by and heard it with as much confidence as if he were but travelling to the next town When the overflowing scourge shall pass thorough to sweep away such as are drowned in drunkenness and dread no danger It shall not come to us whatever the Prophets prate let them say as they please we will believe as we list For we have made lyes our refuge a poor refuge for tenue mendacium pellucot lyes are so thin they may be seen thorough but it may be that they called their false refuges lyes not because they held them so but because the Prophets called them so whereas to themselves they seemed prudent counsels Ver. 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God This is purposely prefaced for the support of the faithful when they should hear the ensuing dreadful denunciations and see them executed We cannot beat the dogs but the children will be ready to cry For a foundation a stone firm and fast opposed here to the fickle stayes and vain fastnesses of wicked worldlings this foundation-stone is Christ Rom. 9.33 10.11 not Hezekiah as the Jews would have it or Peter as the Papists see Peter to the contrary 1 Pet. 2.6 and Paul 1 Corinth 3.11 He that believeth shall not make haste viz. to help himself as he can sith God defers his help as did faithless Saul Ahaz these Jews ver 15. those Bethulians that set him a time and sent for him by a post as it were David staid Gods leasure for the Kingdom those in Esther for deliverance and those other in the Hebrews for the accomplishment of the promises Heb. 10.36 Hold out faith and patience We know not what we lose by making haste and not holding up our hand as Moses did to the going down of the Sun Ver. 17. Judgement also will I lay to the line Or I will set out judgement by line and justice by plummet that is I will proportion your punishments to your offences as it were by line and by level that the wicked may have their due and the godly sustain no dammage See 2 Kings 21.12 13. Amos 7.8 Calvin saith that by this expression borrowed from builders the Lord here sheweth that when the corner-stone before spoken off shall be laid the Church of the faithful built thereupon shall rise up to a fair and uniform built temple in the Lord according to Ephes 2.20 And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lyes Or shovel away or quasi furcillis extrudet shall fork away or burn up your vain confidences as he destroyed the Egyptians by hail mingled with fire And the waters see ver 15. Mat. 7.27 Ver. 18. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled See ver 15. They made a covenant with death and hell but death and hell make no covenant with them God shall shoot at such with an arrow suddenly Psal 64.7 and when they shall say peace and safety then shall suddain destruction come upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 Thus it befell the rich fool Luk 12. Alexander the great whom his parasites flattered into a fond conceit of an immortality and Pope Sylvester the second who dealt with the Devil for the Popedom and was perswaded by him that he should never dye till he sang Mass in Jerusalem but when he saw how he was cheated and that he must dye he cryed out Ah miser aeternâ—s vado damnatus ad ignes Ver. 19. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you this was opposed to their fond conceit of impunity or at least immunity for a long season ver 15. the most secure are soonest surprized And it shall be a vexation c. Vexatio dabit intellectum Luther after the Vulgar rendreth it sententiam Prophetae non male exprimens See chap. 26.9 The Cross is the best Tutor Ver. 20. For the bed is short Here the Prophet seemeth to some to threaten them for their lectulorum luxus Amos 6.4 their beds of ivory whereon when well whittled they once stretcht themselves at full length and slept out their drunkenness but when brought to Babylon the case should be otherwise with them Diodate faith that these are figurative and proverbial terms importing that all means and devices they can use will no way defend them Gods wrath is such as none can avert or avoid Ver. 21. As in Mount Perazim See 2 Sam. 5.20 God usually sitteth amidst his people in his mercy-seat or throne of grace neither ariseth he to punish them till much provoked and then he may possibly deal as severely with them as he did with the Philistines at mount Perazim or with the Amorites in the valley of Gibeon Josh 10.10 But then he doth his work his strange work and brings to pass his act his strange act i. e. that which is neither his wont nor his delight Lam. 3.33 Mic. 7.18 Ezek. 33.11 To fall foul upon his people by his plagues and judgements goeth as much against the heart with him as against the hair with them And besides by doing this his strange work he maketh way for the doing of his own proper work 1 Cor. 11.32 Ver. 22. Now therefore be ye not mâ—ckers for those are the worst of men ver 14. Pests the Septuagint commonly render them Abjects and castawayes David calleth them and yet they proudly disdain others and far their betters as thimbles full of dust and the goodly braveries of their scorn But shall they escape by this iniquity shall they carry it away so In no wise for Ne vincula vestra invalescant Their bands shall be made strong their sorrows shall be multiplyed and they shall have more load of miseries and mischiefs laid upon them though now they mock at Gods menaces as uttered in terrorem only for fray-bugs and at his Ministers as false Prophets Among many other memorable examples of Gods judgements upon such out of Gods blessed book the Acts and Monuments of the Church and other Histories Nicholas Hemingius relateth a story of a lewd fellow in Denmark Anno Christi 1550. which usually made a mock at Religion and the professors of it and on a time coming into a Church where a godly Minister was preaching by his countenance and gestures shewed a great contempt against the Word but as he passed out of the Church a tyle fell upon his head and slew him in the place How much more mercifully dealt Almighty God with that Miller in Lecestershire who sitting in an Alehouse on a Sabbath day with one of his companions said to him I hear that bawling Hooker is come to Town let us go and hear him we shall have excellent sport and accordingly they went on purpose to jeer him But it pleased God the Sermon so wrought upon him that being pricked at the heart Mr. Clark from Mr. White Jun. he went to Mr. Hooker intreating him to tell him what he might do to be saved and afterwards
Prophets Panegyrick to the Church saith Hyperius by way of congratulation for her felicity and dignity in Christ her head and husband as also his resolution to be earnest and importunate with God and men for her deliverance and restitution Terentius that noble General under Valens the Emperour aâ—ked nothing but that the Church might be freed from Arrians and when the Emperour tore his Petition he said that he would never ask any thing for himself if he might not prevail for the Church Vntil the righteousnesse thereof go forth as brightnesse Till Christ come in the flesh if I should live so long as long as I have any being howsoever See the like 1 Tim. 6.14 and after that by my writings which shall continue to the worlds end Ver. 2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse The Prophet here very artificially turneth his speech to the Church her self as if he would pronounce his Panegyrick in her presence and presently celebrateth her dignity and happiness herein that the Gentiles should worship her and be joyned unto her Some read it And the Gentiles shall see thy righteous one i. e. Christ who came of the Jews was preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the world received up to glory 1 Tim. 3.16 And thou shalt be called by a new name Viz. Hephzibah i. e. My darling and Beulah i. e. a married woman ver 4. There are that by this new name will have to be understood the name of sons and daughters of the Almighty Rev. 2.17 2 Cor. 6. ult Others the name of the Church Catholick And others again the honourable name of Christians which yet is at this day in Italy and at Rome a name of reproach Fulk â—hâ—m Test on Act. 11. and usually abused to signifie a Fool or a Dolt as Dr. Fulk proveth out of their own Authours Ver. 3. And thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord Or a glorious crown by the hand the good hand of the Lord upon thee The Saints are Gods glory chap. 46.13 the house of his glory ch 60.7 a crown of glory and a royal diadem here the throne of glory Jer. 4.21 the ornament of God Ezek. 7.20 the beauty of his ornament and that also set in Majesty ib. Oh learn and labour to live up to such high preferment Ver. 4. But thou shalt be called Hephzibah i. e. My delight is in her as if Christ should say to his Church as Judg. 14.3 Tu mihi sola places Ovid. de Arte Am. Redameuâ—us ergo sponsum thou art mine only joy The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him Psal 147.11 Let us reciprocate love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity not only with a love of Desire as Psal 42.1 3. but also of Delight and complacency solacing our selves in the fruition of him as Psal 16.5 6. and of his people those excellent ones of the earth who were Davids Hephzibam ver 3. in whom was all his delight Ver. 5. For as a young man marrieth a Virgin so shall thy Sons marry thee This translation saith one who preferreth the Vulgar The young man shall dwell with the Virgins marreth the sense sith it is improper to say of sons that they shall marry their mother But I say that the Church never flourisheth more than when the son marrieth the mother and doth his utmost to beautifie and amplifie her See 2 Cor. 11.2 And as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall thy God rejoyce over thee Communicating with our souls his sweetest favours in his Ordinances as in the Bridal-bed and making us to be conceived with the fruits of righteousnesse to everlasting life It is therefore a most unworthy thing that men should go a whoring from under him Hos 4.12 and seek to themselves among the creatures alias delieias amasias other sweet-hearts Ver. 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls i. e. Angels say some who are called watchers Dan. 4.13 33. See the Note there Prophets and Pastors say others who are as watchmen upon the walls to admonish thee by their preaching and to preserve thee by their prayers to God Chap. 21.11 Ezek. 13.17 and 31.7 Which shall never hold their peace Never but be either praying or preaching as Act. 6.4 Deut. 33.10 Austin desired that death might find him aut precantem aut praedicantem Of Pauls uncessancy see Act. 20.31 1 Thes 3.10 Ye that make mention of the Lord Or ye that are the Lords rememberancers that jogge him as it were and mind him of his peoples necessities and miseries The Kings of Israel Persia and of other Nations had their Mazkirim or Remembrancers to mind them of those matters that concerned the weale publick and to these he here alludeth All the Saints are such-like Officers and must be active Keep not silence Be still suing and soliciting Ver. 7. And give him no rest Heb. no silence the same word as before to quicken their diligence and to set forth the necessity of the work Continue instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 give not in but persevere without remission or intermission Till he establish till he make Jerusalem a praise Till he send the Messiah who may restore Zion set up and illustrate his Church c. Such lawful petitions from honest hearts have unmiscarrying returnes Ver. 8. The Lord hath sworn by his right hand i. e. By his Almighty power or as Oecolampadius holdeth by his Son by whom he made the worlds and upholdeth all things Heb. 1.2 3. Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies Or if I do yet I will give you to suffer with joy the spoyling of your goods as knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10 34. Spiritual security and safety from the devil and all the enemies of our souls is also signified by this similitude of protection against corporal enemies and plunderers saith Piscator Ver. 9. But they that have gathered it shall eat it A sufficiency of outward comforts they shall be sure of together with righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost so much at least as shall support their spirits Mr. Paul Bain saith thus of himself I thank God in Christ Sustentation I have Baines letters but suavities spiritual I taste not any Shall drink it in the courts of my holinesse He alludeth to their manner of feasting before the Lord when they brought thank offerings and the like is still done by us at the Eucharist or Lords supper especially Ver. 10. Go thorow go thorow the gates Thus the Prophet bespeaketh the Teachers and Keepers of the Church with great alacrity of Spirit and most ardent affection being as it were in a spiritual rapture That which he exhorteth them to do is rightly and faithfully to teach the people and next to take out of the way stumbling-blocks as chap. 57.14 such as are heresies foul offences c. to the
