young Ver. 6. And the wild-asses Sectores alias vagae libidinis in sylvis that usually course up and down the woods and can bear hunger and thirst a long while together Plin. l. 10. cap. 72. Lib. de mirah auscult Snuffed up the wind like Dragons Quorum est vebementissima spiratio ac forbitio who in defect of water can continue long by drawing in the ayr as Aristotle likewise testifieth of the goates in Cephalonia that they drink not for divers dayes together but instead thereof gape and suck in the fresh ayre Ver. 7. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us Though our guilty consciences bring in large rolles of
inditement written against us within and without and spred before Thee Do it for thy Names sake Heb. Do. A short but pithy petition so ver 9. leave us not Ver. 8. O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof In prayer to pitch upon such of Gods Attributes as wherein we may see an answer is an high point of heavenly wisdom Why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land As a stranger at home and as one that is loth to be too busie in aliena republica where he hath least to do That turneth aside Into some diversorium Inne Ver. 9. Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished That knows not which way to take first he goes one way and by and by he returns again Tremellius rendreth it ut vir fatiscens as one that fainteth hath done his utmost and can do no more Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us leave us not Extingui lucem nec patiare tuam This was to stirre up himself to take hold of God Ver. 10. They have loved to wander Therefore now they shall have enough of it yet not wander so wide as to misse of hell Psal 95.10 11. what wonder that God seemed a stranger to them who had so far estranged themselves from him Ver. 11. Pray not for this people See on chap. 7.16 Ver. 12. When they fast I will not hear their cry At their fasts they were wont to pray earnestly and to make their voyces to be heard on high Sed defuit aliquid intus their hearts cryed not Ver. 13. Ah Lord God The Vulgar Latine hath it A a a Vide diligentissimam intercessionem He seeketh somewhat to excuse the people by laying the blame upon their false Prophets Like whereunto were those Popish Priests in Gersons time who preached publikely to the people that whosoever would come to hear a Masse he should not be struck blind on that day neither should he dye a suddain death nor want sufficient sustenance c. But I will give you assured peace Heb. Peace of truth Thus these deluders had learned to speak the language of Gods true Prophets of the high-soaring pretended spiritual language of Familists and some other Sectaries one saith well That it is a great deal too high for this world and a great deal too low for the world to come Ver. 14. The Prophets prophesie falsely in my name c. These are certain signs of Impostors in the Church in all ages against whom now if ever the Temple-doors had need be well guarded and the Pulpit-doors have written on them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no unworthy wight presume to come here Ver. 15. Yet they say Heb. they are saying this is all their song though the present famine doth in part confute them but the people were willing enough to be deceived and were therefore worthily punished Being infatuated they were seduced and being so seduced they were justly judged as Austin somewhere The blind led the blind and both fell into the ditch though it befel the blind guides to lye nethermost Ver. 16. And the people to whom they prophecy shall be cast out They shall be no more excused by their having been deluded then he that in his drink committeth adultery or murther is excused by his drunkenesse A drunkard saith Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethic. l. 3. c. 5. deserveth double punishment first for his drunkennesse and then for the sin committed in and by his drunkennesse so here See on ver 15. Ver. 17. Let mine eyes run down This the Prophet did doubtlesse in good earnest like as Samuel mourned for the rejection of Saul and our Saviour wept over Jerusalem And let them not cease Heb. be silent for teares also have a voice Psal 39.12 and doe oft prove very effectual Oratours Ver. 18. If I go forth into the field The Prophet here sets forth the seige as present though it was many years after the more to affect the people Yea both the Prophet and the Priest goe about into a Land that they know not Or go about the land sc begging their bread or flying these miseries and men know them not though men of such rank and quality Ver. 19. Hast thou utterly rejected Judah So as that I may not put up one prayer more for them I cannot hold whatever come of it Let not my Lord be angry if I shoot this arrow also after the former Ver. 20. We acknowledge O Lord our wickednesse We the better sort of us do so and so the Saints have ever done in their interdealings with God falling low at his foot-stool for pardoning and prevailing mercy Ver. 21. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake This was to continue instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 This was to pray on and not faint Luke 18.1 If thy suit be not honest never begin it and if it be never leave it Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory The Temple and the Ark in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion Hailcar l. 2. The Romans held the extinction of the Vestal fire a signe of the destruction of their City be the cause thereof what it will We may well think the same of the losse of Gods Ordinances which therefore we must deprecate as here with all our might For as Bodin said well of obtaining so likewise for retaining Religion Non disputationibus sed regationibus c. the businesse will be the better effected by requests then disputes Pray therefore for the peace of Jerusalem yea take no nay Deus ipse qui nullis contra se viribus superari potest preâ—ibus vincitur Hieron The invincible God is overcome by the power of prayer there is a kind of Omnipotency in it saith Luther Remember break not thy Covenant with us Lo this is to be Gods faithful Remembrancer Isa 62.6 7. suggesting unto him seasonable Items Ver. 22. Are there among the vanities of the Gentiles i. e. The Heathen Idols wickedly worshipped by the Jews That can cause to rain Pluit ningit supple Deus These Impersonals imply that the Ancient Romans looked upon Rain Snow c. as Gods work Sure it is that they come by a Divine decree Job 28.26 Not Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatever the Poets fable nor the Heavens themselves without the Divine concurrence can give rain but it is God Almighty who both prepareth it Psal 147.8 and withholdeth it at his pleasure Amos 4.7 the second causes do but serve the Divine Providence in these common occurrents Therefore we will wait upon thee For seasonablâ— showers in this our great necessity We will wait or if thou see fit want of our will so that thy will may be done for that 's best For thou hast made all these things Both the constellations and rain or drought caused thereby CHAP. XV. Ver. 1. THen said the Lord unto me In answer to my prayer he replyed Thou hast well prayed sed stat sententia I am set I am
is our iniquity Nature sheweth no sin it is no causelesse complaint of a grave Divine that some deale with their souls as others do with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses Ver. 11. Because your fathers See chap. 2.5 and 7.24 25. Ver. 12. And you have done worse See chap. 7.26 For behold ye walk See chap. 9.13 and 11.8 and 13.10 Ver. 13. Therefore I will cast you Chap. 10.18 Because ye have sinned wilfully and willingly ye shall be cast out of this land though full sore against your wills And there shall ye serve other gods Will ye nill ye for a just punishment of your voluntary idolatries being compeld by your imperious enemies so to do Notatur poena talionis except ye will taste of the whip as now the Turkes gally-slaves Where I will not shew you favour This was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity like as that was a sweet promise Zech. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off and I will hear them Ver. 14 Therefore behold Or notwithstanding sc these grievous threatnings and extream desolations Thus the Lord still remembreth his Remnant and the Covenant made with them Ministers also must comfort the precious as well as threaten the vile and vicious Evangelizatum non maledictum missus es laudo zelum modo non desideretur mansuetudo said Oecolampadius to Farellus in a certain Epistle Thou wert sent to preach Gospel and not Law only to poure oyle as well as wine into wounded consciences I commend thy zeal so it be tempered with meeknesse of wisdom That it shall no more be said i. e. Not so much be said the lustre of this deliverance shall in some sort dimme the lustre of that but both must be perpetually celebrated Ver. 15. But the Lord liveth c. Or let the Lord live and let the God of our salvation be exalted Psal 18.46 See the Notes there How much more then should our Redemption from Sin Death and Hell by Jesus Christ obscure all temporal deliverance See for this chap. 23.7 8. Confer also chap. 3.16 Ver. 16. Behold I will send for many fishers c. sc To inclose in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 large and capacious nets whole shoales of them together These were the Chaldees whom God sent for arcano instinctu cordium by putting it into their hearts to come up against Jerusalem Howbeit some by fishers understand the Egyptians who lived much by fishing and by hunters the Chaldeans as Gen. 10.8 9. And they shall hunt them Out of all their starting holes and lurking places as the Romans afterwards pul'd them out of their privies c. Ver. 17. For mine eyes are upon all their wayes And though they hide me from themselves yet can they not hide themselves from me possibly nor from my hunters who shall ferret them out Paenarum abund◠Jun. Ver. 18. And first i. e. Before I restore them I will recompence their iniquity and their sin double i. e. Abundantly I will have my full pennyworths of them not double to their deserts as Isa 40.2 and 60.1 With the carcasses i. e. With their Idolatries more odious and loathsome then any stinking carcasses can be Ver. 19. My refuge Better then those of the fugitive Jews out of which they were hunted and murthered The Gentiles shall come to thee By faith and repentance Ver. 20. Should a man make gods to himself Nonne res haec stupore digna Is not this a strange sottishnesse The Gentiles here see it and yet the Papists will not Ver. 21. I will for this once And this once shall stand for all Affliction shall not rise up the second time Nah. 1.9 And I will make them to know Effectu magis quam affectu My hand and my might i. e. My mighty hand mine irresistible power in their just punishment CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. THe sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron The foure first verses of this Chapter are left out by the Septuagint Hierom saith they omitted them in gratiam honorem populi sui in favour and for the honour of their country-men the Jews but that was no just reason For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in heaven Psal 119.89 though there were not a Bible left on earth These sinners against their own souls had their Idolatry so deeply engraven on their hearts that they could not get out the stamp and the guilt thereof stuck so fast to their consciences that they could hardly get off either the sting or the stain thereof It is graven upon the Tables of their hearts Their sin lay there where the law should have lain Ezek. 31.33 Like as Queen Mary when she dyed told those about her that the losse of Callice lay at her heart a place far fitter for Jesus Christ And upon the hornes of your Altars Whereon the blood of your sacrifices are sprinkled and so your sin proclaimed Ver. 2. While their children remember their Altars Or as they remember their children so they remember their Altars and their Groves sc with greatest love and delight The Greeks call children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comedian Charissima so were their Idols to these Jews Ver. 3. O my mountain in the field Or O my mountain and field i. e. O ye mountaneirs and fieldlings Montani fere asperi sunt inculti molliores corpore atque moribus pratenses they should all be spoiled one with another for the sin of their high-places Ver. 4. And thou even thy self shalt discontinue Or intermit sc the tillage of thy land See Exod. 23.11 with Levit. 26.33 34. it shall keep her Sabbaths Ver. 5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man Disserit hic de summo bono de summo malo saith one here the Prophet discourseth of the chief good and of the chief evil This later he pronounceth to be to depart from God and to depend upon the creature for help for such a man seem he never so manly a man haggheber is accursed of God whom he robbeth of his chief jewel that which giveth him the soveraignty and setteth as it were the crown upon his head See Judg. 9.15 Psal 78.22 and 52.7 And maketh flesh his arm i. e. His strength for in brachio est robur Now three wayes saith a Reverend man we make flesh our arm Mr. Case 1. By sitting down in a faithlesse sullen discontent and despair when we can see no second causes 2. By rising up in a corky frothy confidence when we see sufficient humane help 3. When we ascribe the glory of our good to it sacrificing to our own net Habak 1. This is to pull the curse upon our heads with twisted wrath and indignation Whose heart departeth from God He trusteth not God at all who trusteth him
fearlesnesse of death in so good a cause and with so good a conscience Ver. 13. Amend your wayes Fall out with your faults and not with your friends See chap. 7.3 And the Lord will repent him of the evil This he often inculcateth Ideo minatur Deus ut non puniat See chap. 18.8 Ver. 14. As for me behold I am in your hand See here how God gave his holy Prophet a mouth and wisedome such as his adversaries were not able to resist The like he did to other of his Martyrs and Confessours as were easie to instance If the Queen will give me life I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her Act. Mon. 1462. if she will burn me I will thank her c. said Bradford to Creswel offering to intercede for him To do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you But this I can safely say Non omnis moriar all that ye can do is to kill the body kill me you may but hurt me you cannot Life in Gods displeasure is worse then death Eutipid in Aul de I am not of their mind who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Better live basely then dye bravely Faxâ—t Deus ut quilibet nostrum epilogum habeat galeatum God grant that whether our death be a burnt offering of Martyrdome or a peace offering of a natural death it may be a free-will-offering a sweet sacrifice to the Lord. Ver. 15. Ye shall surely bring innocent blood c. So Mr. Rogers our Protomartyr in Queen Maryes dayes If God said he look not mercifully upon England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in it already by these hypocritical tyrants Act. Mon. and Antichristian prelates double traitours to their native countrey Ver. 16. Then said the Princes and all the people The Mobile vulgus See on ver 9. The good Prophet is acquitted as Athanasius afterwards was often for if to be accused were enough to make a man guilty none should be innocent Ver. 17. Then rose up certain of the Elders Vâ—ri illi admodum venerabiles erant saith Oecolampadius these were very worthy men whether Princes or pleaders well read in the Annals of the times as great men ought to be Ver. 18. Micah the Morashite See on Mic. 1.1 Zion shall be plowed like a field See Mic. 3.12 Ver. 19. Did Hezekiah King of Judah Laudable examples are to be remembred and as occasion requireth imitated That was a very good one of Constantine the Great when the Arrians brought accusations against the Orthodox Bishops as here the false Prophets did against Jeremy he burnt them and said These accusations will have proper hearing at the last day of judgement Sozomen Ver. 20. And there was also a man This seemeth to be the plea of the adverse party producing an example opposite to the former and shewing what the way was now whatever it had been heretofore New Lords new Laws According to all the words of Jeremiah Whose Contemporary he was and his memory was yet fresh bleeding Ver. 21. And when Jehoiakim This Tiger laid hold with his teeth on all the excellent spirits of the times See chap. 36.26 He was afraid and fled Not out of timorousnesse but prudence Tertullian was too rigid in condemning all kind of flight in times of persecution God hath not made his people as standing but markes to be shot at c. See Mat. 10.23 Ver. 22. And Jehoiakim sent men into Egypt Where he might have any thing for he was Pharaohs feudatary and vassal Ver. 23. And they fet forth Vriab out of Egypt As they did here Sir John Cheek out of the Low-countries and frightened him into a Recantation Not so this Vriah And they fet forth Vriah out of Egypt En collusio Principum mundi in parricidio Who slew him with the sword Without all law right or reason So John Baptist was murthered as if God had been nothing aware of him said that Martyr But Jehojakim got as little by this as he did afterwards by burning Jeremy's Book or as Vespasian afterwards did by banishing all the Philosophers of his time because they spake boldly against his vices and tyranny Ver. 24. Neverthelesse the hand of Ahikam Who had been one of Josiah's Councellours 2 King 22.12 By this mans authority and help Jeremiah was delivered and God rewarded him in his son Gedaliah made Governour of the Land 2 Kings 25.22 CHAP. XXVII Ver. 1. IN the beginning of the raign of Jehojakim By the date of this Prophecy compared with ver 12. of this Chapter and chap. 28.1 it should seem that it lay dormant for fourteen or fifteen years ere it was recited Ver. 2. Make thee bonds and yokes i. e. Yokes with bonds such as they are wont to be fastened with A Lapide And put them upon thy neck This was to the Prophet saith the Jesuite molesta probrosa poenitentia a troublesome and disgraceful pennance but this was no will-worship say we and much handsomer then the pennances they put the people to in Italy Bee-hive of Rome where you may see them go along the streets saith mine Author with a great rope about their necks as if they were dropped down from the Gallowes and sometimes they wear a Sawsedge or a Swines-pudding in place of a silver or gold chain for a sign of their mortification and that they may merit Ver. 3. By the hand of the messengers i. e. Embassadours of those neighbouring States who might come to Zedekiak to confederate with him against Nebuchadnezzar's growing greatnesse but all in vain and to their own ruine Deus quem destruit dementat The wicked oft run to meet their bane as if they were even ambitious of destruction Ver. 4. Go tell your Masters But they would not be warned and were therefore ruined So true is that of an Ancient Divinum consilium dum devitatur impletur humana sapientia dum reluctatur comprehenditur Ver. 5. I have made the earth And am therefore the great Proprietary and Lord Paramount of all to transfer Kingdoms at my pleasure This Nebuchadnezzar after seven years prentiship served among the beasts of the field had learned to acknowledge Oecolamp Dan. 4. Ver. 6. And now have I given all these lands Nebuchadnezzar shall be Monarch contra Gentes Dicunt nugatores equitasse Nabuchodonosor super Leonem infraenasse Draconem Ver. 7. And all Nations shall serve him All the neighbouring Nations and some others more remote but never was any man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vniversal Monarch though some have stiled themselves so as did Sesostris King of Egypt Qui Pharios currus regum cervicibus egit Vntil the very time of his land come The greatest Monarchies had their times and their turns their rise and their ruine And then many Nations and great Kings shall serve themselves of him As the Chaldaeans had served themselves of the Assyrians so did the Persians of the Chaldaeans the
of perfect deliverance by Christ Ver. 19. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving Mox ubi fides inde prodit laâ— confessio Faith is a fruitful grace the very womb wherein all the rest are conceived Ver. 20. Their children also shall be as aforetime How easily can the Lord turn again the captivity of his people set them statu quo prius Zach. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off See the Note there Ver. 21. And their Nobles shall be of themselves Forreiners shall no more domineer over them but they shall have Governours of their own Nation who shall be more tender of them and careful of their good Some apply all this and well they may to Jesus Christ who is here called Magnificus Dominator Christus Fortis ille Gâ—gat est Oecol his Magnificent or honourable One and his Ruler who also is one of them and proceedeth from amongst them See Deut. 18.18 And I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me Either as God coequal and coessential with me or as Mediatour and so he shall approach unto me by the hypostatical union in respect of which he came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could and by the execution of his Priestly office wherein he intercedeth for my people and reconcileth them unto me For who is this that engaged his heart Who but my Son Christ durst do it or was fit to do it he is a super-excellent person as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze Who this he Ver. 22. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God sc Through Christ and by his mediation As for those that are not in Covenant with God by Christ as the devil will one day sweep them so mean while Ver. 23. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury Sensim sese conglomerans ac demittens in eorum capita the vengeance of God followeth them close at heeles till at length they be wherried away by that terrible tempest at death Job 27.20 Ver. 24. The fierce anger of the Lord See chap. 23.20 In the latter dayes ye shall consider it In the dayes of the Messias but especially at the end of the world when all these things shall have their full accomplishment CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. AT the same time i. e. In the beginning of Zedekiah's raign as before was this word uttered Or rather in those latter times forementioned chap. 30.24 after the return from Babylon but especially in the dayes of the Messiah The modern Jews vainly apply it to the coming of their Messiah quem tantis etiamnum ululatibus exposcunt whom they yet expect but to no purpose Ver. 2. The people that were left of the sword Of Pharaoh's sword who pursued them Fieri dicitur quod tentatur aut intenditur and though he smote them not because the Lord kept him off yet he is said to have done it like as Balac afterwards arose and fought against Israel Josh 24.9 he had a mind so to have done but that he was over-awed he did not indeed because he durst not When I went to bring him to rest i. e. To the land of Canaan after so long trouble and travel I effected that then though it were held improbable or impossible so I will do this promised reduction of my people from Babylon Indaeorum quiritantium verba Zeg Ver. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me This seemeth to be the peoples objection You tell us what was done of old but these are ancient things and little pertaining to us who are now under a heavy captivity jam refrixit obsoleta videtur Dei beneficentia Hereunto is answered Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love I am one and the same I am Jehovah that change not whatever thou mayst think of me because I seem angry at thy misdoings Therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Or Therefore will I draw out loving kindnesse toward thee as Psal 36.10 See the Note there Ver. 4. Again I will build thee See chap. 34.18 Thou shalt he adorned with thy tabrets All shall be haile and merry with thee as heretofore yea thou shalt have spiritual joy which is res severa severe and solid such as doth not only smooth the brow but fill the breast Ver. 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines Profunda pax erit nemo te perterre faciat Thou shalt have plenty peace and security The planters shall plant them and shall eat them as common things i. e. Shall have Gods good leave and liking so to do Heb. Shall profane them i. e. not abuse them but use them freely even to an honest affluence See Levit. 19.23 with the Note Ver. 6. The watchmen upon the mount Ephraim Such as are set to keep those vineyards ver 5. Shall cry Arise ye and let us go up to Zion As the ten tribes first made defection so shall they be forwardest in the Reformation England was the like alate Ver. 7. Shout among the chief of the Nations Heb. neigh unto the heads of the Nations ut illa vobis adhinniant pariter in Christi fide jubilent that they may joyn joyes with you and help to make up the quire Publish ye and praise ye and say O Lord save The Saints have never so much matter of praise but that they may at the same time find cause enough to pray for more mercy Psal 18.3 Ver. 8. Behold I will bring them Here 's a present answer to such a Prayer and this promise hath its performance chiefly in the Kingdom of Christ who will not suffer the least or the weakest of his to miscarry See Esa 35.5 6. Ver. 9. They shall come with weeping Prae gandio inquit flebunt they shall weep for joy having first soaked themselves in godly sorrow by the spirit of grace and of supplications or deprecations poured upon them Zach. 12.10 being sollicitous about their salvation And I will make them to walk by the rivers of waters Heb. To the brooks of waters i. e. to the holy ordinances as Psal 23.3 For I am a Father to Israel I do all of free-grace Ephraim is my first-born And therefore higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord O ye Nations Hear and bear witnesse of the gracious promises that I make to my people for I would have them noted and noticed Ver. 11. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob Redemption is a voluminous mercy an accumulative blessing From the hand of him that was stronger then he sc The Chaldean but especially from Satan Matth. 12.29 Joh. 12.31 Ver. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion i. e. In the Temple shall they celebrate that singular mercy in the Congregation of the faithful And shall flow together i. e. Flock together by troops and caravans flock thither by sholes To the goodnesse of the Lord Or