It is reported of a worthy Divine of Scotland Zacheus convert preface that hee did even eat and drink and sleep eternal life This is to walk with God this is to live by Faith this is to see him that is invisible Moses his optick this is to go the upper way even that way of life that is above to the wise that hee may depart from Hell beneath Prov. 15.24 See the Note there And hee shall direct thy paths As hee carefully chose out the Israelites way in the wilderness not the shortest but yet the safest for them So will God do for all that make him their guide The Athenians had a conceit that their Goddesse Minerva turned all their evil counsels into good unto them The Romans thought that their Vibilia another heathenish Deity set them again in their right way when at any time they were out All this and more than this is undoubtedly done by the true God for all that commit their waies unto him and depend upon him for direction and success Loe this God is our God for ever and ever hee will bee our guide even unto death Psal 4â— 14 Vers 7. Bee not wise in thine own eyes Bis desipit qui sibi sâ—pit Hee is two fools that is wise in his own eyes This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 marres all Socrates his Hoc scio quod nihil scio gat him the name of the wisest among men Arachuâ— apud Ovid. Metamor lib. 6. Consilii satiâ— in me mihi is the proud mans posiâ— Hec that would bee wise must bee a fool that hee may bee wise 1 Cor. 3.18 Intus existens prohibet alienum A conceit of wisdome bars out wisdome Fear the Lord This makes a modest opinion of a mans self Joseph a man famous for the fear of God when Pharaoh expected from him an interpretation of his dream as having heard much of his skill It is not in mâ—â— said hee Gen. 41.16 God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace Loe hee extenuates his own gifts and ascribes all to God Wherefore suddenly after as Joseph had said to Pharaoh Without mee shall God make answer to Pharaoh so Pharaoh is heard say to Joseph Without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the Land of Egypt vers 44. So that here was exemplified that holy Proverbâ— Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life The Original runs thus By humility the fear of the Lord are riches c. There is no And in the Hebrew Humility and the fear of the Lord are so near akin this being the Mother of that as if the one were predicated of the other as if they were one and the same grace And depart from evil Another effect of this clean fear of God as David calleth it Psal 19.9 Cave spectat Caâ—o was a watch word among the Romans A reverend and religious man had these words following written before him in his study Noli peccare Nam Deus videt Angeli astant Diabolus accusabit Conscientia testabitur Infernus cruciabit Take heed of sin for God seeth thee Angels stand by thee the Devil will accuse thee thy Conscience will testifie against thee and Hell will torture thee Psal 134.4 Hos 3.5 But besides all this there is mercy with God that hee may bee feared and the children of Israel shall fear the Lord and his goodness Vers 8. It shall bee health to thy navel That is Thou shalt bee in good plight both for the outward and inward man Thy bones full of marrow thy breasts full of milk thy spirit also lively and lifted up in the waies of the Lord. And as it is with children in the womb for to these is the allusion here that by the navil nourishment is ministred unto them yea even to the strengthening of the inward parts So the godly in the Church are â—ed and bred by the Faith and fear of God And as without marrow in the bones Munster Mercer T. W and others in loc no part of man no not that which is of greatest value and force is able to do any thing So the strength that they have from God is as the marrow which strengtheneth the bones and maketh them apt to do good things And as a man that hath his bones filled with marrow and hath abundance of good blood and fresh spirits in his body hee can indure to go with less cloaths than another because hee is well lined within So it is with a heart that hath a great deal of grace and peace hee will go through difficulties and troubles though outward comforts fail him Act. Mon. fol. 1358. It is recorded of Mr. Saunders Martyr that himself should tell the party that lay in the same bed with him in prison that even in the time of his examination before Steven Gardiner hee was wonderfully comforted not onely in spirit but also in body hee received a certain taste of that holy Communion of Saints whilest a most pleasant refreshing did issue from every part and member of the body to the seat and place of the heart and from thence did ebbe and flow to and fro unto all the parts again Vers 9. Honour the Lord with thy substance Freely expending it in pious and charitable uses Exod. 25.19 Deut. 26.2 See the Notes there See also my common place of Almes Vers 10. So shall thy Barus bee filled The Jews at this day though not in their own Country Godw. Heb. Antiq. 277. Thegualer â—ischilshe the guasher nor have a Levitical Priest-hood yet those who will bee reputed Religious amongst them do distribute the tenth of their increase unto the poor being perswaded that God doth bless their increase the more for their usual Proverb is Decima ut dives fias Pay thy Tythes that thou mayest bee rich See the Note on Mat. 5.7 Vers 11. Despise not the chastening of the Lord Slight it not but sit alone Lam. 3.28 and consider Eccles 7.14 Some think it a goodly thing to bear out a cross by head and shoulders and wear it out as they may never improving it As a Dog that getting out of the water into which hee is cast shakes his cars or as a man that coming out of a shower of rain dryes again and all is as before Perdidistis fructum afflictionis saith Austin of such Scapethrifts Thus the proud Greeks having lost two Castles in Chersonesus Miserrimi facti estis pessimi permansistis Aug. de civit Dei l. 1. c. 33. Turk Hist fol. 185. taken from them by the Turks commonly said that there was but an Hogsty lost alluding to the name of that Country Whereas that was the first footing that the Turks got in Europe and afterwards possessed themselves of the Imperial City of Constantinople Shortly after Anno 1358. Callipolis also being lost the mad Greeks to extenuate the matter when they had any talk thereof in
they both seem and are wise whereas Spaniards seem wise and are fools French-men seem fools and are wise Portugals neither are wise nor so much as seem so Thus the Jesuites those great Clerks Politicians and Wisards of the world doe vaunt that the Church is the soul of the World the Clergie of the Church and they of the Clergie But what saith that great Apostle that knew more than twenty of them He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not hee that commendeth himself is approved no nor hee whom the world cries up for a wise man but he whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10.18 But he that is of a perverse heart As all are that are not heavenly-wise and that shew not out of a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdome Jam. 3.13 17. But so did none of those Heathen Sages Rom. 1.26 whom God for their unthankfulnesse gave up unto vile affections and vitious conversation and so set a Noveriâ—t Universi as it were upon them Know all men that these men know nothing aright and as they ought to know Rom. 1.22 professing themselves to be wise they proclaime themselves fools Vers 9. Better is he that is despised Viz. Of others and hath no extraordinary opinion of himself but sticks close to his business and hath help at hand when he pleases a servant at his beck and check This was the case of Galleacius Caracciolus that noble Marquesse in his exile at Geneva for conscience sake See his life set forth in English by Mr. Crashaw Than he that honoureth himself and lacketh bread That standing upon his Pantofles and boasting of his Gentility as those Spanish Hidalgoes ruffle it out in brave apparrel but hath not a penny in his purse yea not sometime food sufficient to put in his belly Spaniards are said to be impudent braggers and extreamly proud in the lowest ebbe of fortune If a Spaniard have but a Capon Hâ—yl Geog. or the like good dish to his supper you shall find the feathers scattered before his door the next morning Vers 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast There bee beasts ad usum ad esum Some are profitable alive not dead as the Dogge Horse c. Some dead not alive as the Hogge some both as the Oxe There is a mercy to be shewed to these dumb Creatures as wee see in Eleazar Gen. 24.32 And the contrary in Balaam who spurred his Asse till she spake Numb 22.27 Otherwise we shall make them groan under the bondage of our corruption Rom. 8.21 and he that hears the young Ravens may hear them for he is gracious Exod. 22. The restraint that was of eating the bloud of dead beasts declared that hee would not have tyranny exercised on them whiles they are alive But the tender mercies of the wicked If any such thing there were but they have no such bowels left with Judas no such tendernesse scarce common humanity Cannibal-like they eat up Gods people as they eat bread feeding upon them alive and by degrees and dealing by them as the cruel Spaniards doe by the Indians S. Fran. Drakes World encompass They suppose they shew the wretches great favour when they doe not for their pleasure whip them with cords and day by day drop their naked bodies with burning Bacon which is one of the least cruelties that they exercise toward them In the sixth Council of Toledo it was enacted that the King of Spain should suffer none to live within his Dominions that profess not the Roman Catholick Religion In pursuance of which Decree Philip King of Spain said he had rather have no Subjects than Protestants And out of a bloudy zeal suffered his eldest Son Charls to be murdered by the cruel Inquisition because he seemed to favour that profession When the Spaniards took Heidelberg they took Monsieur Mylius an ancient Minister and after they had abused his Daughter before his eyes tied a small cord about his head which with truncheons they wreathed about till they squeezed out his brains What should I speak of the French Massacres and late Irish immane and monstrous murthers equalling it not exceeding that at Athens taken by Sylla which yet saith Appian was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a merciless Massacre Or that of Prolomeus Lathurus King of Aegypt who slew thirty thousand Jews at once and forced the rest to feed upon the flesh of their slain fellows Or lastly that of the Jews committed upon the inhabitants of Cyrene whom they not only basely Butchered but afterwards ate their flesh drank their bloud and cloathed themselves with their Skins as Dio relates in the Life of Trajan the Emperour Vers 11. He that tilleth his Land shall be satisfied c. This is true of all other lawful Callings manual or mental the sweat of the brow or of the brain Sin brought in sweat Gen. 3.19 and now not to sweat increaseth sin Men must earn their bread before they eat it 2 Thess 3.12 and bee diligent in their Callings to serve God and Men themselves and others with the fatnesse and sweetnesse thereof and then they have the promise they shall be fed Psal 37.7 Dum de mor. But he that followeth vain persons c. It is hard to bee a good fellow and a good husband too Qui aequo animo malis immiscetur malus est saith one Hee that delights in bad company cannot be good Vers 12. The wicked desireth the net of evil men i. e. He so furiously pursueth his lusts as if he desired destruction as if he would out-dare God himself as if the guerdon of his gracelesness would not come time enough but hee must needs run to meet it Jun. in loc Thus Thrasonical Lamech Gen. 4.23 thinks to have the odds of God seventy to seven Thus the Princes of the Philistims whilome plagued came up to Mizpeh against Israel who were there drawing water 1 Sam. 7. i. e. weeping abundantly before the Lordâ— as it were to fetch their bane Thus Pope Julius the third will have his Pork-flesh al despito de dio And Doctor Story will curse Queen Elizabeth in his daily grace afore meat and yet say in open Parliament Act. Mon. 19â—5 that he saw nothing to bee ashamed of much lesse to be sorry for but that he had done no more against the Hereticks yea against the Queen her self in the dayes of her sister Mary This Story escaping out of Prison got to Antwerp and there received Commission under Duke D' Alva to search all ships coming thither for English books But one Parker an English Merchant trading to Antwerp laid his net fair to catch this foul bird causing secret notice to bee given to Story that in his ship were store of heretical books with other intelligences that might stand him instead The Canonist conceiving that all was cock-sure hasted to the ship where with looks very big upon the poor Mariners each