out of the deep called upon God whom he found far more facile then these Princes did Zedekiah Thou drewest near saith he in the day when I called upon thee Thou saidest fear not Lam. 3.57 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon And they let down Jeremiah with cords With a murtherous intent there to make an end of him privily ut ibi praefocatus moreretur ille vero usque ad collum mersus ibi manebat saith Josephus that he might there pine and perish but God graciously prevented it And in the dungeon there was no water but mire A typical hell it was worse then Josephs pit Gen. 37. or Hemans lake Psal 88.6 or any prison that ever Brown the Sect master ever came into who used to boast that he had been committed to two and thirty prisons and in some of them he could not see his hand at noon-day Fullers Church-hist p. 168. He dyed at length in Northampton jayle Anno 1630. whereto he was sent for striking the Constable requiring rudely the payment of a rate So Jeremiah sunk in the mire Up to the neck saith Josephus and so became a type of Christ Psal 69.2 Ver. 7. Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian But a Proselyte and a Religious Prince a stranger but as that good Samaritan in the Gospel more merciful then any of the Jewish Nation who gloried in their priviledges See Rom. 2.26 27. One of the Eunuches And Eunuches say the Rabbines are ordinarily more cruel then other men but so was not this Cushite Piety is the fountain of all vertues whatsoever Which was in the Kings house As Obadiah was in Ahabs Nehemiah in Artaxerxes's some good people in Herods Luk. 8.3 and Nero's Philip. 4 22. Cromwel and Cranmer in Henry the eighths The King then sitting in the gate of Benjamin Sitting in judgement where Jeremyes enemies had once apprehended him for a fugitive but durst not try it out with him though Ebedmelech there treated with the King for him in the presence of some of them as it is probable Ver. 8. Ebedmelech Not more the Kings servant so his name signifieth then Gods Joseph of Arimathaea was such another who went boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus Faith quelleth and killeth distrustful fear Ver. 9. My Lord the King these men have done evil What a brave man was this to oppose so many Princes and so potent that the King himself durst not displease them It was Gods holy Spirit that put this mettle into him and gave him the freedom of speech Psal 119.46 And he is like to dye for hunger in the place where he is Or who would have dyed for hunger in the place where he was For there is no more bread in the City Cum panum annona sit pauca parca What need he to be doubly murthered Ver. 10. Then the King commended Ebedmelech A sweet providence of God thus to incline the heart of this effeminate cruel inconstant and impious King to harken to the motion and to give order for the Prophets deliverance from that desperate and deadly danger A good encouragement also to men to appear in a good cause and to act vigorously for God notwithstanding they are alone and have to encounter with divers difficulties Take from hence thirty men with thee Four or fewer might have done it but perhaps the Princes with their forces might have endeavoured to hinder them but that they saw them so strong Ver. 11. So Ebedmelech took the men with him and went The labour of love that this Ethiopian performed to the man of God is particularly and even parcel-wise described for his eternal commendation and all mens imitation Ver. 12. But now these cast-clouts Hence some gather that the Prophet was put into this loathsome hole naked or very ill clad at least The Fathers allegorize this story to set forth the vocation of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews Ver. 13. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords And God was not unrighteous to forget this their work and labour of love Heb 6.10 Jer. 39.17 18. And Jeremiah remained in the Court of the prison Manacled and fettered as some gather from chap. 40.4 R. David Vatabl. Ver. 14. Then Zedekiah took Jeremiah into the third entry Which was right over against the Kings house this wretched King was so overawed by his Counsellors that he durst not advise with Gods Prophet in their presence or with their privity Ver. 15. If I declare it unto thee It is for the sins of a people that an hypocrite raigneth over them Job 34.30 Such a one was Zedekiah and the Prophet here freely reproveth him for his hypocrisie And if I give thee counsel wilt thou not hearken Or And though I advise thee thou wilt not hearken to me Thou art set and hast made thy conclusion aforehand Ver. 16. So the King Zedekiah sware secretly unto Jeremiah But what credit was to be given to his oath who was notoriously known to be a perjured person as having broken his oath of fidelity to Nebuchadnezzar As the Lord liveth that made us this soul Hence the truth of that assertion is cleared up unto us that mens souls drop not down from heaven nor are propagated by their parents but are created by God and infused into their bodyes I will not put thee to death neither will I c. The former part of the Prophets condition he sweareth to perform but saith nothing to the latter as having no such liking to it So many come now-adayes to hear who resolve to practise only so far as they see good Ver. 17. If thou wilt assuredly go forth Jeremy was semper idem one and the same still no changeling at all but a faithful and constant Preacher of Gods Word Ver. 18. But if thou wilt not go forth See chap. 32.39 Thus Zedekiah hath it both wayes that it may abide by him but he was uncounselable and irreclaimable Ver. 19. Then Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah I am afraid of the Jews Thus hypocrites will at one time or other detect themselves as Zedekiah here plainly declareth that he more feared the losse of his life honour wealth c. then of Gods favour and Kingdom so do the most amongst us Pilate feared how Caesar would take it if he should loose Jesus Herod laid hold on Peter after he had killed James that he might please the people The Pharisees could not beleeve because they received glory from men This generous King cannot endure to think that his own fugitives should flout him but to be ruled by God and his holy Prophet advising him for the best he cannot yeeld Thus still vain men are niggardly of their reputation and prodigal of their souls Do we not see them run willfully into the field into the grave into hell and all lest it should be said they have as much fear as wit Ver. 20. They shall not deliver thee This the good Prophet speaketh from
cannot be quiet Or There is sorrow as upon the sea which cannot rest Ver. 24. And fear hath seized on her Horrorem fâ—brilem apprehendit Piscat Shee shaketh as in a fit of an Ague Ver. 25. How is the City of praise not left Why is so praise-worthy and renowned a City so demolished See ver 23. Cause enough there was because it was a valley of vanity Am. 1. and Comus Venus and Bacchus there made their divident and shared their Devoto's Ver. 26. Therefore her young men Or Surely Ver. 27. And I will kindle a fire See on Amos 1.4 Ver. 28. Concerning Kedar These Kedarens the off-spring of Kedar-Jshmael's son Gen. 25.13 dwelt or rather abode for most part in Arabia the stony or desart Hagarens they were also called and afterward Saracens of Saraca their chief City saith Stephanus or of Sarach for more credit sake as others hold Lib. de Vâ—bib Of this people came Mahomet that grand-Impostour and the Turks who have now gotten into their hands so great a part of the habitable world A rude people they were in Jeremye's dayes and uncivilized yet because wicked they are here doomed And concerning the Kingdoms of Hazor Their bead-city Ver. 29. Their tents and their flocks For which they were termed Scenitae and Nomades as living a pastoral life in tents And they shall cry unto them Fear is on every side Magor-misabib might be their word wherewith loudly-uttered they might affright and overcome these enemies like as the Britones our Ancestours once overcame a mighty Army of Saxons and Picts in this Land by ringing out the word Hallelujah with a courage among the mountains nigh to the which the enemy had encamped Ussiâ—r de Brit. Eccles primord Ver. 30. Flee get you far off See on ver 8. Ver. 31. Arise go you up into the wealthy Nation Or quiet Nation that dwelleth without care Heb. in confidence but such a security doth not secure any but oft betrayeth Infelix felicitas quae non est in Domino saith Oecolampadius here There 's no true happinesse or safety but in God Ver. 32. Them that are in the uttermost corners Or that have the corners of their hair cut See chap. 9.26 and 25.23 Ver. 33. And Hazor shall be a dwelling for Dragons See chap. 9.11 and 12.22 and 51.37 Ver. 34. Against Elam i. e. The Medes say some the Persians say others or a people betwixt both whose head-City was that Susa where Alexander found fifty thousand talents of gold besides silver Aristagoras also thus cheared up his souldiers that besieged it This City if you can but take Cum Jove de divitiis licet certetis you may vie with Jove himself for wealth These Elamites joyned with the Chaldees against the Jews when they first wasted Judea and carried away Jehoiakim Hence they are here so threatned for their cruelty then Ver. 35. Behold I will break the bow of Elam In the use whereof they excelled being very skilful Archers Esa 22.6 Gunnes now-adayes carry it as bowes of old Ver. 36. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds i. e. Great concussions enemies on all sides Scythians and Sarmatians especially out of the North. Calvin thinketh this Prophesie was fulfilled after Alexanders death when his captaines strove most fiercely for the Kingdoms of the earth which he had subdued Ver. 37. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed q. d. They trust in their great strength and hold themselves insuperable but I can easily dispirit and so destroy them See ver 5.14 29. Diod. Ver. 38. And I will set my throne in Elam i. e. I will solemnly execute my judgements upon these people as if I sate in my Judgement-seat in a publick Court in the midst of them Ver. 39. I will bring again the captivity of Elam Principally by bringing them to Jesus Christ In vit Constant Claruit Theod Anno 390. And so we read Act. 2.9 of Parthians Medes and Elamites amongst those first and best believers Eusebius also telleth us that in the Council of Nice there was a Bishop from Persia And Theodoret a very good man withal a great writer served the Churches of the Elamites CHAP. L. Ver. 1. THe word that the Lord spake against Babylon Which was built by Nimrod as Ninive was afterwards by his nephew Ninus Gen. 10.11 Of the greatnesse of this City besides what we read in holy writ much may be read in Herodotus and Pliny It was the head-City of the Assyrian and Chaldaean Monarchy which lasted above 1700. years till Cyrus the Persian took the Kingdom Esay prophesied against it in several Chapters Habakkuk maketh it his whole businesse Jeremy had set forth how Sheshak that is Balthasar should drink the dregs of the cup of Gods wrath chap. 25.26 Here and in the next Chapter he discourseth it more at large shewing how it was that Babylon was to drink of that cup and for more certainty it is spoken of in this prophesie as already done Ver. 2. Declare ye among the nations Let all take notice of the good news there shall be a general goal-delivery sing therefore Jo triumphe Say Babylon is taken So Esay 21.9 Bel is confounded This Bel was Nimrod whose nephew Ninus set him up for a god Merodach a restorer of their Empire whereof Nimrod had been founder was likewise idolized Merodach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive sce tâ—ifer Chaldaicâ appellatione They are called dirty deities faeditates stercora a name good enough for them and said to be confounded See Esa 46.1 Sorrows also because their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God Psal 16.4 Ver. 3. For out of the North there cometh up a Nation against her i. e. Out of Media and Persia which lay Northward from Chaldaea The Jews had their bane out of the North as had been foretold Jer. 1.14 15. sc from Babylon And now Babylon is to be baned from the same quarter This was some comfort doubtlesse to the poor Jews in captivitie Which shall make her land desolate This was not fulfilled till many years after Cyrus indeed began it but Seleucus Nicanor finished it Plin. lib. 6. cap. 26. by building near unto it another great City called Seleucia Ver. 4. In those dayes and at that time Destructio Babel salus est populo Dei so shall it be at the ruine of Rome The children of Israel shall come and the children of Judah together In better times they could not agree but when they were both in a weeping condition misery bred unity as it did also betwixt Hooper and Ridley when they were both in prison for the truth Going and weeping Teares of sorrow for their sinnes and teares of joy for their deliverance by Cyrus but especially by Christ They shall go and seek the Lord their God Whom they had long been without and do now long and linger after Ver. 5. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces
in the midst of their revels And thou wâ—st not aware The palace was suddenly seized upon but some parts of the City knew not that the enemy was entred till three dayes after for it was the greatest City that ever the Sun beheld Aristot Pollt Paus Arcad. saith Pausanias and the most suddainly surprized Because thou hast striven against the Lord Heb. hast mingled thy self with the Lord incertamen scilicet to wrestle and fall with him and to try masteries Ver. 25. The Lord hath opened his armory Heb. treasury Now Gods armory is omne id sub caelo usque ad diabolos all things both in heaven and under the cope of heaven as far as the very devils whereby he is able to subdue his enemies and to bring them to nothing Out of this treasury God took Darius and Cyrus with their forces and set them upon this expedition Ver. 26. Come against her This he speaketh to the Medes and Persians who though they were farther remote then they that could heare the Prophet yet God who spake by him could and did speak home to their hearts stirring them up by a secret instinct to do this execution Ver. 27. Slay all her bullocks Heb. sword them sheath your swords in their sides See ver 24. Ver. 28. The vengeance of his Temple Spoiled and burnt by the Chaldeans those wasters as their name also signifieth Woe then to such as destroy Gods living Temples Ver. 29. According to all that she hath done See ver 15. For she hath been proud against the Lord Who setteth himself in battle array against the proud 1 Pet. 5.5 Ver. 30. Therefore shall her young men See on chap. 49 26. Ver. 31. Behold I am against thee O most proud Heb. O pride in the abstract i. e. O Balshazzar as of a certain Pope was said Conditur hoc tumulo scelus vitium Ver. 32. And the most proud shall stumble Heb. Pride or that man of pride Praefractarius ille so Oecolampadius rendreth it that stubborn man who will do wickedly against conviction of conscience Ver. 33. The children of Judah and the children of Israel were oppressed together Or were oppressed alike sc In their several deportations and God mindful of his Covenant sheweth himself sensible of it though for present he seemed not to care what became of either of them Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox Ver. 34. Their Redeemer is strong Or But their strong Avenger whose name is the Lord of hostes he shall thoroughly plead their cause i. e. right their wrongs That he may give rest to the land See on 2 Thes 1.8 9. Ver. 35. A sword is upon the Chaldaeans Those sworn swordmen of the Devil Ver. 36. A sword is upon the lyars i. e. The prognosticators and wizzards Mendaces nominat divinos as it was wont here to be saâ—d A friar a lyar Ver. 37. A sword is upon their horses Upon all their military preparations whereof see Herodot lib. 1. They shall become as womer Elumbes cowardly and crestfaln A sword is upon her treasures Which how inestimable they were see Strabo lib. 15. and Plin. lâ—b 33. cap. 3. Ver. 38. A drought is upon her waters Which Cyrus did so drain by many out-lets that without any great difficulty he took the City assâ—ulting it on two sides Lib. 3. cap. 7. Frontinus saith that thrice Babylon was taken by this stratagem 1. By Semiramis 2. By Cyrus 3. By Alexander the Great And they are mad upon their idols Deos terrificos truces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 statues of their Kings and Worthies which were of a huge vast stature See Dan. 3.1 Ver. 39. Therefore the wild beasts of the desart See Esa 13.21 Ver. 40. At God overthrew Sodom See Esay 13.19 and chap. 49.18 Ver. 41. Behold a people shall come from the North As ver 3.9 See chap. 6.22 Ver. 42. Against thee O daughter of Babylon In like sort as thou didst once against Gods Israel chap. 6.23 Now thou shalt meet with thy match Ver. 43. The King of Babylon c. See chap. 6.24 Dan. 5.6 Ver. 44. Behold he shall come up See chap. 49.19 Ver. 45. See on chap. 49.20 Ver. 46. See on chap. 49.22 CHAP. LI. Ver. 1. BEhold I will raise up against Babylon and against them that dwel in the midest sc Of the land of Chaldaea in the royal seat and center of that great Monarchy Ventum pestilentem Vulg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. A destroying wind Blasting and boisterous See chap. 4.11 12. Ver. 2. And I will send unto Babylon fannâ—rs Who shall make as clean work as they once did in Judaea disperse her inhabitants and dissipate her riches Ver. 3. Against him that bendeth Periphrasis Babylonii omnibus gentibus infesti Ver. 4. Thus the slain shall fall Both within the walls and without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there shall be neither measure nor end of manslaughters as Plutrach saith of Rome in Sylla's time Ver. 5. For Israel hath not been forsaken Heb. widowed Though their Land was filled with sin Heb. guilt or delinquency or devastation This Scripture hath been fully made good to us of this Nation whilst the fulnesse of sin in us hath not yet abated the fulnesse of grace in God toward us See those four gracious Yets Zach. 1.17 with the Notes there Ver. 6. Flee out of the midst of Babylon See chap. 50.8 So in the new Testament we are called upon to flee and avoid the corruptions of the world and of Antichrist 1 Joh. 2. Ephes 5. Rev. 14. 18.4 For this is a time c. As chap. 50.15 25 27 28. So 46.10 Ver. 7. Babylon hath been a golden cup See chap. 25.15 Rev. 17.4 In the Lords hand i. e. Oeconomiâ dispensatione ejus He had the mixing and distributing of it Ver. 8. Babylon is suddenly fallen Chap. 50.2 So ruet alto à culmine Roma Rev. 14.8 18.2 10. If so be she may be healed q.d. Try you may but t is to no purpose See c. 46.11 Ver. 9. We would have healed Babylon Say the forrein nations that came to help her or the people of God Vox electorum Oecolamp say others that were kept captive by her as Daniel the rest But she is not healed Or she could not be healed See Hos 7.1 For her judgement reacheth unto heaven It coelo clamor proportionable to her sin Rev. 18.5 Ver. 10. The Lord hath brought forth our righteousnesse i. e. Our just cause and the righteousnesse of our religion derided by the Babylonians Ver. 11. Make bright the arrows q. d. Do so O Chaldaeans if ye think it will boot you any thing at all for the shoaring up of your tottering State when as the Lord is resolved to bring it down Hortatio Iâ—onicâ— Pisc Ver. 12. Set up the standard An Irony all along as ver 11. Ver. 13. O thou that dwellest upon many waters Euphrates and Tigris especially famous rivers
running from Babylonia into the Persian sea Hence most Geographers hold and not improbably that that land was a part of the garden of Eden fruitful it was beyond credulity Thine end is come and the measure Heb. the cubit of thy covetousnesse Cujus avaritia totus non sufficit orbis The covetous Cormorants mouth with his Give Give shall shortly be stopped with a spade-full of mould and his never-enough quit with fire enough in the bottom of hell Ver. 14. Surely I will fill thee with men as with caterpillars So they shall seem both for multitude and humming noise barritu militari They shall lift up a shout against thee As pesants did at their harvest-home See chap. 48.33 Ver. 15. He hath made the earth by his power And can therefore easily and quickly unmake this great Monarchy See chap. 10.12 with the Note Ver. 16. When he uttereth his voice c. See chap. 10.13 Ver. 17. Every man is brutish See chap. 10.14 Ver. 18. They are vanity See chap. 10.15 Ver. 19. The portion of Jacob c. See chap. 10.16 Ver. 20. Thou art my battle-ax and weapon of war Cestra fuisti mihi Thou hast been my pole-ax such as horse men use to batter their enemies helmets and other harnesse Ver. 21. And with thee O Babylonian King Will I break in pieces Or rather have I broken in pieces And hence thy perdition Ver. 22. With thee also will I break or by thee have I broken in pâ—eces man and woman But especially my people of the Jewes whom I more valued then all the men and women in the world besides Ver. 23. The shepherd and his flock the husbandman and his yoke c. This particular enumeration is very Emphatical so chap. 50.35 37 38. Ver. 24. And I will render unto Babylon See chap 50.15 29. Isa 47.6 8. 10.5 6 12. In your sight You my prisoners of hope shall live to see it Psal 79.10 Ver. 25. O destroying mountain O Babylon thou that art amplitudine altitudine instar montis for thy large command and lofty buildings like a mountain and that dost abuse thy power to other mens destruction And will make thee aburnt mountain A great heap of ashes and rubbish such as burned and ruined Cities are Ver. 26. And they shall not take of thee a stone Thou shalt never be reedified So it is foretold of Rome Tot a eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses Ver. 27. Set up a standard Thus God the great Induperator bespeaketh the Medes and Persians as his field officers Prepare the Nations against her Heb. Sanctify call them together to wage this sacred war against Babylon Call together against her the Kingdoms of Ararat Minni Xenoph. Cyrop lâ—b 7. and Ashkenaz i. e. Of both the Armenia's and of Ascania subdued by Cyrus before he marched against Babylon Vatablus will have Ashkenaz to be Gothland the Jewes Germany but these were too far remote Ver. 28. Prepare against her Heb. Sanctify as ver 7. With the Kings of the Medes Darius and Cyrus Ver. 29. And the land shall tremble and sorrow As a travelling woman so shall it be pained Ver. 30. The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight At Cyrus his first coming they gave him battel but being worsted they from thenceforth remained in their holds till Babylon was taken Their might hath failed Or their courage is shrunk as Jacob's sinew did Gen. 32.32 They became as women See chap. 50.37 Ver. 31. One post shall run to meet another Observe how punctually all things were foretold in the several circumstances above fifty years before At one end sc where Euphrates had run till diverted and dryed up by Cyrus See on chap. 50.38 Ver. 32. And that the passages are stopt Or taken seized surprised as ch 48.41 And thereeds Or Marishes made by Euphrates overflowing It is well observed that the Babylonians might by this Prophecy have been forewarned and fore-armed against Cyrus his stratagem But they slighted it and never enquired after it likely Ver. 33. The daughter of Babylon Proud of her wealth and strength as young maids many are of their beauty And the time of her harvest shall come When God shall put in his sickle and cut her down being ripe and ready See Rev. 14.16 Gen. 15.16 Ver. 34. Nebuchadnezzar hath devoured me he hath crushed me A graphical description of the Babylonical cruelty He hath cast me out He hath gorged himself with me and laid up his gorge Ver. 35. The violence done to me and to my flesh Torn and tost as carrion by that ravenous beast the Lord look upon it and require it Ver. 36. Behold I will plead thy cause Not so much verbally as really here 's a present answer to Israels cry Ver. 37. And Babylon shall become heaps See chap. 50.39 Ver. 38. They shall roar together like Lions When hongerbit The Babylonians terrified and the Persians tumultuating together The old Latine Version hath it they shake their shaggy hair Ver. 39. In their heat I will make their feasts Or I will dispose their drinkings that is I will pour into their cups the wine of my wrath Now poison mixt with wine worketh the more furiously God can punish one kind of drunkennesse with another worse That they may rejoyce That they may revel it and sleep their last and so they did Ecce hic compotationum est finis as being slain in a night of publike solemn feasting and great dissolutenesse which was soon turned in moerorem metum into heavinesse and horrour And not wake Till awakened by the sound of the last trump The Chaldee here hath it They shall dye the second death and not be quickened in the world to come sc unto life everlasting Ver. 40. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter All that with followeth here to the end of this oration is no lesse easy then elegant in holding forth the power justice and truth of God in fulfilling this Prophecy exactly though divers years after Ver. 41. How is Sheshack taken i. e. How is Babylon destroyed beyond all expectation See chap. 25.26 Ver. 42. The sea is come up upon Babylon A sea of hostile forces what wonder therefore though she be taken Ver. 43. Her Cities are a desolation See chap. 2.6 9.12 Ver. 44. And I will punish Bel in Babylon Nimrod was after his death called the Babylonian Saturn Belus who succeeded him the Babylonian Jupiter as Berosus testifieth This Idol of massy gold and of a huge bignesse was carried away by Cyrus thus Bel was punished And I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up Bolum ex ore Beli such an elegancy there is also in the Original Of the rich presents spoils costly furniture found in Bel's Temple see Diodore lib. 2. Those taken from Gods Temple at Jerusalem and laid up in his 2 Chron. 36.7 he was forced to regurgitate Ezr. 1.7 5.14 See
built by line and so it was destroyed by him who doeth all things in number weight and measure Ver. 9. Her gates are sunk into the ground So they seem to be because laid on the ground and covered with rubbish The Rabbines fable that the gates sank indeed into the ground that they might not come into the enemyes power because the Ark had once passed thorough them and when the Priests that carried it sang Lift up your heads O ye gates c. they opened of their own accord The Law is no more sc Read or regarded Inter arma silent leges the noise of wars drowneth the voice of Laws Her Prophets also find no vision from the Lord See Psal 74.9 with the Note Jeremy was alone and haply thought when he saw all ruined that he should prophesie no more Ezekiel and Daniel were far remote This was no small affliction that is here complained of How woe-begone was sinful Saul when in his distresse he could have no answer from God either by Vrim or Vision c. but had the devil to preach his funeral Ver. 10. The elders of the daughters of Zion Who sat once aloft passing sentence and held themselves haply too high to be told their duties by a poor Prophet Sit upon the ground After the manner of mourners And keep silence Who were wont to be the oracles of the Countrey They have cast dust upon their heads Those white heads of theirs which they had stained with foul practises They have girded themselves with sackcloth Heb. sacks instead of silkes The virgins of Jerusalem Who were wont to walk haughtily and with stretcht-out necks Isa 3.16 Hang down their heads to the ground As if they were ashamed of themselves and had small joy of their beauty and former bravery Ver. 11. Mine eyes do fail with teares Those fountaines as the Hebrew word signifieth are even drawn dry I have wept till I can weep no more as David did or I have wept my self blind as Faustus the son of Vortiger once King of England is said to have done My bowels are troubled Heb. bemudded See chap. 1.20 My liver is poured upon the earth I have well-nigh vomited up my gall as Job 16.13 For the destruction Heb. the breach even to shivers as young trees or ships are broken by tempests Because the children and sucklings swoon in the streets Miserabile etiam hostibus spectaculum a rueful sight Ver. 12. They say to their mothers Lege luge Tu quibus ista leges incertum est Lector ocellis Ipse quidem siccis scribere vix potui As oft as I read the Lamentations of Jeremy saith Gregory Nazianzen my voice faileth me Orat. 1. pacificat and I am overwhelmed with teares the misery of that poor people cometh under my view as it were and my heart is therewith very much affected and afflicted Where is corn and wine Frumentum dicunt non panem Corn they would have been glad of though unground saith one Wine they ask for and not water which noteth an ill custome in their mothers to drink wine and to give it their little ones but by corn and wine here may be meant necessary food to keep them alive When their soul was poured out into the mothers bosom As it were giving them their lives again seeing they yeelded them no food to preserve them alive Ver. 13. What thing shall I take to witnesse for thee q. d. Thou art such a mirrour of Gods heavy judgements that I know not whence to borrow arguments nor where to find examples for thy comfort so matchlesse is thy misery It exceedeth that of the Egyptians under Moses of the Canaanites under Joshua of the Philistines under David of the Hebrews under Eli c. It is even imparallel and inexpressible I have but one Simile to set it forth by and it is this Thy breach is great like the sea As far as the sea exceedeth the rivers so doth thy calamity exceed that of other nations Who can heal thee None but an Almighty Physician surely in mans judgement thy bruise is incureable and thy wound is grievous Jer. 30.12 Ver. 14. Thy Prophets Thine and not mine for thou art miserable by thine own election accessary to thine own ruine Have seen vain and foolish things for thee Visions of vanity saplesse and savourlesse stuffe the fruit or rather froth of their own fancies Jer. 23.9 10 c. And they have not discovered thine iniquity Conviction maketh way for conversion and so preventeth utter subversion But have seen for thee false burdens viz. Against Babylon in confidence whereof thou hast been hardened and heartened in thy sinful practices to thine utter undoing And causes of banishment sc Eventually and as it hath proved Ver. 15. All that passe by thee clap See chap. 1.18 Is this the City Gods palace upon earth the porch of Paradise c. as they said of Jezabel when she lay torn with dogs Is this that Jezabel O quantum haec Niobe Niobe mutatur ab illa Ver. 16. All thine enemies opened their mouths against thee They speak largely and freely to thy dishonour the very banks of blasphemy being broken down as it were We have swallowed her up But shall find her to be hard meat such as they shall digest in hell See ver 2 5. Certainly this is the day that we look for Pray we that the Papists may never see here their long looked for day as they have long called it Ver. 17. The Lord hath done that which he had devised Or performed what he purposed See ver 8. He hath fulfilled his Word that he had commanded That is his threats annexed to his commands and of as great authority as they In the dayes of old And not two or three dayes only since Gods menaces are ancient and infallible not uttered in terrorem only neither it his forbearance any acquittance And he hath caused thine enemy to rejoyce over thee Still the Prophet calleth off this distressed people from the jeares and insolencies of their enemies whom they too much looked upon to the just judgement of God who turned those dogs loose upon them to bark at them and to bait them in manner aforesaid Ver. 18. Their heard cryed unto the Lord i. e. They cryed seriously at least if not sincerely Some think it was not a cry of the Spirit for grace but only of the Flesh for ease and freedom from affliction wherefore the Prophet in the next words turneth to the walls of Jerusalem which were now broken down bidding them weep sith the people would not And surely the stony walls of mens houses standing with bells of water on their faces before foul weather shall witnesse against such hard hearts as relent not and so prevent not the terrible tempest of Gods wrath for their iniquities There are that render and sense the text thus Their heart cryeth against the Lord i. e. the adversaries set their whole power to devise blasphemy against
28. He sitteth alone Sessio solitaria as being much in meditation according to that counsel of the Preacher In the day of adversity consider And keepeth silence When Gods hand is upon his back his hand is upon his mouth See on ver 26. Because he hath born it upon him Or When he hath taken it upon him taken up his crosse as being active in suffering Ver. 29. He putteth his mouth in the dust He lyeth low at Gods â—eet putting himself into the hands of Justice yet in hope of mercy See 1 Cor. 14 25. If so be there may be â—â—pe Heb. Peradventure there is hope q. d. doubtlesse there is however I will try sith I have lost many a worse labour Ver. 30. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him Humility the product of affliction sanctified is still at her lesson or rather practising what she hath learned David having suffered by Absolom can well enough bear with Shimei's tongue smitings and the Apostles after they had been in prison departed from the Council rejoycing that they were so far graced as to be disgraced for the name of Jesus Acts 5.41 He is filled full of reproach He can bravely bear all contumelies and contempts for his conscience taking them as crowns and confirmations of his conformity to Christ Ver. 31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever No nor at all however he may seem to some so to do Non deserit etiamsi deserat saith a Father He doth not put his poople far from him as the word here signifieth Ver. 32. For though he cause grief As sometimes he doth in very faithfulnesse and that he may be true to his peoples souls Yet he will have compassion He will repent and return and leave a blessing behind him that 's certain Joel 2.14 Ver. 33. For he doth not afflict willingly Heb. From the heart Non nisi coactus Non est Deo volupe proprium aut per se intentum Paenas dat dum paenas exigit Sen. de Augusto Justu etiam supplietis illacâ—ymavit ingeâ—uit De Vespas Sueton. as that Emperour said when he sealed a writ for execution of a condemned person I would not do it but upon necessity It goeth as much against the heart with God as it can do against the hair with us Ille dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox Ver. 34. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth i. e. All those that are in misery to lay more load upon them and so to crush them to pieces yea to grind them to powder This he could as easily do as bid it be done but he takes no such delight in severity and harshnesse Ver. 35. To turn aside the right of a man To wrest his right by false witnesse and corrupt means as wicked men use to do before the face of the most High or of a Superiour under colour of law God liketh none of all this though eftsoones for excellent ends he suffereth it so to be and ordereth it when so it is Ver. 36. To subvert a man in his cause By legerdemain to tilt the ballance of Justice on t 'one side The Lord approveth not Heb seeth not Non videt i. e. non ei visum est it seemeth not good unto him he liketh it not Ver. 37. Who is he Tam imprudens imperitus Can any one be so simple as to think that the enemy could do ought against us but by the divine permission and appointment God as he made all by his power so he manageth all by his Providence This the Egyptians hieroglyphically set forth by painting God 1. As blowing an egge out of his mouth that is as making the round world by his Word 2. As compassing about that Orb with a girdle that is keeping all together and governing all by his Providence Ver. 38. Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good i. e. Prosperity and adversity q. d. Who doubteth of that Amos 3.5 Isa 45.7 Talk not then of â—ate and blind Fortune Ver. 39. Wherefore dâ—th a living mâ—n complain Mourn immoderately or murmure causelesly If he mourn let him mourn for his sin as the cause of his suffering let him revenge upon that If he be tempted to murmure let him remember that he is yet alive and that 's more then his part cometh to sith it is the Lords mercy that he is not consumed and sent packing hence to hell Life in any sence is a sweet mercy even that which to the afflicted may seem a lifelesse life as Prov. 15.15 Let this patient us that we are yet alive A man for the punishment of his sine Heb. man for his sin for sin doth as naturally draw and suck punishments to it as the Laod-stone doth Iron or Turpentine fire wherefore also the same word in Hebrew signifieth both Ver. 40. Let us search and try our wayes i. e. Make accurate enquiry into them so shall we soon find out selves to be a whole new-found world of wickedness Search we therefore and do it throughly Many either search not at all â—hey cannot endure these domestical Audits its death to them to reflect and recognize what they have done or as though they desired not to find they search as men do for their bad mony they know they have it but they would gladly have it passe for currant among the rest Heathens will rise up in judgement against such for they prescibed and practised self-examination Pythagoras once a day Non prius in dulcem declines lumina somnum Quam prius exactae reputaveris acta diei c. Phocyllides thrice a day if Stobaeus may be believed Serm. And turn again to the Lord Let self-examination end in reformation else sin will be thereby but imboldened and strengthened as idle vagrants and lawlesse subjects are if questioned only and not punished and restrained Of turning again to the Lord. See the Notes on Zach. 1.2 Ver. 41. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands Holy hearts pure hands Instead of wrangling with God as ver 39. let us wrastle with him in prayer this is the only way to get off with comfort Nazianzen saith that the best work we can put our hands unto is in coelos eas extendere ad precesque expandere to lift them up to God in prayer But then it must be with a true heart Heb. 10.22 See Job 11 13. with the Notes Ver. 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled We have committed evil and omited good and failed in the manner and are therefore justly punished Let God hear such words fall from our mouths set a work by our hearts and then we may have any thing Ver. 43. Thou hast covered with anger Overwhelmed us with thy Judgements None out of hell have ever suffered more then the Saints they have felt the sad effects of displeased Love Ver. 44. Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud Hid thy face from us and secreted
thy self as a Judge doth when he hath passed sentence upon a malefactour that he may not be solicited to reverse it That our prayers should not passe through The veil of the Temple was of no debarring matter but thin and pervious that the incense might easily passe thorough it into the Holy of Holies but now it was otherwise God had set a barre betwixt him and his people Ver. 45. Thou hast made us as the off-scouring Eradicationem saith the Vulgar rasuram potius not the rooting out but the scrapings off As the Jews did rather extrinsecus radere peccata quam intrinsecus eradicare Bern. Exverras Scobes ramenta Excreamenta excrementa shave off their sinnes outwardly then root them out from within so God made them as despicable as the parings of a pavement or of a leprous house And refuse See 1 Cor. 4.13 with the Notes Ver. 46. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us i. e. Reviled and derided us See chap. 2.16 Ver. 47. Fear and a snare is come upon us Heb. a pit Great terrour and no way to escape See Isa 24.17 18. Ver. 48. Mine eye runneth down Heb. mine eye descendeth i. e. Falleth as it were wholly away See chap. 1.16 2.18 Ver. 49. Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not Put fire under the still and water droppeth from roses Fiery afflictions cause drops of repentance and Repentance like the Philosophers stone maketh golden afflictions 1 Pet. 1.7 Ver. 50. Till the Lord look down Let God but see the Rainbow of sound Repentance in our hearts and he will soon shine forth and cause it to clear up Ver. 51. Mine eye effecteth my heart Iisdem quibus videmus oculis flemus we see and weep with the same eyes Lib. 2. cap. 32. But Pliny wondereth where that humour is at other times that floweth out of the eyes so readily and plentifully in case of grief Because of all the daughters of my City Or more then all the daughters c. more then the most passionate women use to weep Prae omnibus filiabus when they are most grieved Ver. 52. Mine enemies chased me sore In most eager and extream manner with utmost cruelty and craft As a Bird Beaten from bush to bush Without cause Jeremy and the godly party might say so but not Zedekiah and other perfidious ones Ver. 53. They have cut off my life in the dungeon Where I lead a lifelesse life such as did Roger Bishop of Salisbury in King Stephens time who sustained such miseries in prison ut vivere noluerit mori nescierit that live he would not and yet dye he could not And cast a stone upon me As they did upon the mouths of dens dungeons or sepulchers to make sure work The Chaldee hath it they stoned me Ver. 54. Waters flowed over mine head Many and great miseries have overwhelmed and oppressed me both in body and soul These are frequently compared to waters Then I said I am cut off sc From the land of the living but God was better to me then my hopes Ver. 55. I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon See Psal 130.1 Jon. 2.1 with the Notes Ver. 56. Thou hast heard my voyce Seem a mans case never so desperate if he can but find a praying heart God will find a pittying heart Prayer is the best lever at a dead lift Hide not thine ear at my breathing As breathing is a proof of animal life so is prayer though never so weak of spiritual If therefore you cannot speak weep fletu saepe agitur non affatu teares also have a voyce Psal 39.12 if you cannot weep sigh a storm of sighs may do as much as a showe of teares if you cannot sigh yet breath as here God feels breath and happy is he that can say In te spero respiro In thee I hope Lord