of Sacrifices Prov. 7.14 And hereunto Saint James seems to allude Chap. 5.5 Vers 2. A wise servant shall have rule over a Son c. God hath a very gracious respect unto faithful servants and hath promised them the reward of inheritance Col. 4.24 which properly belongs to Sons This falls out sometimes here as to Joseph Joshuah those subjects that married Salomons Daughters 1 King 4.10 14. but infallibly hereafter when they shall come from East and West to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven and to enter into their Masters joy but the children of the Kingdome shall bee cast out Mat. 8.11 12. Vers 3. The fining-pot is for silver c. God also hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 his conflatories and his crucibles wherein hee will refine his as silver is refined and try them as gold is tried Zech. 13.9 Not as if hee knew them not till hee had tried them for hee made them and therefore cannot but know them As Artificers know the several parts and properties of their works Sed tentat ut sciat id est ut scire nos faciat saith Augustin Hee therefore tries us that hee may make us know what is in us what drosse what pure metal and that all may see that wee are such as for a need can glorifie him in the very fires Isa 84.15 that the trial of our faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though tried in the fire may bee found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 Vers 4. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips It is an ill sign of a vicious nature to bee apt to beleeve scandalous reports of godly men If men loved not lyes they would not listen to them Some are of opinion that Solomon having said God tryeth the hearts doth in this and the two next following verses instance some particular sins so accounted by God which yet passe amongst men for no sins or peccadilloes at the utmost seeing no man seems to receive wrong by them such as these are to listen to lying lips to mock the poor to rejoyce at another mans calamity and the like Loe they that do thus though to themselves and others they may seem to have done nothing amisse yet God that tries the hearts will call them to account for these malicious miscarriages Vers 5. Hee that mocketh the poor c. See the Note on Chap. 14.31 And hee that is glad at calamities shall not bee unpunished Hee is sick of the Devils disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Job was not tainted with Chap. 31. as the Edomites Ammonites Philistims and other of Sions enemies Lam. 1. were How bitterly did the Jews insult over our Saviour when they had nailed him to the Crosse And in like sort they served many of the Martyrs worrying them when they were down as Dogs do other Creatures and shooting sharp arrows at them when they had set them up for marks of their malice and mischief Herein they deal like barbarously with the Saints as the Turks did with one John de Chabes a Frenchman Turk Hist fol. 756. at the taking of Tripolis in Barbary They cut off his hands and nose and then when they had put him quick into the ground to the waste they for their pleasure shot at him with their arrows and afterwards cut his throat Mr. John Deuly Martyr being set in the fire with the burning flame about him sang a Psalm Then cruel Doctor Story commanded one of the tormentours to hurl a faggot at him whereupon being hurt therewith upon the face Act. Mon. fol. 1530. that hee bled again hee left his singing and clapt both his hands upon his face Truly said Doctor Story to him that hurled the fagot Thou hast marred a good old song This Story being after the coming in of Queen Elizabeth questioned in Parliament for many foul crimes and particularly for persecuting and burning the Martyrs hee denied not but that hee was once at the burning of an Herewigge for so hee termed it at Uxbridge Ibid. 1918. where hee cast a faggot at his face as hee was singing of Psalms and set a winnebush of thorns under his feet a little to prick him c. This wretch was afterwards hanged drawn and quartered and so this Proverb was fulfilled of him Anno. 1571. Hee that is glad at calamities shall not bee unpunished Vers 6. Childrens children are the Crown of old men That is if they bee not children that cause shame as vers 2. and that disgrace their Ancestors stain their blood If they obey their Parents counsel and follow their good example for otherwise they prove not Crowns but corrosives to their aged Sires as did Esau Absolom Andronicus and others And the glory of children are their Parents If those children so well descended do not degenerate as Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Manasseh or rather of Moses as the Hebrews read it with a Nun suspensum Judg. 18.31 and as Elies Samuels and some of Davids sons did Heroum filii noxae Manasseh had a good Father but hee degenerated into his Grandfather Ahaz as if there had been no intervention of a Hezekiah So wee have seen the kernel of a well-fruited-plant degenerate into that crab or willow that gave the original to his stock But what an honour was it to Jacob that hee could swear by the fear of his Father Isaac To David that hee could in a real and heavenly complement say to his Maker Truly Lord I am thy servant â—â—am thy servant the son of thy handmaid Psal 116.16 To Timothy that the same Faith that was in him had dwelt first in his Mother Lois and his Grandmother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.15 To the children of the Elect Lady c. To Mark that hee was Barnabas his sisters son To Alexander and Rufus men mentioned onely Euseb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 15.21 but famously known in the Church to bee the sons of Simon of Cyrene To the sons of Constaintine the Great to come of such a Father whom they did wholly put on saith Eusebius and exactly resemble To bee descended of those glorious Martyrs and Confessors that suffered here in Queen Maries daies Vers 7. Excellent speech becometh not a fool A Nabal a sapless worthless fellow in whom all worth is withered and decayed qui nullas habet dicendi vires as Cicero hath it that can say no good except it bee by rote or at least by book what should hee do discoursing of high points God likes not fair words from a foul mouth Christ silenced the Devil Odi homineâ— ignava â— pâ—râ—â— philosopha sententia when hee confessed him to bee the Son of the most high God The leapers lips should bee covered according to the Law The Lacedemonians when a bad man had uttered a good speech in their Council-house liking the speech but not the speaker
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
Vers 20. Hear counsel and receive instruction Or correction Here hee directs his speech to the younger sort and exhorts them 1 To hear counsel that is to keep the Commandement as vers 16. 2 To receive correction of Parents as vers 18. as the onely way to sound and lasting wisdome For Vexatio dat intellectum Piscator ictus sapit Quae nocent docent c. Or Salomon may here bring in the Father thus lessoning his untoward childe whom hee hath lashed For to correct and not instruct is to snuff the Lamp but not poure in oyl to feed it Vers 21. There are many devises in a mans heart They may purpose but God alone disposeth of all See the Note on chap. 16.1.9 Some think to rise by ill principles but it will not bee Some to bee rich but God crosseth them and holds them to prisoners pittances to hard meat as wee say Some to live long and to enjoy what they have gotten but they hear Thou fool Luk. 12. this very night shall thy soul bee taken from thee c. Some set themselves to root out true Religion to dethrone the Lord Christ c. But God sees and smiles looks and laughs Psal 2. The counsel of the Lord that shall stand when all is done Christ shall reign in the midst of his enemies the stone cut out of the mountains without hands shall bring down the golden Image with a vengeance and make it like the chaff of the Summer-floor Dan. 2.35 Sciat Celfitudo vestra nihil dubitet saith Luther in a letter to the Electour of Saxony longè aliter in coelo quà m Noribergae de hoc negotio conclusum esse Scult Annal. Let your highness bee sure that the Churches business is far otherwise ordered in Heaven than it is by the Emperour and States at Norinberg And Gaud eo quod Christus Dominus est alioqui totus desperassem I am glad that Christ is King for otherwise I had been utterly out of heart and hope saith holy Myconius in a Letter to Calvin upon the view of the Churches enemies Vers 22. The desire of a man is his kindness Or his mercy Many have a great mind to bee held merciful men and vainly give out what they would do if they had wherewith and perhaps they speak as they think too this may bee one of those many devises those variae vanae cogitationes in the heart of a man vers 21. But the poor man is better than a liar For though hee hath nothing to give yet having a giving affection hee is better than a lyar that is than such a rich man who before hee was rich would brag what hee would do if hee were rich and yet now is a niggard Saturatus pernoctabit Hee shall not go supperless to bed Vers 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life c. Life saturity and security from evil from the hurt if not from the smart of it are all assured here to those that fear God Who would not then turn spiritual purchaser See Chap. 22.4 Vers 24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosome The Latines say Hee wraps it in his cloak Manum habet sub pallio Hee puts it in his pocket say wee Erewhiles wee had him fast asleep and here going about his business as if hee were still asleep so lazie that any the least labour is grievous to him hee can hardly finde in his heart to feed himself so to uphold the life of his hands which hee should maintain with the labour of his hands 2 Thess 3.10 and with the sweat of his brows Gen. 3. Very sucklings get not their milk without much tugging and tyring themselves at the Dug Vers 25. Smite a scorner and the simple will leware Alterius perditio tua sit cautio saith the Wise-man Seest thou another man shipwrackt look well to thy tackling Poena ad paucos c. Let but a few bee punished and many will bee warned and wised any will but the scorner himself who will not bee better though braid in a mortar This scorner may very well bee the sluggard mentioned in the former verse Smite him never so much there is no beating any wit into him Pharaoh was not a button the better for all that hee suffered but Jethro taking notice of Gods heavy hand upon Pharaoh and likewise upon the Amalekites was thereby converted and became a Proselyte as Rabbi Salomon noteth upon this Text. Vers 26. Hee that wasteth his father That spoileth pilfereth pillageth preyeth upon his father Not so much as saying with that Scape-thrift in the Gospel Luke 15. Give mee the portion that falls to my share Idleness and incorrigibleness lead to this wickedness as may appear by the context Vers 27. Cease my son to hear the instruction Beware of false Prophets Mat. 7.24 See the Note there Take heed also what books yee read for as water relisheth of the soil it runs through so do the soul of the Authors that a man readeth Vers 28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgement As if hee were out of the reach of Gods rod. Eccles 8. Psal 50. And because judgement is not presently executed therefore his heart is set in him to do wickedly hee looks upon God as an Abbettor of his perjury His mouth devoureth iniquity as some savoury morsel But know they not that there will bee bitterness in the end Let them but mark what follows Vers 29. Judgements are prepared for scorners For these scorners that promise themselves impunity are judgements not one but many not appointed onely but prepared long since and now ready to bee executed CHAP. XX. Vers 1. Wine is a mocker c. FOr first it mocks the Drunkard and makes a fool of him promising him pleasure Decepit ebrietas Lotum quem Sodoma non decepit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but paying him with the stinging of an Adder and biting of a Cockatrice Chap. 23.32 See the Note there Wine is a comfortable creature Judg. 9.12 one of the chief lenitives of humane miseries as Plato calls it but excess of wine 1 Pet. 4.3 is as one well saith Blondus daemon dulce venenum suave peccatum quam qui in se habet se non habet quam qui facit non facit peccatum sed totus est peccatum That is a fair spoken Devil a sweet poison a sin which hee that hath in him hath not himself and which hee that runs into runs not into a single sin but is wholly turned into sin Secondly It renders a man a mocker even one of those scorners for whom judgements are prepared as Solomon had said in the fore-going verse See Hos 7.5 Isa 28.1 1 Sam. 25. Abigail would not tell Nabal of his danger till hee had slept out his Drunkenness lest shee should have met wich a mock if not with a knock Strong drink is raging All kinde of drink that will alienate the understanding of a man and make