and after thee I breath or pant Ver. 57. Thou drewest near This thou hast done and this I hope thou yet wilt do Experience breedeth confidence Ver. 58. O Lord thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul whereof those Babylonians were no just Judges Thou hast redeemed my life It is the life nay the soul of the Saints that the wicked hunt after though they do not alwayes professe so to do Ver. 59. O Lord thou hast seen my wrong Thou hast seen it and art sensible of it that 's my comfort for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judge thou my cause As Psal 43.1 See there Ver. 60. Thou hast seen all their vengeance See on ver 59. The Saints fare the better for their enemies spite and cruelty and they may very well plead and present it to God in prayer Ver. 61. Thou hast heard their reproach Their spiteful speeches and taunting termes have come into thine eares And all their imaginations Heb. Their contrivements As the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers Psal 34.15 so he both seeth the ill carriage and heareth the ill language of gracelesse persons against the godly Ver. 62. The lips of those that rose up See on ver 61. Ver. 63. Behold their sitting down and their rising up Or at their both sitting down to meat and at their rising up from meat I am their musick-maker their table talk and the matter of their mirth they make sport with us as the Philistines did with Sampson David complaineth of the like evil-dealing Psal 35.15 16 17. Ver. 64. Render unto them a recompense Call them to an account and requite them Let their musick be marred and the meale once ended send them in a reckoning Ver. 65. Give them sorrow of heart In place of their mad mirth and sinful musick turn their Psalm as the vulgar rendreth the word Musick in the foregoing verse into a black Santâ—â— as they call it ferale carmen a doleful ditty Dabis eis scutum cordis saith the Vulgar And indeed the word rendred sorrow signifieth a sheild or cover A lapide Mr. Burroughs Hos Operculum cordis vel apostema cordis It noteth saith one the Gardiaca passio whereby the heart is so opprest and there is such a stopping that it is as it were covered sicut scuto as with a shield there is a lid as it were put over the heart to keep off the most refreshing cordials and so the heart is suffocated with sorrow It is as if he should say put them into such a condition that no creature may yeild them the least refreshment Spira was in this condition Thy curse upon them All the curses written and unwritten in thy book This is not more a prayer then a prophecy How effectual Christs curse is may be seen in the withered fig-tree in the Gospel presently dryed up by the roots Ver. 66. Persecute and destroy them in anger Sith they are thine and our implacable and irreformable enemies be thou Lord implacably bent against them to their utter destruction
wheeling businesses of the world These are so one within another as that all their motion dependeth on the Angels whom he also moderateth and ordereth at his own pleasure Dr. Prest Whensoever therefore we see such things come to passe that we can see no reason for as the Churches overthrown the wicked exalted c. consider that one wheel is within another and the wings of the Angels are one within another c. Ver. 17. When they went they went upon their four sides Or according to their four sides i. e. thorough the four parts of the world as they were moved by the four living creatures And they returned not when they went But kept on strait forward without stopping or stepping back Diod. A figure of the constant and consonant harmony which is in all the works of Gods Providence toward the world but especially toward his Church Ver. 18. As for their rings they were so high Apsides earum tam amplae seu altae ut propterea formidabiles The rings or strakes Heb. backs of these wheeles were so broad and high that they struck terrour into the beholders It is hard to take the altitude of second causes Well might one write a book of the Vanity of Sciences and another a Tractat Quod nihil scitur I would see the proudest of you all define the nature of a straw as one preached in Cambridge to all the Schollars so of a flower of a fly c. Well might David say Thy judgements Lord are a great deep Psal 36.6 such as hath neither bank nor bottom Well might Paul cry out O the depth how unsearchable are his wayes c. Rom. 11.23 And the rings were full of eyes Instead of cart-nailes Understand hereby Gods all-seeing Providence which never erreth but alwayes ordereth the worlds disorders to his own glory Round about them four The Divine Providence is like a well-drawn picture which eyeth all that are in the room See 2 Chron. 16.9 Psal 34.15 Zach. 4.10 Job 34.21 and 36.7 Jer. 16.17 and 32.17 Ver. 19. And when the living creatures went the wheels went by them The Angels are Gods hands as it were whereby are acted and agitated this lower world and the second causes therein The wheeles were lift no The spirits of the creatures were heightened and elevated to some unwonted and more then ordinary service by some special instinct We use to say Magnarum rerum tarda molimina when there are many wheeles some will be alwayes out But it is otherwise here and that of Ambrose is verified Nescit tarda molâ—mina Spiritus sancti gratia God can soon effect great things by his powerful grace Ver. 20. Whithersoever the Spirit was to go See ver 1â— and take notice that whatever the instrument is or means of this or that occurrence God is the main Agent It is Christ who by his Spirit worketh all in all in his Church 1 Cor. 12.16 Eph. 1.11 Col. 3.21 Spiritus vitalis There falleth not a haire from a mans head nay not a bristle from a sows back saith Tertullian without God For the spirit of the living creatures Or of life The Divine inspiration was the procreant cause of the wheels motion This is here called Haruach that spirit by an excellency Est Deus in nobis The spirit is in the wheels as an invisible but irresistible Agent The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord he turneth it whithersoever he will Prov. 21.1 Ver. 21. When those went these went and when those stood these stood This is but the same again as before but more fully and plainly See the like Joh. 1.2 Ver. 22. And the likenesse of the firmament The glory of God in Christ is revealed to the Prophet in this ensuing vision even that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. 1 Tim. 3. whereof this was a kind of prelude To like purpose also was that visiion Isa 6.1 with Joh. 12.39 40 41. Vpon the heads of the living creature Between them and the Lord Christ as a skreen and supplyed likely the office or that other pair of wings Isa 6.2 See Exod. 24.10 Vide Plin. lib. 37. cap. 2. Chrystallus est gelu concretum Was as the colour of the terrible crystal Heb. of the formidable frost that is of the most vehement frost a Periphrasis of crystal All things above are dreadfully glorious as all things below are pellucid pervious and clear to Gods eye like a diaphanous body Heb. 4.13 Mountains of brasse are as transparent to him as the clearest Crystal The firmament is so clear that Christ seeth through it It s a molten looking-glasse Job 37.18 and those Atheists are utterly out who ask How doth God know can he judge through the dark clouds Job 22.13 Ver. 23. Were their wings strait sc When they flew for at other times they covered their bodies with them ver 11 in reverence to Christ their Creatour and Lord. The one toward the other They serve the Lord Christ with one shoulder or consent they do all mind the same thing Congeries similium faciens ad amplificat Ver. 24. And when they went I heard a noise of their wings A very great noise as is here set forth by a threefold similitude Like the noise of great waters Which fall with an horrible fragor as with the Catadupes for instance See Psal 46.3 As the noise of the Almighty i. e. As thunder Psal 29 4. 18.13 The voice of speech When a man cryeth aloud lifteth up his voice like a trumpet sic clamans ut Stentora vincat As the noise of an host Barritus ille militaris besides the roaring of Cannons rattling of wheels beating of drums c. This none heare but the spiritual man who discerneth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 and hath his senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult They let down their wings As expecting a new commission Ver. 25. And there was a voice from the firmament i. e. From above the firmament even from Christ on the throne When they stood When all was husht So Rev. 8.1 there was half an hours silence in heaven that is in the Church on earth when the seventh seal was opened Sedate and silent spirits are fittest to hear Christ's voice Job 4.16 Ver. 26. And above the firmament See on ver 22. Was the likenesse of a throne Far beyond that of Solomon 1 King 10.18 19. That was of Ivory but this of Saphire that had a rich canopy over it but this the azured sky under it See Exod. 24.10 all to set forth Christ's kingly dignity and surpassing Majesty And upon the likenesse All was but likenesse and appearance because all was visional here As the appearance of a man This was the Man Christ Jesus and this is the last and best part of the vision viz. Christ set by his father in supercelestial places far above all Principality and Power c. Ephes
seen ver 12. So true is that saying of the Rabbines that there is no riddle in the law that hath not a solution by the sides of it And so little cause had that Jesuite Barradius to borrow an argument from this text to prove the Scriptures to be a riddle and obscure And carried it into a land of traffique Babylonia was so See Rev. 18.11 Rome is so where all things are saleable and soluble as was long since complained He set it in a City of Merchants Some City of Babylon saith Diodat assigned to the Jews which was commodious for traffique to keep them from all thoughts of war and State policy Ver. 5. He took also of the seed of the land No forrainer but one of their own country and of the blood-royal too viz. Zedekiah This was a great mercy as that most spitefully done of Attiius King of Suecia to make a dog King of the Danes as did likewise Gunno King of the Danes make a dog King of Norway appointing Counsellours to do all things under his title and name And planted it in a fruitful field i. e. In Judea that good land as Rabshakeh also yeeldeth it to have been whatever Strabo saith to the contrary where Zedekiah might have lived bravely and reigned prosperously could he but have been content with his condition At Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus Horat. Epist 2. Cogi posse negat He placed it by great waters and set it as a willow-tree A well-contented person grows up prosperously as the willows by the water-courses Ver. 6. And it grew And yet it had a great fall viz. from a tall cedar to a low vine Zedekiah though he had still the title of a King and was not left without wealth and dignity yet it was far inferiour to that of his Predecessours Magna repentè raunt summa cadunt subito Whose branches turned toward him i. e. Toward Nebuchadnezzar now the chief Lord of the land To him looked and leaned the Lords of the land and so long they did well for they and the whole Kingdom thrived Ver. 7. There was also another great Eagle sc Pharaoh another potent Monarch why called an Eagle see on ver 3. And behold this vine did bend her roots toward him Which was the worst chare for her self that ever she did The Devil of Discontent put her upon this unhappy project whereby instead of mending her self she soon marr'd all So true is that of Solomon Wisdom is better then weapons of war but one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9.18 Zedekiah little thought once ever to have been a King Nebuchadnezzar made him so when as he might as well have refused him for the rebellions of his two Predecessours He had also dealt nobly with him though his vassal and would have defended him against any adverse power c. so that he had no reason at all to rebel but that he was infatuated and besotted by Ambition and Avarice which Plutarch finely and fitly calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diseases natural to Potentates Ver. 8. It was planted in a good soil He was well enough if he could have kept him so O fortunatos homines bona si sua norint But discontent enjoyeth nothing Zedekiah liketh not to be a vine he must be a Cedar Aut Caesar aut nullus Ver. 9. Shall it prosper How should it say Hath ever any waxed fierce against God or his substitute and prospered Job 9.4 Is perfidy and perjury the right way to prosperity I trow not Shall he not pull up He that is the great Eagle ver 3. who would be upon them before they were aware Without great power or many people i. e. For any great need there shall be of them sith the work shall be done with little adoe If the Chaldaeans were but a few and they all wounded men they should yet rise up and burn this City saith Jeremy See 2 Chron. 24.23 24. It s no hard matter we know to pluck up a vine root and branch God telleth us in the next verse that he can do it with a wind with a wet finger as we say Ver. 10. Shall it not utterly wither As Jonah's gourd did when smitten with a worm as Phocas his wall came down with a witnesse because built upon mines of gunpowder sin lay at the bottom as One told him which being once fired would blow up all When the East-wind toucheth it Which is very hurtful to Vines saith Columella As all creatures so the winds are Gods Agents as to purge the air Rupertus calleth them the beesoms of the air and to refresh mens spirits so to execute many of Gods Judgements upon his rebels as here Aliorum perditio nostra sit cautio Let other mens destruction be our instruction It shall wither in the furrows where it grew i. e. In Egypt where it rained not but was all watered by furrows drawn from Nilus to run into all their fields Here this vine should thrive one would think if anywhere viz. in moist and fat furrows but it could not because blasted by Gods curse Ver. 11. Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me saying God had one saying more to this rebellious house by way of Explication here and another of Application for Comfort and Encouragement to the better sort among them ver 22 23 24. Ver. 12. Know ye not what these things mean q. d. T is much you should not there is no such great difficulty in the parable but that ye are self-blinded and will not see far of either your wits serve you not in the things of God or if they do you will make believe otherwise Are ye not therefore rightly called a rebellious house Tell them For their learnings and that they may be left without excuse See on ver 4. Ver. 13. And hath taken an oath of him An oath of allegiance Heb. hath brought him into an execration or an oath with cursing that he shall be true and loyal to him and hold his Kingdom of him as his Leigh-Lord and pay him tribute This though we find not in the books of Kings yet from what we here find we are sure it was so Ver. 14. That the Kingdom might be base The mighty of the land being taken away as ver 13. and the spirits of the rest imbased by burdens and oppressions in their estates and liberties But that by keeping of his Covenant The breach whereof was the break-neck of the State as it hath been of many others and will be shortly of the Turks who hold that there is no faith to be kept with dogs that is with Christians and of the Popes who hold that there is no faith to be kept with keretikes that is with Protestants And for all others it is written by an Italian no stranger to the Court of Rome that their proverb is Mercatorum est non regum stare juramentis that it is for Merchants and not for Monarches to stand to their oathes Shall
as she saw them with her eyes Here began the mischief Vt vidi ut perii O culi sunt in amore duces Many have dyed of the wound in the eye And sent messengers unto them Being themselves therefore not long after sent into captivity unto them that they might have enough of them Ver. 17. Into the bed of love Or of brests which are the symboles of love and seats of delight as Naturalists note See Prov. 6.19 and 7.18 And her mind was alienated from them Heb. loosed or disjoynted to do at another while upon the Egyptians Etiam vota post usum fastidia sunt Ver. 18. Then my mind was alienated from her So Jer. 6.8 See there Ver. 19. In calling to minde the sins of her youth This was to recommit them because she remembred them with delight It argueth an unmortified frame when recalling former evil acts proveth a snare Ver. 20. Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses qui sunt bene mentulati honâ—s sit auribus qui semine abundant Commodus the Emperour who had never a good property in him was for this called the Asse as Hierom noteth Circum fluunt exundant omni scelere impietate copiosissiâ—e And whose issue is as the issue of horses Fluxus equorum est fluxus corum that is they are extreamly libidinous and superstitious so that there is no ho with them Ver. 21. Thus thou calledst to remembrance See ver 19. Ver. 22. Therefore O Aholibah Flagitium flagellum sunt ut acus filum Sin and punishment are unseparable companions they are tyed together with chaines of Adamant Ver. 23. Pekod and Shoah and Koa The inhabitants of these several countryes subject to the Babylonians See Jer. 50.21 Kâ—a is by Strabo called Gaugamela Ver. 24. I will set judgement before them i. e. I will put thee into their hands to be punished And they shall judge thee according to their judgement Without mixture of mercy whereas I use in the midst of judgement to remember mercy Rhodigin l. 24. cap. 45. Pet. Damiaen l. 1. ep 21. Ver. 25. And they shall take away thy nose and thine eares He seemeth to allude to the custome of the Egyptians which was to cut off the nose and the eares of the adulteresse John a certain Antipope was served in like sort by the Romans Paul the second deserved to be so served of whom it is recorded that he was so proud that he painted his face to please his Concubine and that he was once in a mind to have taken to himself the name of Formosus Jac. Rev. de vit Pont. but that he thought it was ominous because his predecessour of that name came to so ill an end Ver. 26. They shall also strip thee out of thy cloaths Wherein thou hast so much prided thy self And take away thy fair jewels Instrumenta mundi tui the instruments of thy decking Isa 3. Ver. 27. Then will I make thy leudnesse to cease from thee Thy prepensed wickednesse This benefit thou shalt reap and receive of thine enemies cruelty Nor remember Egypt Without regret Ver. 28. I will deliver thee God hath an holy hand in all the evils that befall his people by whomsoever Ver. 29. And they shall deal with thee hatefully As ill as the wit of malice can devise to do All thy labour i. e. All that thou hast laboured for Oh lay up grace qua nec â—ripi nec surripi potest And the nakednesse of thy whoredoms Nuditas tua scortationibus dedita Piscar Ver. 30. Thou art polluted with their idols Whereby thou thoughtest to have purged away thy sins as Papists also do but it proveth otherwise Ver. 31. Therefore will I give her cup into thine hand An allusion to the manner of feasts whereat the Symposiarch or Governour gave every guest his cup fitly tempered God is the great Modimperator Ver. 32. Thou shalt drink of thy sisters cup deep and large Yea though it have eternity to the bottom Ver. 33. Thou shalt be filled with drunkennesse and sorrow That dry drunkennesse ut si catapotium bibas Ver. 34. And thou shalt break the sheards thereof i. e. Of the cup which thou shalt cast away with utmost indignation but thou hast thy bane And pluck of thine own breast For a revenge of thy fornication therewith committed Ver. 35. Because thou hast forgotten me This was the source of all their sins and cause of all their calamities And cast me behind thy back As an harlot loatheth her husband It is laid to Davids charge that in that foul fall of his he had despised Gods Commandement 2 Sam. 12.9 Ver. 36. Wilt thou judge See chap. 20 4. 22.2 Ver. 37. And blood is in their hands Adultery is the devils nest-egge and causeth many sins to be laid one to and upon another as here murther idolatry c. To devour them Not only to purge and to dedicate them Ver. 38. They have defiled my sanctuary in the same day When they had done evil as they could they exercised mine external worship that they might seem religious So Isa 66.3 Ver. 39. For when they had slain When their hands were full of blood and even reaking hot therewith This was detestable impudency Then they came the same day into my Sanctuary Citra conscientiam Eras ep lib. 16. ad obtrect as if they had done God good service So Erasmus telleth of a fierce Frier Augustin of Antwerp who openly in the Pulpit there Preaching to the people wished that Luther were present that he might bite out his throat with his teeth Fiducia in federibus so doing he would nothing doubt to resort to the altar with the same bloody teeth and receive the body of Christ Ver. 40. Ye have sent for men Ye have trusted to forrein forces and carnal combinations For whom thou didst wash thy self Omnino te comparas ut Thais impudentissima ad pelliciendos inescandos amatores thou hast acted the whore to the life to inveigle thy paramours Ver. 41. And satest For entertainment-sake Whereupon thou hast set mine incense So fighting against me as it were with mine own weapons and abusing my best gifts to my greatest dishonour contrary to Prov. 3.9 Ver. 42. And a voyce of a multitude being at ease Or being jolly and jocund as at brothelhouses And with the men of the common sort Heb. to the men the basest and most abject people also were taken into confederacy even Arabians Ethiopians Tartars so cheap didst thou make thy self so fond wast thou of their fopperies Ver. 43. To her that was old in adulteries Inveteratae detritae withered and oreworn And she with them Is she as Helena was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same still no changeling yet Ver. 44. Yet they went in unto her They committed idolatry without mean or measure being wofully hardened and habituated therein Ver. 45. And the righteous men So the Chaldees are called because
fat pastures Those that are well watered and most fruitful God must have the very best of the best and that on pain of an heavy curse Mal. 1.14 Ver. 16. For the Prince i. e. Upon a levy made by the Prince for that purpose Of these oblations prefiguring Evangelical sacrifices the use followeth chap. 46.4 it being first premised what the Prince should do over and above these offerings of wheat barley oyl and lambes Ver. 17. He shall prepare the sin-offering Or he shall offer so some render it and apply it to Christ so ver 22. This Prince then is withal a Priest of the tribe of Judah Oecol See Psal 110 4. Heb. 7.11 12 c. to the end Heb. 8.1 2 3 4 5 6. Non mirum quod hic haereant Judaei here the Jews are puzzled Ver. 18. Thou shalt take Thou O Prince shalt A young bullock One and no more ut unitas singularis sacrificii Christi intimaretur Ver. 19. And put it upon the postes This and other ceremonies were not enjoyned by the Law of Moses The Jews cannot tell what to say to it they will not see that old things are past and all things become new Ver. 20. And so thou shalt This also is a new injunction see ver 19. and very comfortable to those that sin of passion or precipitancy See 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Ver. 21. In the fourteenth day Upon that very day not only observed then by the Jews was Christ our Passeover sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 Ver. 22. Shall the Prince prepare See ver 17. Ver. 23. A burnt-offering In token of self-denial Ver. 24. A meat-offering Made of meale in token of mortification and submission to God in all things Ver. 25. In the feast of the seven dayes i. e. Of Tabernacles wont to be of eight dayes Lev. 23.34 35. Quam sunt nova omnia Of Pentecost here is no mention at all CHAP. XLVI Ver. 1. THus saith the Lord God In this chapter are set forth rationes ritus the laws and rites that were to be observed by Prince and people in offering their sacrifices It is the manner of performance that maketh or marreth any duty there may be malum opus in bona materia ill work in a good matter The gate of the inner court Of the Priests court That looketh toward the East That pointeth to Christ the day-spring from on high the Sun of righteousness who shineth sweetly upon such as rightly sanctifie the Sabbath and shall much more when they come to rest with him in heaven Shall be shut the six working dayes Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work Neither doth this binder holinesse as the Abby-lubbers pretend but further it 1. By preventing temptation 2. By nourishing experience of Gods bounty and providence 3. By filling the heart with objects of heavenly thoughts 4. By stirring up to prayer and praise for each dayes mercyes But on the Sabbath it shall be opened That the people may see Christ in the glasse of the ceremonies and call upon his name We under the Gospel have a clearer light and free accesse on Lords-dayes especially and other times of holy meetings Ver. 2. And shall stand by the post of the gate Waiting at the posts of the gates of wisdom Prov. 8.34 Constantine the Great stood up constantly at the time of Gods publike worship for honour sake So did our Edward the sixth Then he shall go forth And the people come in ver 3. whose souls are as precious to God as his But the gate shall not be shut untill the evening The gate is open till the evening be ready therefore when the Bridegrom is once gone in the gate is shut and fools excluded Matth 25. Ver. 3. Likewise the people of the land The meanest of his subjects if faithful may have as near accesse to God as himself Ver. 4. Six lambs without blemish This was a larger sacrifice then Moses had appointed Num. 28.9 Christians have more cause then Jews had to sanctify the Sabbath as that for the New-moons ver 6. was lesser See Num. 28.11 Hereby it appeareth that God was about to abrogate the Mosaical worship and the Levitical Priesthood Lex enim posterior derogat priori This the Jew-doctours would fain say something to but cannot tell what The wit of these miscreants reprobat concerning the faith will better serve them to divise a thousand shifts to elude the truth then their obstinacy will suffer them once to yield and acknowledge it Ver. 5. As he shall be able to give Heb. the gift of his hand some render it according as it shall be given unto his hand i. e. As God shall put into his heart to give and here he is not tyed as in the Law to such a proportion but left to his Christian liberty Ver. 6. And in the day of the New-moon Which pointed them to the coming of Christ by whom all things are become new It shall be a young bullock It was wont to be two See on ver 4. And six lambs and a ram To signify saith Rabanus that as it is necessary for us to keep the Sabbath so it is likewise that we rely upon Christ for expiation as of our week-dayes sins so also of those that we fall into even on that holy-day Ver. 7. An Ephah for a bullock This was to shadow out saith Polanus the Communion of the Saints with Christ and that Christ offereth and presenteth his Church with himself and in himself to God the Father According as his hand shall attain unto i. e. As he is able and willing for God straineth upon none Ver. 8. He shall go in by the way of the porch This was the Princes Priviledge that as likewise the Priests he might go in and go out at the same East-gate It is fit that the Word and Sword should hold together and that Magistrates and Ministers shoul be singular in holinesse Ver. 9. Shall go out the way of the South-gate For more easy passage sake The Jewes at this day depart out of the Synagogue with their faces still toward the Ark like Crabs going backward in such a multitude of people But withal to teach us many things as 1. Not to turn our backs upon the holy Ordinances 2. To make straight paths for our feet Heb. 12.13 not looking back with Lot's wife Luke 17.32 not longing for the Onions of Egypt as those rebels in the wildernesse but advancing forward with St. Paul Philip. 3.13 14. looking forth-right Prov. 4.25 having our eye upon the mark and making dayly progresse toward perfection 3. That our memories are frail and here we shall meet with many things that will withdraw us from thinking upon God 4 That our life is but short a very passage from one gate to another where to go back i. e. To adde any thing to our lives it is not granted sith our time is limâ—ted Job 14.3 Acts 17.26 and we are all hastening to our long