and then covers it with her hand as Chirurgions use to do that the world may be never the wiser Vers 10. Lest hee that heareth it put thee to shame Repute thee and report thee an evill-conditioned fellow a back-biter and a tale-bearer one not fit to be trusted with secrets c. True it is that dearest friends are in some cases to be accused and complained of to those that may do good upon them as Joseph brought his brethrens evil report to his father and as the houshold of Chloe told Paul of the Corinthian contentions But this must be done wisely and regularly with due observation of circumstances as Salomon elegantly sets forth in the following Proverb Vers 11. A word fitly spoken Hebrew spoken upon his weels that is rightly ordered and circumstantiated spoken with a grace and in due place It is an excellent skill to be able to time a word Isa 50.4 to set it upon the wheels as here How good are such words Prov. 15.23 how forcible Job 6.25 How pleasant even like apples of gold in pictures or lattices of silver not onely precious for matter Eccles 12.10 but detectable for order as gold put in a case of silver cut-work Vers 12. As an ear-ring of gold c. Ut inauris aurea c. A seasonable word falling upon a tractable ear hath a redoubled grace with it as an ear-ring of gold and as an ornament of fine gold or as a diamond in a diadem It is an hard and happy thing to suffer the words of exhortation to digest a reproof In vit Jo. Gers to say with David Let the righteous smite me c. to be of Gersons disposition of whom it is recorded that he rejoyced in nothing more quam si ab aliquo fraterne charitative redargueretur than if he were friendly and freely reproved by any one Every vice doth now go armed touch it never so gently yet like the nettle it will sting you If you deal with it roughly and roundly it swaggereth as the Hebrew did with Moses who made thee a man of authority c. Exod. 2.14 Ear-rings and ornaments are ill bestowed upon such uncircumcised ears Vers 13. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest Harvest men of all men beat the heat of the day being far from shade or shelter far from springs of water parched and scorched with heat and drought in those hotter countries especially Now as the cold of snow or ice which in those countries they kept under ground all the year about to mix with their wines would be most welcome to such so is a trusty and speedy messenger for by his good news he greatly reviveth the longing and languishing minds of those that sent him who during the time of his absence through fear and doubt were almost half dead This is much more true of Gods faithfull messengers Job 33.23 whose very feet are therefore beautifull and message most comfortable to those that labour and languish under the sense of sin and fear of wrath Vers 14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift as Ptolomy sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his fair promises slack performances As Sertorius the Roman that fed his creditours and clients with fair words but did nothing for them Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest As that Pope and his Nephew of whom it is recorded that the one never spake as he thought the other never performed what he spake Lastly as the Devill who promised Christ excelsa in excelsis Matth. 4. mountains on a mountain and said All this will I give thee when as that All was just nothing more than a shew a representation a semblance or if it had been something yet it was not his to give for the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Physicians call their drugs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts and yet we pay dear for them Apothecaries set fair titles upon their boxes and gally-pots but there is oftentimes aliud in titulo aliud in pyxide nothing but a bare title Such are vain boasters pompous Preachers Painted hypocrites Popish priests such as was Tecelius that sold indulgences in Germany and those other Massemongers in Gersons time that preached publiquely to the people that if any man would hear a mass he should not on that day be smitten with blindness nor dye a sudden death nor want sufficient sustenance c. These were clouds without rain that answer not expectation Jude 12. Vers 15. By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded If he be not over-hasty his wrath may be appeased and his mind altered Our Henry the third gave commandment for the apprehending of Hubert de Burgo Earl of Kent who having sudden notice thereof at mid-night got him up and fled into a Church in Essex They to whom the business was committed finding him upon his knees before the high-altar with the Sacrament in one hand and a cross in the other carried him away nevertheless unto the Tower of London Roger Bishop of London taking this to be a great violence and wrong offered unto the holy Church Godw. Catal. pag. 194. would never leave the King untill he had caused the Earl to be carried unto the place whence he was fetcht And this it is thought was a means of saving the Earls life For though order was taken he should not scape thence yet it gave the Kings wrath a time to cool and himself leisure to make his Apology by reason whereof he was afterwards restored to the Kings favour and former places of honour So true is that of the Philosopher Maximum irae remediumest dilatio Sen. de ira And that of the Poet. Ovid. Ut fragilis glacies interit ira morâ There are that read and sense the words thus By meekness a Prince is appeased that is when he seeth that he is not opposed that his Subjects repine not rebell not against him An old Courtier of Nero's being asked how he had escaped that Lions mouth answered Injurias ferendo gratias agendo by taking shrewd turns and being thankfull A soft tongue breaketh the bones Though it be flesh and no bones yet it breaketh the bones that is stout and stern spirits that otherwise would not yeeld Thus Gideon broke the rage of the Ephraimites Judg. 8.1 c. and Abigail Davids by her humble and dutifull oration 1 Sam. 25. See the Note on Prov. 15.1 Vers 16. Hast thou found hony eat so much as is sufficient i. e. Be moderate in the use of all lawful comforts and contentments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Oratour Isac for there is a satiety of all things and by excess the sweetest comforts will be dis-sweetned as Epictetus also observed It is therefore excellent counsel that the holy Apostle giveth 1 Cor. 7.29 that those that have wives be as if they had none c. that we hang loose to all creature comforts and be weanedly affected towards them considering that
that seek the Lord understand all things Not all that is possible to be known De Baldo diceâ—e solebant nihil unquam cum ignorasse as Averroes saith Aristotle did as the Civilians say their Baldus did as the Papists say Tostatus did but they understand all things needful to salvation and they often meditate on the last judgement Vers 6. Better is the poor c. See chap. 19.1 Vers 7. He that keepeth the law is a wise son It is neither good nature nor good nurture or breeding that can prove a man to be truly wise but obedience to Gods statutes Deut. 4.6 Alphonsus King of Spain sirnamed the Wise was a rank fool and an arrant Atheist so are all the worlds Wisards But he that is a companion to riotous men Or that feedeth gluttons whose belly hath no bottom Ingluvies tempestas barathrumque macelli They say the Locust is all belly which is joyned to his mouth and endeth at his tail such are riotous belly-gods to feed such is to cast away all and bring an indeleble infamy upon the family Vers 8. He that by usury and unjust gain c. Usury is condemned by the very Heathens Aristot Ethic. lib. 4. c. 1. The ancient Law of the Romans make the usurer a thief and worse the Hebrews make him a biting thief who gnaweth the debtor to the very bones yea the most toothlesse usury that usual plea hath sharp gummes which bite as sore as an old dogge or an hungry fly and under shew of licking whole sucks out the heart blood Let those who plead for it consider that God dispenseth with no usury Ezek. 18.8 whether neshec or tarbith biting or toothless that the lender deals not as he would be dealt withall that the Gospel makes these sinners worse than other sinners when it saith Sinners lend to sinners to receive the like Luk. 6.34 but these to receive more that at Rome this day all usurers are excommunicated monthly that the Canon-law drives them from the Sacrament denies them burial makes their will no will as though their goods were not their own that no man of note in all antiquity Jews and Manichees excepted for 1500 years after Christ hath ever undertaken the defence of usury that Chrysostome is very fierce against it comparing it to the stinging of an asp which casts a man into a sleep whereof he dyes c. He shall gather it for him that will pitty the poor God will provide him an executor never mentioned in his will or his heir being a better man shall freely distribute what hee hath wrongfully raked together Eccles 2.21 Job 27.16 Vers 9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing c. Heb. that causeth his ear to decline the Law that wilfully slights the opportunities of hearing and frames excuse trusting to his good prayers as they call it and conceits that he can better bestow his time at home this man prayes for a curse and shall have it as Saul had He would not hear Samuel God will not hear nor answer him in his distresse This was as the Hebrews call it Mensuram contra mensuram to pay him home in his own coyn Prov. 14 2â— The back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes See the Note on chap. 1.28 Even his prayer shall be abominable See Chap. 15.8 Vers 10. Who so causeth the righteous to goe astray c. This follows fitly upon the former Seducers and Sectaries disswade men from hearing the Law in publick assemblies and carry them into by corners under a pretence of prayer like Moals they doe all their mischief by working under ground as Epiphanius observeth they shall therefore perish in their own pit If the blind lead the blinde c. See the Note on chap. 26.27 But the upright shall have good things in possession They shall not be so led away with the errour of the wicked as to fall from their own stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 or to forfeit their hereditary right to the Kingdome because both the deceived and the deceiver are with the Lord Job 12.13 16. and it is impossible for the elect to be fundamentally and finally seduced Mat. 24.24 sith they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 heaven is kept for them and they for heaven how then should they misse of it Vers 11. The rich man is wise in his own conceit He sacrificeth to himself as Scianus did to his drag and net as the Babylonians did Scianus sihi sacrificabat Dio. Habâ—k 1.16 hee thanks his wit for his wealth and takes upon him as if there were none such See 1 Tim. 6.17 with the note there Like Isis her Asse that had gone so oft to the temple of that Goddesse that at length she thought her self worshipful Every grain of riches hath a vermine of pride and self conceit in it and a very small wind will blow up a bubble But the poor that hath understanding That is well versed in the bigger volume of Gods Word and in the lesser volume of his own heart which is better to him than any Expositor for the right understanding of the Scriptures this poor wise-man searcheth him out finds the rich mans folly and if need be tells him of it giving him a right character of himself Sed divitibus ferè ideo talis amicus deest quia nihil deest Vers 12. When righteous men doe rejoyce there is great glory That is there is cause of common joy to all for they have publick spirits and rectified judgements neither can they bee merry at heart when it goes ill with the Church All comforts are but Icabods to them if the Ark bee taken all places but Hadadrimmons if the Church be in heavinesse Terentius under Valens the Arrian Emperour asked nothing but that the Church might be freed from Arrians And when the Emperour tore his Petition he said that he would never ask any thing for himself if he might not prevail for the Church for that his happinesse was laid up in hers But when the wicked rise a man is hidden That is when Tyrants are set up a man that is a good man for God reckons of men by their righteousnesse Jer. 5.1 is hidden lies close and hath no heart to shew himself lest hee should suffer either in his own person or in his possession Thus the man Moses fled and hid himself from Pharaoh David from Saul Eliah from Ahab Obadiahs clients from Jezabel Jeremiah from Jehojakim Joseph and the Child JESVS from Herod those Worthies of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.38 from Antiochus that little Antichrist and other Persecutors and the Christian Church from the greater Antichrist Revel 12. so that she was not to be sought in tectis exteriori pompa sed potius in carceribus speluncis in Palaces of worldly pomp but in Dens and Dungeons as Hilary hath it She fled into the Wildernesse into her place