shadow Psal 39.6 Ye shall be cut in pieces Practisers of unjust flatteries do oft meet with unjust frowns Ver. 6. Ye shall receive of me gifts and reward This was that they gaped after but missed of and therefore out of envy called not Daniel and his companions as some think lest they should share with them And great honour Great learning deserveth great honour Aeneas Sylvius was wont to say that popular men should esteem it as silver Noblemen as gold Princes prize it as pearles Ver. 7. They answered again and said Let the King c. Thus these proud boasters vaunt of a false gift and become like clouds without rain as Solomon hath it Prov. 25.14 See ver 4. Ver. 8. I know of certainty There 's no halting afore a cripple Politicians can sound the depth of one another Dan. 11.27 That ye would gain the time Chald. buy or redeem it that is make your advantage of it to evade the danger And indeed if these sorcerers could have gained longer time much might have been done for either the King might have dyed or been employed in war or pacified by the mediation of friends c. Time oft cooleth the rage of hasty men as 1 Sam. 25.33 How Hubere de Burgo Earl of Kent escaped the Kings wrath by a little respite see Godwins catalogue of Bish p. 193. Ver. 9. There is but one decree for you But that was a very tyrannical and bloody one T is dangerous to affront great men though in a just cause Eccles 10.4 Saevum praelustri fulmen ab arce venit Ovid. Procul à culmine◠procul à fulmine Till the time be changed The Latine hath it till there be another state of things See on ver 8. Tell me the dream and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof If you cannot tell it surely you cannot interpret it sith they are both of a divine instinct and nothing is hid from God Ver. 10. There is not a man upon earth Yes there is But this is the guise of worldly wisdom fingit se scire omnia excusat ac ocoulit suam ignorantiam it would seem to know all things and to be ignorant of nothing that is within the periphery of humane possibility Ver. 11. And it is a rare thing Exceeding mans wit Except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh They cohabit not with men that we might converse and confer with them Here these wisards 1. Superstitiously affirm a multitude of gods which the wiser heathens denyed Thales Pythagoras Socrates Plato Chrysippus c. 2. They deny Gods Providence as did also the Epicures who held that the gods did nothing out of themselves The Peripatetikes also held that they had nothing to do with things below the Moon yea the Platonists and Stoikes placed the gods in heaven only and other spirits good and bad in the aire which conversed with men and were as messengers betwixt them and the gods Thus these famous Philosophers became altogether vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Rom. 1.21 3. They seem to affirm that man can know nothing of God unless he cohabited in the flesh with him But we have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 this is a Paradox to the natural man 1 Cor. 2.14 Lastly they deny the incarnation of Christ that great mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Joh. 1.14 Ver. 12. For this cause the King was angry and very furious A cutting answer may mar a good cause Prov. 15.1 See on ver 9. And commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon So rash is rage it is no better then a short madness Cicero Sed de vita hominis nulla potest esse satis diuturna cunctatio saith the Orator In case of life and death nothing should be determined without mature deliberation for like as Saturn the highest of the planets hath the slowest motion of them all Willet So saith one should Princes which sit in their high thrones of Majesty be most considerate in their actions Ver. 13. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain And the wise men were slain saith the Vulgar Latine some of them likely were cut off The end of worldly wisdom is certain destruction And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain Wicked decrees are wrested to the butchery of the Saints as was that of the six Articles here in Henry the eighths dayes Tremel Ver. 14. Then Daniel answered with counsel Retulit consilium causam he conferred with Arioch the chief slaughterman giving him good reasons wherefore to defer further execution This good turn he did for the Magicians and Astrologers who were his utter enemies Ver. 15. Why is the decree so hasty from the King Daniel though now in danger of his life forgetteth not his old freedom of speech and God so wrought that the King who was stiffe to the Magicians was tractable to Daniel ver 16. Ver. 16. Then Daniel desired the King to give him time Not to study or deliberate but to pray with fervency and perseverance which is the best help to find out secrets Jer. 33.3 And that he would shew the King the interpretation Beatus ait Plato qui etiam in senectute veritatem consequitur he is happy who findeth out the truth though it be long first saith Plato Ver. 17. Then Daniel went to his house A house then he had though he had lost house and home for God and thither he repaireth as to his Oratory well perfumed with prayers And made the thing known to Ananiah c. That they also might pray setting sides and shoulders to the work as country men do to the wheel when the cart is stalled Ver. 18. That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven All Gods children can pray Cant. 5.8 Those daughters of Jerusalem though not so fully acquainted with Christ yet are requested to pray for the Church But these three were men of singular abilities no doubt and were themselves deeply concerned Concerning this secret In case of secrets and intricacies or riddles of Providence prayer is most seasonable as being Tephillah the usual Hebrew word for prayer a repair to the Lord for enquiry or for his sentence Gen. 25.22 23. Ver. 19. Then was the secret revealed Oh the power of joynt prayer It seldom or never miscarrieth Act. 4. while the Apostles were praying together the house where they prayed shook to shew that heaven it self was shaken and God overcome by such batteries Alb. Mag. In a night vision Vigilia noctis as he watched in the night for he watched as well as prayed Eph. 6.18 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven Who had not turned away his prayer nor his mercy from him Psal 66. ult They that pray heartily shall never want matter of praise
tree with many spreading boughs one of them being cut off with this Posy Vno avulso non deficit alter but here it was otherwise Pintus in loc Ver. 15. Neverthelesse leave the stump of his roots Which having life still in it may shoot out again Even with a band of iron and brasse Hic ab arbore desilit Angelus ad personam this band intimateth Nebuchadnezzar's madnesse for mad folk use to be bound Let his portion be with the beasts Turn him a grazing among beasts for his beastly conditions Ver. 16. Let his heart be changed i. e. Obbrutescat nihil humanum sapiat a fearful judgement and yet such as reprobates are usually delivered up to Rom. 1.24 And let a beasts heart be given him Let his Phantasy and appetite he so changed that upon a strong imagination that he is a beast he may have affections carrying him in all things to do accordingly Little is said of this in humane history The Chaldee Chronicles are lost Alpheus as he is cited by Eusebius briefly saith Lib. 9. de â—iaepar Ev. that Nebuchadnezzar rapt with madnesse presently vanished out of the company of men after that he had first foretold the overthrow of the Chaldaean Monarchy The Chaldaeans in Abidenus fragments record that he was blasted by some god Brought Conc. of Script and spake of Babel's fall by the Persians And let seven times to passe over him i. e. Seven years like as Solomon's Temple that seven years work of many thousands was by him destroyed Ver. 17. This matter is by the decree of the watchers i. e. Of God surrounded with his holy Angels as his Assessours and Approvers of the divine Decree And the demand by the Word of the holy Ones Petitio haec sc that the tree may be cut down It is hereby intimated saith Piscator that the Angels in the consultation held for the punishing of Nebuchadnezzar's pride petitioned God that it might be so Ver. 18. This dream I King Nebuchadnezzr have seen Such as would have resolution must fully relate their doubts Gen. 41.17 Ver. 19. Then Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar Which name he took no felicity at all in but the contrary Neverthelesse for the Chaldaeans sake in whose tongue he wrot these things and at whose good he therein aimed he here addeth it Was astonished for an hour So was not Nebuchadnezzar who was the man concerned Ea fere est improborum securitas the godly who have lesse cause are affrighted oft when the wicked are hardened See Habak 3.16 with the Note Brad. But they who tremble not in time of threatning shall be crushed to pieces in time of punishing My Lord the dream be to them that hate thee Daniel after a certain pause makes this mannerly preamble to the interpretation of the dream which could not be very pleasing But truth must be spoken however it be taken So Philo brings in Joseph prefacing to the interpretation of Pharaoh's Bakers dream Vtinam tale somnium non vidisses c. I would Sir you had not so dreamed but sith you have I must deal plainly with you Ver. 20. The tree that thou sawest See on ver 11. Ver. 21. Whose leaves were fair See on ver 12. Vnder which the beasts of the field dwelt c. A King should to all his subjects high and low extend his favour according to every ones quality and degree Ver. 22. It is thou O King i. e. It is that great Empire which thou holdest and rulest Ver. 23. And whereas the King c. See ver 13. Hâ—w the tree down Sin ever endeth tragically Yet leave the stump Reserve him for a kingly state again like as he had left a stump in Judah spared the kingly seed shewed pitty to the remnant of the Lord. The least favour that is shewed to the godly shall be repayed double Jer. 34.17 Ver. 24. This is the interpretation See ver 19. Ver. 25. That they shall drive thee He saith not who whether Angels or men nor whither for avoiding of envy and displeasure thâ—s was an high point of heavenly wisdom which adviseth to observe Quis quid ubi quibus auxiliis cur quomodò quando Nebuchadnezzar who had driven so many before him out of their Countries is now by a just Judgement of God himself driven out from company left being mad he should do much mischief for his brutish conditions he had now the bruits for his companions He was wont to be fed with dainty fare he now eateth grass as an Ox for his purple robe horrido pilo totus obtegitur he is all covered with hair Oecâ—l Dâ—od and for his precious ointments he is wet with the dew of heaven ferinae vitae damnatus His disease say some was the Lycanthropy not a phrensy only as that of Ericus King of Swethland who being expeld his Kingdom for grief fell mad for beâ—â—des the brutish change of his mind Willet his body was much changed in feeding and living among wild beasts deformed he was not transformed so that the beasts took him for a beast as going upon all four and feeding as they did although in shape differing from them as a monster amongst them But when all is said that can be said Huâ—t sure it is that this change was supernatural as appeareth by the occasion manner degree time c. every circumstance seeming a new creation And seven times shall passe over thee For the glory of Gods Justice in his expulsion and of his Mercy in his Restauration See ver 16. Till thou know God will be sure to tame his rebels for is it fit that he should lay down the bucklers first Ver. 26. And whereas they commanded See ver 15. and further observe how God tempereth his Judgements with mercy and that out of his mere Philanthropy That the heavens i. e. The God of heaven Luke 15.21 Mat. 21.25 Ver. 27. Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable unto thee Happy was Nebuchadnezzar in such a faithful counsellor at hand to advise him more happy then his successors Cyrus and Cambyses were in Croesus King of Lydia who yet more enriched them by his counsel then by all the wealth they had from him But Nebuchadnezzar was as yet uncounsellable till God had tamed and humbled him Anticipa judicium ejus verâ rescâ—piscentiâ Jun. Break off thy sins by righteousnesse Be abrupt in the work for delayes are dangerous Heb. 3.7 13. cut the cart-ropes of vanity as soon as may be lest they pull down upon us heaviest judgements For the diversion of Gods anger get sin removed take the bark from the tree and the sap can never find the way to the boughs And thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Nebuchadnezzar had been an open oppressor Daniel therefore preacheth unto him of righteousnesse and mercy So Paul discoursed of righteousnesse and temperance and the Judgement to come Acts 24.25 before Felix who was inexplebilis gurges saith