time held so that it bee well limited Carnal mirth and abuse of lawful things doth mightily weaken intenerate and emasculate the spirit yea it draws out the very vigour and vivacity of it and is therefore to be avoyded Some are so afraid of sadnesse that they banish all seriousnesse they affect mirth as the Eel doth mud or the Toad ditches These are those that dance to the Timbrel and Harp but suddenly turn into Hell Job 21. Vers 3. Yet acquainting my heart with wisdome i. e. resolving to retain my wisdome but that could not be For whoredome and wine Hos 4.11 and new wine take away the heart they dull and disable nature and so set us in a greater distance from grace they fight against the soul 1 Pet. 2.12 Arist de mirah auscul lib. 8. and take away all sent and sense of heavenly comforts Much like that parcel of ground in Sicily that sendeth such a strong smell of fragrant flowers to all the fields thereabouts that no Hound can hunt there And here I beleeve began Solomons Apostasie his laying the reigns in the neck to pursue sinful pleasures pleasing himself in a conceit that he could serve God and his lusts too A Christian hath ever God for his chief end and never sins with deliberation about this end he will not forgo God upon any terms only he erres in the way thinking he may fulfill such a lust and keep God too But God and sin cannot cohabit and Gods graces groaning under our abuses in this kind cry unto him for help who gives them thereupon as he did to the wronged Church Rev. 12.14 the wings of an Eagle after which one lust calls upon another as they once did upon their fellow-souldiers Now Moab to the spoyl till the heart be filled with as many corruptions as Solomon had Concubines Vers 4. I made me great works I took not pleasure in trifles as Domitian did in catching and killing flyes with his Pen-knife or as Artaxerxes did in making hafts for Knives or as Solyman the great Turk did in making notches of horn for Bowes but I built stately houses planted pleasant Vineyards c. A godly man may be busied in mean low things but he is not satisfied in them as adequate objects hee trades for better commodities and cannot rest without them I builded mee houses Curious and spacious such as is the Turks Seraglio or palace said to bee more than two miles in compass William Rufus built Westminster hall and when it was done found much fault with it for being built too little Daniels hist saying It was fitter for a chamber than for a hall for a King of England and took a plat for one far more spacious to bee added unto it I planted mee vineyards That no pleasant thing might be wanting to mee To plant a vineyard is a matter of much cost and care but it soon quits cost by bearing first plenty of fruit in clusters and bunches many grapes together Secondly by bearing pleasant fruit no fruit being more delectable to the taste than is the grape nor more comfortable to the heart than is the wine made of the grape Judg. 9.13 Solomon had one gallant vineyard at Baal-hamon that yeelded him great profit Cant. 8.1 Vers 5. I made mee gardens so called because garded and enclosed with a wall Cant. 4.12 like as we call garments quasi gardments in an active acception of the word because they guard our bodies from the injury of wind and weather The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gan comes likewise from a word that signifieth to protect or guard And there are that give this for a reason why the Lord forbad the Jews to keep swine because they are such enemies to gardens whereof that country is very full And Orchards Heb. Paradises famous for curious variety and excellency of all sorts of trees and forcin fruits resembling even the garden of God for amenity and delight Athenaeus Diod lib. 2. cap. 4. Q. Curt. lib. 5. And herein perhaps hee gratified Pharaoh's daughter the Aegyptians took great pleasure in gardens like as that King of Assyria did his wife Horto pensili with a garden that hung in the ayr to his incredible cost Vers 6. To water therewith the Wood i. e. the gardens or hort-yards that were as large as little woods Christs garden in the Canticles as it hath a wall Vers 5. so a well to water it and make it fruitful Vers 7. I got mee servants c Too many by one sc Jeroboam who rent ten tribes from his sonne Iâ— is well observed by an Interpreter that Solomon among all his delights got him not a Fool or Jester which some Princes cannot bee without no not when they should bee most serious It is recorded of Henry the third King of France that in a Solemn procession at Paris hee could not bee without his Jester Epic. hist Gallicae who walking between the King and the Cardinal made mirth to them both There was sweet devotion the while Melanch in Hesiod I had great possessions of great and small cattel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pecudes postea synechdochicâ—s opes significant sic pecunia a pecude So chesita signifies in Hebrew both mony and a lamb Vers 8. I gathered me also silver and gold Gold of Ophir now called Peru where the Spaniards are said to meet with more gold oar than earth Besides his great gifts from other Princes as Hiram Queen of Sheba c. his royal revenue Petrarch his tributes from forein nations subdued by his Father David to a very great value Sixtus the fourth was wont to say that a Pope could never want mony while he could hold a pen in his hand His predecessor John 22. left in his treasury to his heirs 250 tonnes of gold Boniface the 8. being plundered by the French Heidfield was found to have more wealth saith mine Authour than all the Kings of the earth could have raised by one years revenue It should seem by the peoples complaint after Solomons death 1 King 12.4 that hee lay over heavy upon them by his exactors and gold-gatherers which caused the revolt of the ten tribes One act of injustice oft loseth much that was justly gotten Kedarlaomer and his fellow-Kings were deprived of the whole victory because they spared not a man whom they should have spared Ill-gotten gold hath a poysonful operation and will bring up the good food together with ill humors Job 20.15 And the delights of the sons of men These drew out his spirits and dissolved him and brought him to so low an ebbe in grace his wealth did him far more hurt than his wisdome did him good it is as hard to bear prosperity as to drink much wine and not bee giddy it is also dangerous to take pleasure in pleasure to spend too much time in it as Solomon for seven years spent in building Gods house spent thirteen in his
ward off his blow to moâ— up ones self against his fire Why should vain man contend with his Maker Why should hee beat himself to froth as the surges of the Sea do against the Rock Why should hee like the untamed Heifer unaccustomed to the yoke gall his neck by wrigling make his crosses heavier than God makes them by crosseness and impatience The very Heathen could tell him that Deus crudelius urit Tibul. Eleg. 1. Quos videt invitos succubuisse sibi God will have the better of those that contend with him and his own Reason will tell him that it is not fit that God should cast down the bucklers first and that the deeper a man wades the more hee shall bee wet Vers 12. For who knoweth what is good for man Hee may think this and that to bee good but is mostly mistaken and disappointed Ambrose hath well observed that other creatures are led by the instinct of Nature to that which is good for them The Lion when hee is sick cures himself by devouring an Ape the Bear by devouring Ants the wounded Dear by feeding upon Dittany c. in ignoras O homo remedia tuo but thou O man knowest not what is good for thee Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good saith the Prophet and what doth the Lord require of thee but this instead of raking riches together to do justly and to love mercy and instead of contending with him to humble thy self to walk with thy God Micah 6.8 For who can tell a man what shall bee after him When the Worms shall bee scrambling for his body the Devils haply for his soul and his friends for his goods A false Jesuite published in print Camd Elis Dilexi virum qui cum corpore solveretur magit de Ecclesiarum statu c. some years after Queen Elizabeths death that shee died despairing and that shee wished shee might after her death hang a while in the air to see what striving would bee for her Kingdome I loved the man said Ambrose of Theodosius for this that when hee died hee was more affected with care of the Churches good than of his own CHAP. VII Vers 1. A good name is better than precious ointment YEa than great riches Prov. 22.1 See the Note The initial letter of the Hebrew word for Good here is bigger than ordinary Majusculum to shew the more than ordinary excellency of a good name and fame amongst men If whatsoever David doth doth please the people Rom. 1.2 if Mary Magdalens cost upon Christ bee well spoken of in all the Churches if the Romans Faith bee famous throughout the whole world if Demetrius have a good report of all good men and St. John set his seal to it this must needs bee better than precious ointments the one being but a perfume of the nostrils the other of the heart Sweet ointment olfactum afficit spiritum reficit cerebrum juvat affects the smell refresheth the spirit comforts the brain A good name doth all this and more For First As a fragrant scent it affects the soul amidst the stench of evil courses and companies It is as a fresh gale of sweet air to him that lives as Noah did among such as are no better than walking dunghills and living sepulchres of themselves stinking much more worse than Lazarus did after hee had lain four daies in the grave A good name preserveth the soul as a Pomander and refresheth it more than musk or civil doth the body Secondly It comforts the conscience and exhilatates the heart cheers up the mind amidst all discouragements and fatteth the bones Prov. 15.30 doing a man good like a medicine And whereas sweet ointments may bee corrupted by dead flies a good name proceeding from a good conscience cannot bee so Fly blown it may bee for a season and somewhat obscured but as the Moon wades out of a cloud so shall the Saints innocency break forth as the light and their righteousness as the noon-day Psal 37.6 Buried it may beee in the open sepulchres of evil throats but it shall surely rise again A Resurrection there shall bee of names as well as of bodies at the last day at utmost But usually a good name comforts a Christian at his death and continues after it For though the name of the wicked shall rot his lamp shall bee put out in obscurity and leave a vile snuff behinde it yet the righteous shall bee had in everlasting remembrance they shall leave their names for a blessing Isa 65.15 And the day of death than the day of ones birth The Greeks call a mans birth-day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of his Nativity they call the begetting of his misery Man that is born of a woman is born to trouble saith Job chap. 14.1 The word there rendred Born signifieth also generated or conceived to note that man is miserable even so soon as hee is warm in the womb as David hath it Psal 51.5 If hee lives to see the light hee comes crying into the world Ad Marc. cap. 11. a flet is vitam anspicatur saith Seneca Insomuch as the Lawyers defined 〈◊〉 by crying and a still-born childe is all one as dead in Law Onely Zoâ—â—staâ— is said to have been born laughing but that laughter was both monstrous and ominous Justin lib. 1. For hee first found out the black Art which yet profited him not so far as to the vain felicity of this present life For being King of the Bactrians hee was overcome and slain in battel by Ninus King of the Assyrians St. Austin who relates this story saith of mans first entrance into the world Nondum loquitur tamen prophetat Ere ever a childe speaks hee prophesies by his tears of his ensuing sorrows Nec prius natus quam damnat no No sooner is hee born but hee is condemned to the Mines or Gallies as it were of sin and suffering Hence Solomon here prefers his Coffin before his Cradle And there was some truth in that saying of the Heathen Optimum est non nasci proximum quam celorrime mori For wicked men it had been best not to have been born or being born to dye quickly sith by living long they heap up first sin and then wrath against the day of wrath As for good men there is no doubt but the day of death is best to them because it is the day-break of Eternal Righteousness and after a short brightness as that Martyr said gives them Malorum ademptionem bonorum ademptionem freedome from all evil fruition of all good Hence the antient Fathers called those daies wherein the Martyrs suffered their birth-daies because then they began to live indeed sith here to live is but to lye a dying Eternal life is the onely true life saith Austin Vers 2. It is better to go to the house of mourning To the terming-house as they term it where a dead corps is laid forth for
yonker thus bespeaking himself Rejoyce my soul in thy youth c. and then nips him on the crown again with that stinging But in the end of the verse Or else which I rather think by an ironical Concession hee bids him rejoyce c. yeelds him what hee would have by way of mockage and bitter-scoff like as Elias jeered the Baalites bidding them cry aloud unto their drowsie or busie God or as Micaiah bade Ahab by an holy scoff go up against Ramoth Gilead and prosper Mark 14.41 Or as our Saviour bade his drowsie Disciples Sleep on now and take your rest viz. if you can at least or have any minde to it with so many Bills and Halberds about your ears And let thine heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth In diebus electionum tuarum so Arias Montanus reads it in the daies of thy chusings that is Luke 12. when thou followest the choice and the chase of thine own desires and dost what thou wilt without controll Walk in the way of thine heart Which bids thee Eat drink and bee merry and had as lief bee knockt on the head as do otherwise Hence fasting is called an afflicting of the soul and the best finde it no less grievous to go about holy duties than it is to children to bee called from their sports and set to their books And in the sight of thine eyes Those windows of wickedness and loop-holes of lust But know Here is that which marrs all the mirth here is a cooler for the yonkers courage sowre sauce to his sweet meats for fear hee should surfeit Verbahaet Solomonis valde emphatica sunt saith Lavater there is a great deal of emphasis in these words of Solomon Let mee tell thee this as a Preacher saith hee And oh that I could get words to gore the very soul with smarting pain that this Doctrine might bee written in thy flesh That for all these things These tricae as the world accounts them these trifles and tricks of youth which Job and David bitterly bewailed as sore businesses God will bring thee to judgement Either in this life as hee did Absolom and Adoniah Hophni and Phinehas Nadab and Abihu or infallibly at thy deaths-day which indeed is thy dooms-day then God will bring thee perforce bee thou never so loth to come to it hee will hale thee to his tribunal bee it never so much against thy heart and against the hair with thee And as for the judgement what it shall bee God himself shews it Isa 28.17 Judgement will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall over-flow the hiding-place Where what is the hail saith One but the multitude of accusations which shall sweep away the vain hope that men have that the infinite mercy of God will save them howsoever they live And what is the hiding-place but the multitude of excuses which men are ready to make for themselves and which the waters of Gods justice shall quite destroy and overthrow Young men of all men are apt to make a Covenant with death and to put far away from them the thought of judgement But it boots them not so to do for Senibus mors in januis adolescentibus in insidiis saith Bernard Death doth not alwaies knock at door but comes often like a lightning or thunderbolt it blasteth the green corn and consumeth the new and strong building Now at death it will fare nothing better with the wilde and wicked youngster than with that theef that having stollen a Gelding rideth away bravely mounted till such time as being overtaken by hue and cry he is soon afterwards sentenced and put to death James 4.8 Vers 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thine heart One would have thought hee should have said rather considering the premises Remove joy from thy heart Let thy laughter be turned into mourning and thy joy into heaviness turn all the streams into that chanel that may drive that Mill that may grind the heart But by sorrow here or indignation as Tremellius renders it the Preacher means sin the cause of sorrow and so hee interprets himself in the next words Put away evil from thy flesh i. e. Mortifie thy lusts For childe-hood and youth are vanity The Septuagint and Vulgar render it Youth and pleasure are vain things They both will soon bee at an end CHAP. XII Vers 1. Remember now thy Creatour HEB. Creatours scil Father Son and Holy Ghost called by Elihu Eloa Gnosai God my Makers Job 35.10 and by David the Makers of Israel Psal 149.1 so Isa 54.5 Thy Makers is thine Husbands Let us make man Gen. 1.26 and verse 1. Dei creavit Those three in One and One in Three made all things but man hee made fearfully and wonderfully Psal 139.14 The Father did it Ephes 3.9 The Son Heb. 1.8 10. Col. 1.16 The Holy Ghost Psal 33.6 and 104.30 Job 36.13 and 33.4 To the making of Man a Council was called Gen. 1.29 Sun Moon and Stars are but the work of his fingers Psal 8.3 but Man is the work of his hands Psal 139.14 Thine hands have made mee or took special pains about mee and fashioned mee saith Job chap. 10.8 thou hast formed mee by the book saith David Psal 139.16 Hence the whole Church so celebrates this great work with Crowns cast down at the Creators feet Rev. 4.10 11. And hence young men also who are mostly most mindless of any thing serious for childe-hood and youth are vanity are here charged to remember their Creatour that is as dying David taught his young Son Solomon to know love and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind 1 Chron. 28.9 for words of knowledge in Scripture imply affection and practice Tam Dei meminisse opus est quam respirare To remember God is every whit as needful as to draw breath sith it is hee that gave us being at first and that still gives us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life and breath Act. 17.25 Let every thing therefore that hath breath praise the Lord even so long as it hath breath yea let it spend and exhale it self in continual sallies as it were and egressions of affection unto God till it hath gotten not onely an union but an unity with him Of all things God cannot endure to bee forgotten In the daies of thy youth Augustus began his speech to his mutinous souldiers with Audite senem juvenes quem juvenem senes and ierunt You that are young hear mee that am old whom old men were content to hear when I was but young And Augustine beginneth one of his Sermons thus Ad vos mihi sermo O juvenes flos aetatis periculum mentis To you is my speech O young men the flower of age the danger of the mind To keep them from danger and direct them to their duty it is that the Preacher here exhorts them to remember
a diaphanous body as the word there signifies before the judgement-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 all shall bee laid naked and open the Books of Gods Omniscience and mans Conscience also shall bee then opened and secret sins shall bee as legible in thy fore-head as if written with the brightest Stars or the most glittering Sun-beams upon a wall of Crystal Mens actions are all in print in Heaven and God will at that day read them aloud in the ears of all the world Whether it bee good or evil Then it shall appear what it is which before was not so clear like as in April both wholesome roots and poisonable discover themselves which in winter were not seen Then men shall give an account 1 De bonis commissis of good things committed unto them 2. De bonis dimissis of good things neglected by them 3. De malis commissis of evils committed by them 4. Lastly De malis permissis of evils done by others suffered by them when they might have hindered it LAUS DEO A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON THE CANTICLES OR Solomons Song of Songs CHAP. I. Vers 1. The Song of Songs NOt a light Love-song as some prophane persons have fancied and have therefore held it no part of the sacred Canon Theodoret. lib. 5. de Provid Sic coena a Dionysio caeremonia caeremoniarum ab alio Pascha celebritas celebritatum dicitur But a most excellent Epithalamium a very divine Ditty an heavenly Allegory a Mystical-marriage-song called here The Song of Songs as God is called the God of Gods Deut. 10.7 as Christ is called the King of Kings Rev. 19.16 as the Most Holy is called the Holy of Holies to the which the Jew-doctors liken this Canticle as they do Ecclesiastes to the Holy place and Proverbs to the Court to signifie that it is the treasury of the most sacred and highest mysteries of holy Scripture It streams out all along under the parable of a Marriage Hieron prooem in Ezech. that full torrent of spiritual love that is betwixt Christ and the Church This is a great mystery saith that great Apostle Ephes 5.32 It passeth the capacity of man to understand it in the perfection of it Hence the Jews permitted none to read this sacred Song before thirty years of age Let him that reads think hee sees written over this Solomons porch Holiness to the Lord T. W. on Canti◠Procul hinc procul este profani nihil hic nisi castum If any think this kind of dealing to bee over-light for so grave and weighty a matter let them take heed saith one that in the height of their own hearts they do not proudly censure God and his order who in many places useth the same similitude of marriage to express his love to his Church by and interchangeably her duty toward him as Hos 2.19 2 Cor. 11.2 Ephes 5.25 with vers 22 23 24. where the Apostle plainly alludeth and referreth to this Song of Songs in sundry passages borrowing both matter and frame of speech from hence Which is Solomons Hee was the Pen-man God the Author Of many other Songs hee was both Author and instrument 1 King 4.32 Not so of this which therefore the Chaldee Paraphrast here entituleth Songs and Hymns in the plural for the surpassing excellency of it which Solomon the Prophet the King of Israel uttered by the spirit of Prophecy before the Lord the Lord of all the Earth A Prophet hee was and is therefore now in the Kingdome of Heaven notwithstanding his foul fall whereof hee repented Luk. 11.28 For as it is not the falling into the water that drowns but lying in it So neither is it the falling into sin that damns but dying in it Solomon was also King of Israel and surpassed all the Kings of the Earth in wealth and wisdome 2 Chron. 9.22 yea hee was wiser than all men 1 King 4.31 And as himself was a King Psal 45.2 so hee made this singular Song as David did the 45 Psalm concerning the King Christ and his spiritual marriage to the Church who is also called Solomon Cant. 3.11 and greater than Solomon Matth. 12.42 If therefore either the worth of the writer or the weightiness of the matter may make to the commendation of any book this wants for neither That is a silly exception of some against this Song as if not Canonical because God is not once named in it for as oft as the Bridegroom is brought in speaking here Rom. 9. ◠so oft Christ himself speaketh who is God blessed for ever Besides whereas Solomon made a thousand Songs and five 1 King 4.32 this onely as being the chief of all and part of the holy Canon hath been hitherto kept safe when the rest are lost in the Cabinet of Gods special providence and in the chest of the Jews Gods faithful Library-keepers Rom. 3.2 Joh. 5.39 It being not the will of our heavenly Father that any one hair of that sacred head should fall to the ground Vers 2. Let him kiss mee with the kisses of his mouth It must bee premised and remembred that this Book is penitus allegoricus parabolicus as one saith allegorical throughout and aboundeth all along with types and figures with parables and similitudes Quot verba tot sacramenta So many words so many mysteries saith Hierome of the Revelation Apocalypsin fateor me nescire exponere c. exponat cui Deus concesserit Cajet Possev in Biblioth select which made Cajetan not dare to comment upon it The like may bee truly affirmed of the Canticles nay wee may say of it in a special manner as Possevinus doth of the whole Hebrew Bible tot esse sacramenta quot literae tot mysteria quot puncta tot arcana quot apices Hence Psellus in Theodoret asketh pardon for presuming to expound it But difficilium facilis est venia In magnis voluisse sat est In hard things the pardon is easie and in high things let a man shew his good will and it suffiseth The matter of this Book hath been pointed at already as for the form of it it is Dramatical and Dialogistical The chief speakers are not Solomon and the Shulamite as Castalio makes it but Christ and his Church John 3.29 Christ also hath his Associates those friends of the Bridegroom viz. the Prophets Apostles Pastors and Teachers who put in a word sometimes As likewise do the fellow-friends of the Bride viz. whole Churches or particular Christians The Bride begins here abruptly after the manner of a Tragedy through impatience of love and an holy impotency of desire after not an union onely but an unity also with him whom her soul loveth Let him kiss mee c. Kissing is a token of love 1 Pet. 5.14 Luk. 7.45 and of reconciliation 2 Sam. 14.33 And albeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo observeth Love is not alwaies in a kiss Joab and Judas could kiss and kill
c. Omnis Christianus Crucianus This the worldling cannot away with and although he make a fair shew in the flesh or set a good face on it as the word signifies as if hee had set his face toward Sion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet when it comes to a matter of suffering hee stumbles at the Cross and falls backwards hee will not suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.12 Hee looks at the Church with a Vultures eye as though hee would behold nothing in her but corruption and carrion Hee makes an ill construction of her infirmities and will not stick to say if hee have a mind to shake her off that shee is black and despicable that shee provides but poorly for her followers that the great ones favour her as little as the Lords of the Philistims did David Cic. pro. L. Flavio c. Cicero veram religionem splendore imperii gravitate nominis Romani majorum institutis fortunae successibus metitur Cicero's marks of the True Religion were the largeness of the Roman Empire their spreading fame their Ancestours Ordinances and their singular success The Papists have the like Arguments for proof of their Church Luth. T. 2 But what saith Luther Ego non habeo aliud contra Papae regnum robustius argumentum quam quod sine cruce regnat I have no stronger argument against the Popes Kingdome than this that hee reigns without the Cross My Mothers children were angry with mee i. e. Worldly men that are of the same humane race that I am these fretted at mee as Moab did at Israel because they were of a different Religion Numb 22.3 4. or as Tobiah and his complices did at Nehemiah and his Jews Neh. 6.1 it was quarrel enough to Jerusalem that it would not bee miserable Hypocrites and Hereticks especially are here understood as some conceive such as pretend to bee children of the Church and her greatest friends as the Donatists would bee the onely Christians and after them the Rogation Hereticks called themselves the onely Catholicks So did the Arians and so do the Papists whose anger against the true children of the Church is far hotter than Nebuchadnezzars Oven after it had been seven times heated for those three constant Worthies Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindictae cupidius saith Luther who had the experience of it plane sunt serpentes c. there is not a more cruel creature more impatient and vindictive than an hypocrite Hee is as angry as an Asp as revengeful as a Serpent c. Hee is of the Serpentine seed and carries the old enmity Gen. 3.15 Cains club Gen. 4.8 with 1 John 3.12 Your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said Let the Lord bee glorified Isa 66.5 Here was a fair glove drawn upon a foul hand Act. Mon. In nomine Domini incipit omne malum was grown to a Proverb here in times of Popery They made mee the Keeper of the Vineyards No marvel therefore that I am Sun-burnt sith I have born the burden and heat of the day as Matth. 20.12 it hath been my task to keep out Boars Foxes and other noisome creatures yea it hath been my lot to bee put upon some servile offices as those poor Vinedressers were 2 King 25.12 not so suitable to my place and station assigned mee by God Yea although I am dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world yet as though living in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have by these Impostours and Impositours been made to dogmatize after the commandements and doctrines of men Col. 2.20 22. But mine own Vineyard have I not kept q. d. Being burdened with humane rites and traditions and having been the servant of men 1 Cor. 7.23 I have departed from the duty that God prescribed unto mee Sane bene Full well truly have I rejected or slighted the commandement of God that I might keep mens tradition Mark 7.9 Thus shee shames and shents her self shee blusheth and bleedeth before the Lord for her carelesness in duty Yea shee tells the world the true reason of her present blackness somewhat shee had to say against others but most against her self After I was made known to my self Postquam ostensum fuerit mihi Trem. laid Ephraim scil by looking in the glass of Gods Law I repented Jer. 31.19 Get thee this Law as a glass to look in said Mr. Bradford so shalt thou see thy face foul arrayed and so shamefully sawcy mangy pocky and scabbed Serm. of Repent pag. 26 that thou canst not but bee sorry at the sight thereof Thus hee Physicians in some kinde of unseemly Convulsions wish their Patients to look themselves in a Glass which will help them to strive the more when they shall see their own deformities It is fit wee should oft reflect and see every man the plague of his heart the errour of his life keeping our hearts soft 1 King 8. Psal 19. supple and soluble for softness of heart discovers sin as blots do run abroad and seem biggest in wet paper When the Cockatrices egg is crushed it breaks out into a viper Isa 59.5 Vers 7. Tell mee O thou whom my soul loveth The sins of Gods Elect turn to their good Venenum aliquando pro remedio fuit saith Seneca De Benef. l. 2. c. 18. Poison is by Art turned into a Medicine make them cry more upon Christ love him more with all their soul desire more earnestly to bee joyned unto him use all holy means of attaining thereunto and that with such affection that when others are at their rest or repast the Christian can neither eat nor rest unless hee bee with Christ Where thou feedest This Book of Canticles is a kind of Pastoral a song of a Beloved concerning a Beloved The Church therefore gives and Christ takes oft herein upon himself the tearm and carriage of a loving and skilful Shepheard that feeds his flock daily and daintily feedeth them among the Lillies and beds of spices makes them to lye down in green pastures Ezek. 24.13 John 10.1 1 Pet. 5.2 Jer. 3.10 13 Rev. 13.1 and leads them beside the still waters Psal 23.2 his Word and Sacraments makes them also to lye down at noon i. e. as the chief Pastor of his sheep hee wholly ordereth them in all their spiritual labours toils and afflictions giving them safe repose in the hottest seasons Isa 49.10 For why should I bee as one that turneth aside q d. This would bee no less to thy dishonour than my disadvantage If I miscarry thou wilt bee no small loser by it Exod. 32 To urge God with the respect of his own glory lying now at stake is a most effectual way of speeding in prayer If thou destroy this people what will the Egyptians say how will the very banks of blasphemy bee broken down Josh 7.9 and they speak evil of thee with open
it is but a spark of thy flame a drop of thine Ocean if I shine at all it is with thy beams onely if I bee any whit comely it is with the comeliness that thou hast put upon mee Christ as a man how much more as God blessed for ever was fairer by far than all the children of men Psal 45.2 because free from sin and full of grace and truth as in Ezek. 28.7 there is mentioned beauty of Wisdome And the * Plato Heathen Philosopher could say that if moral wisdome how much more spiritual could bee seen with mortal eyes it would draw all mens hearts unto it self But besides his inward beauty which was unconceiveable inasmuch as in him as in a Temple the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily that is personally in the body of Christ there was a most fair form and a Divine face Hee had a good complexion and such a comely countenance as did express a Divinity in him If St. Stephens face when hee stood before the Council shone like an Angels face Act. 6.15 and if his eye could peirce the Heavens Act. 7.55 how much more may wee think Christ did True it is that by reason of his sufferings in the flesh his visage was marred more than any mans and his form more than the sons of men Isa 52.14 And hee had no form nor comeliness viz. in the eyes of his perverse Country-men who when they saw him they could discern no such beauty wherefore they should so desire him Hee was despised and rejected of men for why Hee was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief which had so drunk up his spirits John 8.57 and furrowed his fair face that at little past thirty years of age hee was reckoned to bee towards fifty hee seemed to the Jews to bee much elder than hee was indeed as some are of opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. The Spring or flower of beauty Yea pleasant Sweet as a flower sweet as an hony-comb Mell in ore melos in aure jubilum in corde sweet to the soul and health to the bones Prov. 16.24 Hee that hath once but lightly tasted how sweet the Lord Christ is doth soon dis-relish yea loathe in comparison all this worlds homely fare tasteless fooleries Ovid. Met. lib. 15 Clitorio quicunque sitim de fonte levarit Vina fugit gaudetque meris abstemius undis Yea our bed is green Our Bridal-bed which was wont to bee decked with Garlands and green bows Or our Bedsted so it may bee rendred is green made of green and growing timber as Christs house is built of living and thriving stones 1 Pet. 2.5 There is a perpetual greenness the fruit of the vegetative Spirit of God within them upon all Christs Olive-trees Psal 52.8 And these green things must not bee hurt Rev. 9.4 Or if they bee by a wound at the root so as that they suffer a fit of barrenness or seem to be sapless yet they shall revirescere recover their former greenness as the Philippians did and had a new spring after a sharp winter they had deflourished for a time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now reflourished Phil. 4.16 Vers 17. The beams of our house are Cedar Not My but Our house as before Our bed and after Our galleries All is common betwixt the Bridegroom and the Bride bed board house all It should bee so betwixt married couples who should not have several purses interests c. but both bring in what they have or get to the common hive The Church is Christs house 1 Tim. 3.15 Heb. 3.6 Isa 51.16 and every faithful soul is Gods building hee plants the Heavens and laies the foundation of the Earth that hee may say to Zion Thou art my people The great Architect of the world doth as wonderful a work in converting a soul to himself as hee did in setting up this goodly Edifice of the Universe This stately structure of the new creature hee makes of the best materials Cedar Cypress Boraâ—ine c. A mud wall may bee made up of dirt straw stones of the street c. Not so a stately Palace a Marble Monument Solomons Temple was built of Cedar-wood So was the Temple of Diana of the Ephesians as Vitruvius testifieth the Devil will needs bee Gods Ape Hee knew that Cedar is a tree strong and durable and for the driness of it the timber chawneth not rotteth not yea it hath a property to preserve other things from putrefaction A late writer observeth of it Hinc Horat. Cedro dignum Cerite cera Scribon in Physic lib. 2. that viventes res putrefacit perdit putridas autem restituit conservat The Church is also stable and cannot bee ruinated it is founded upon a Rock the Elect cannot bee finally deceived the faithful Ministers by preaching Law and Gospel kill the quick Pharisee and quicken the dead Publican Rom. 7.9 2 Cor. 2.16 they declare unto man his righteousness Job 33.23 and shew him how hee may be found in Christ viz. when sought for by the justice of God not having his own righteousness those filthy garments Phil. 3.9 Rev. 19.14 Zech. 3.4 but the Brides fine white linnen and shining and after a few turns taken here with Christ in the terrace or galleries of the Church Militant made of Firr hee shall have places given him in Heaven to walk among those that stand by Zach. 3.7 that is among the Seraphim as the Chaldee Paraphrast expounds it CHAP. II. Vers 1. I am the Rose of Sharon THe Greek renders it the flower of the field that grows without mans labour having Heaven for its Father Earth for its Mother So had Christ made of a woman manifested in the flesh without Father as man without Mother as God Heb. 7.3 And Heb. 9.11 The Tabernacle of Christs humane Nature so called because therein the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily Col. 2.9 was not made with hands that is not by mans help it was not of this building by the power of Nature But as matter in the beginning of time was taken from man to make a woman so matter in the fulness of time was taken from Woman to make the Man Christ Jesus And as Eve was a true Woman without woman so Christ was a true Man without man Hee is called filius hominis but it is onely of the feminine gender Hee is the flower of the field as here the Stone cut out without hands Dan. 2.45 the Phoenix that hath no Parents the Pearl that is not made through any earthly copulation but is begotten of the dew of Heaven For as Pearls are bred in shell-fishes of a celestial humour so was Christ by heavenly influence in the Virgins womb But let us weigh the words as they are commonly rendred Sharon was a most fruitful place situate under the hill Libanon 1 Chron. 27.29 coupled with Carmel for excellency Isa 35.2 not more a field than a fold for flocks
nor the worlds opposition As for the former Christ blots out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 that is enormities as well as infirmities Hee casts all the sins of his Saints into the bottom of the Sea which can as easily cover mountains as mole-hills And for the second Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey meaning than all the Churches enemies called for their ravenousness mountains of Lions and Leopards Cant. 4.8 The stout-hearted are spoiled c. Psal 76.4 5. And who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Zech. 4.7 And whereas mans soul hath naturally many mountains of pride and prophaneness in it there is that Leviathan Psal 104.26 and creeping things innumerable as the Psalmist saith of the Sea And for his body there is not a vein in it that would not swell to the bigness of the highest hill to make resistance to the work of grace every such mountain and hill is made low before the Lord Christ Isa 40.4 and every high thing cast down that exalts it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10. Hee comes with authority and reigns over all impediments Vers 9. My Beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart Viz. For sweetness and swiftness as in the former verse His help seems long because wee are short In the opportunity of time hee will not bee wanting to those that wait for him The Lion seems to leave her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling but at last shee relieves them and hereby they become the more couragious God seems to forget his people sometimes but it is that they may the better remember themselves and reminde him Hee seems as here to have taken a long journey and to bee at a great distance from them when as indeed hee is as near us as once hee was to Mary Magdalen after his Resurrection but shee was so bleared shee could not see him If hee at any time absent himself for trial of our Faith and love to him and to let us know how ill wee can bee without him yet hee is no further off than behinde some wall or screen Or if hee get out of doors from us yet hee looks in at the window to see how wee take it and soon after shews himself thorow the Lattess that wee may not altogether despond or despair of his return 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apparuit instar floris exoricutis Yea hee flourisheth or blossometh thorow the Lattesses like some flower or fruit-tree that growing under or near unto a window sends in a sweet sent into the room or perhaps some pleasant branches to teach that Christ cometh not to his without profit and comfort to their souls Vers 10. My Beloved spake and said Heb. Answered and said Shee had sighed out belike some such request unto her Beloved as David did Psal 30.19 Return O Lord how long Lovers hours are full of eternity Hee replieth Even now my Love behold here I am for thy help Now will I rise now will I bee exalted Isa 33.10 now will I lift up my self Rise thou therefore out of the ashes wherewith thou hast been covered Lam. 3.16 and come away to a better condition Or Rise out of sin wherein by nature thou sittest Luk. 1.79 Stand up from the dead come away to Christ and hee shall give thee light Ephes 5.14 Come for the Master calleth as they said to blinde Bartimeus Mark 10.49 Come for it is high time to come sith now is our salvation nearer than when we beleeved The night is far spent the day is at hand c. Rom. 13.11 12. The winter is past the flowers appear c. Up therefore and come with mee to my Country-house as it were to take the pleasure of the Spring-tide In Heaven there is a perpetual Spring and here the Saints have hansel of heaven those first-fruits of the spirit even as many as are holy Brethren partakers of this heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Vers 11. For loe the winter is past the Rain is over and gone In winter the clouds commonly return after the Rain Eccles 12.2 A showre or two doth not clear the air but though it rain much yet the sky is still over-cast with clouds and as one showre is unburthened another is brewed Loe such is the doleful and dismal condition of such as are not effectually called by Christ Omnis illis dies hybornus est it is ever winter with them no spring of grace no Sun-shine of sound comfort It is with such as it was with Paul and his fellow-sailers Act. 27.20 when as neither Sun nor Stars in many daies appeared and no small tempest lay on them all hope that they shall bee saved was then taken away All the hope is that God who by all his all-quickening voice raiseth the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 that calleth those his people that were not his people and her Beloved which was not Beloved Rom. 9.25 Together with his voice there goeth forth a power as Luk. 5.17 as when hee bade Lazarus come forth hee made him rise and come away so here Of carnal Christ makes us a people created again Psal 102.18 Ephes 2.10 of a wilde Asse Colt hee makes a man Job 11.12 and of an hollow person as empty and void of heart as the hollow of a tree is of substance hee makes a solid Christian fit to bee set in the heavenly building This is as great a work as the making of a world with a word God plants the Heavens and laies the foundation of the Earth that hee may say to Zion Thou art my people Isa 51.16 Hence Christ is called the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 And the Apostle Rom. 5.10 argues from Vocation to Glorification as the lesser Vers 12. The flowers appear on the Earth Here wee have a most dainty description of the Spring or prime time as the French call it far surpassing that of Horace and the rest of the Poets Prim-tempe who yet have shewed themselves very witty that way For the sense by flowers made rather to smell to than to feed upon are understood saith an Interpreter the first-fruits of the Spirit whereby the Elect give a pleasant smell and therein lyeth sweetness of speech and words going before works even as flowers before fruits For the which cause as the Apostle exhorteth that our speech bee gracious alwaies ministring Edification to the hearer Col. 4.6 so the Prophet calls it a pure language which the Lord will give to as many as love him as are called according to his purpose Zeph. 3.9 The time of the singing of birds is come Hic autem garritus avium plurimum facit ad veris commendationem this chirping of birds makes much to the Springs commendation saith â—â—nebrard How melodiously sing the Ministers of the Gospel whiles they aâ— unto
edifie the faithful That golden-mouthed Preacher did so please the people that it was grown to a Proverb Better the Sun shine not than Chrysostome preach not Bilney the Martyr a little before hee was burned entreated much on that Text Isa 43.2 Fear not when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not bee burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee so that some of his friends present took such sweet fruit thereby saith Mr. Fox that they caused the whole sentence to bee fair written in Tables Act. and Mon. 923. and some in their books the comfort whereof in divers of them was never taken away from them to their dying day Ibid. 1559. The same Author saith of Bishop Ridley Martyr that hee usually preached every Sunday and Holyday to whose Sermons the people resorted swarming about him like Bees and coveting the sweet juice of his heavenly doctrine How pleasant and profitable to Latimer was the private conference hee had with Bilney and the like benefit had Ridley by Bradford Luther by Stanpicius Gâ—leacius by Peter Martyr Junius by a Country-man of his not far from Florence Hom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hony and Milk are under thy tongue The language of Canaan is thy proper dialect for Canaan was a Land that flowed with Milk and Hony 1. With things both pleasant and profitable Yea I doubt not saith an Interpreter but that under these tearms the Holy Ghost meaneth fit food as well for strong men as for weak ones in the Church Milk most properly belongs to children 1 Cor. 3.2 Heb. 5.12.13 and hony to them of more strength as examples of the word and reason it self teacheth sufficiently in Jonathan 1 Sam. 24.27 and John Baptist Matth. 3.4 By these comparisons also may well bee understood the good House-keeping that is in Christs Church Hony and Milk shee hath ever at hand And why hath hee put these provisions under her tongue but that shee should look to lip-feeding Prov. 10.22 Let our words bee alwaies with Grace Col. 4.6 Mel in ore verba lactis this becomes the Churches children Felin corde fraus in factis is for those brats of fathomless perdition that have Adders poison under their lips Psal 140.3 that being in the gall of bitterness and bond of perdition shew themselves by their words and actions to be the sons of the sorceress the seed of the Adulterer and of the Whore whose lips also drop the hony-comb but her end is bitter as wormwood Prov. 5.3 4. Isa 57.3 And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Which was passing pleasant by reason of the odoriferous and sweet-smelling trees that grew there Now what are these garments but the Churches inward graces say some outward behaviour say others which is most gracious amiable and sweet as far above all worldly grace as the smell of Lebanon is above the savour of common woods Vers 12. A Garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse Fair and sweet hee had before affirmed her Now because Lis est cum forma magna pudicitiae Fair women have many that wish them and lye in wait for them Aul. Gell. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said hee to his friend disswading him from marriage If shee bee fair shee will lightly be common Christ therefore here commends her for her purity and chastity and shews that hee was so hedged and defensed by Discipline and Government that none could come at her to hazard her Virginity no more than they could enter into a well-walled Garden Shee openeth the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Isa 26.2 those which subscribe with their hands unto the Lord Isa 44.5 that when hee shall say Who is on my side Who do heartily avouch him for their God Deut. 26.17 that fly to her as a cloud Isa 60.8 and flock to her as a flight of Doves As for the unclean or any thing that defileth shee hath her Porters on purpose to keep them out 2 Chron. 23.19 Rev. 21.27 no dirty dogg shall trample on her golden pavement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Isa 5.2 35.8 9 10. 62.8 1 Cor. 5.11 12 13. It was not permitted to a dogg to enter into the Acropolis or Tower at Athens for his heat in Venery and for his ill favour saith Plutarch Goats likewise saith Varro come not there lest they should hurt the Olive Irish Air will sooner brook a Toad or Snake to live therein than the true Church if shee may freely exercise her power scandalous and heretical persons Papists teach Bell. lib. 3. cap. 2. de Eccles Militan that the Catholick Church consisteth of good and bad and that a man may bee a true member thereof though hee have no inward virtues Wee confess that in all particular Congregations there are hypocrites as appears in the parable of the Tares of the Net c. But yet wee deny that the holy Catholick Church mentioned in the Creed hath a mixture of good and bad sith shee is the chaste Spouse of Jesus Christ who owneth no wicked man or hypocrite in her for how should hee love such unless it bee with a common not with a conjugal love so as hee loved that tame young man Mark 10.21 whom hee pittied as a self-deceiver like as wee pitty moderate and devout Papists In Christs Garden as there is no ground but what is special good set apart for the purpose fit for him to sit and walk in for his recreation Isa â— 1 My Well-Beloved hath his Orchard in a very fruitful hill in a cornu-copia Country so it is furnished and filled with the choicest fruits and flowers plants of renown and pleasant trees yeelding fruit according to their kind and though all cannot bear Cinnamon and Balsam yet as in Spain there is said to bee nihil infructuosum nihil sterile nothing barren or unfruitful so all that are planted in the house of the Lord do flourish in the Courts of our God they do still bring forth fruit in old age they are fat and flourishing Psal 92.13 14. they are both actuosi and fructuosi 2 Pet. 1.8 neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ And indeed how can it bee otherwise with Gods Garden when as hee himself keeps it and watereth it every moment lest any hurt it hee keepeth it night and day Isa 27.3 God fenceth it with his Omnipotent arm keepeth it from the wilde Boar and other devoratory evils as Tertullian phraseth it better than the Garden of Eden was kept with the flaming Sword And whereas the Church may seem to lye open to all incursions this verse shews that it hath a Well within it and a Wall without it Yea himself is a Wall of fire round about Jerusalem Zach. 2.5 in allusion to the custome of those East-countries where by reason of the great number of wilde-beasts shepherds and travellers guard themselves
those six Martyrs burnt by Harpsfield Archdeacon of Canterbury when Queen Mary lay a dying One of those six that were then burnt and those were the last John Cornford stirred with a vehement zeal of God when they were excommunicated pronounced sentence of excommunication against all Papists in these words In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of his holy Spirit and authority of his holy Catholick and Apostolick Church wee do give here into the hands of Satan to bee destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers and hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word Act. Mon. fol. 1862. or do condemn his most holy truth for heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or feigned religion so that by this thy most just judgement O most mighty God against thine adversaries thy true religion may bee known to thy great glory and our comfort and the edifying of all our Nation Good Lord so bee it Vers 8. I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem Being evill intreated by her enemies shee turns her to her friends those damsels or daughters of Jerusalem See chap. 2.7 3.5 so the Lord Christ being tired out with the untractableness of his untoward hearers turns him to his Father Mat. 11.25 26. Kings as they have their cares and cumbers above other men so they had of old their friends by a specialty as Hushai was Davids friend 2 Sam. 15.37 to whom they might ease themselves and take sweet counsell Psal 55.14 The servants of God are Princes in all lands Psal 45. and as they have their crosses not a few so their comforts in and by the communion of Saints The very opening of their grievances one to another doth many times ease them as the very opening of a vein cools the blood Their mutual prayers one with and for another prevail much if they bee fervent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.26 Prov. 27.17 or thorough-well wrought as in this case they likely will be for as Iron wheâ—s Iron so doth the face of a man his friend And as ferrum potest quod anrum non potest Iron can do that sometimes that Gold cannot An Iron-key may open a chest wherein Gold is laid up so a meaner mans prayer may bee more effectual sometimes than a better mans for himself His own key may be rusty or out of order and another mans do it better Hence the Church is so importunate with the daughters of Jerusalem who were far behinde her in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as appears by that which follows to commend her and her misery to Christ to tell him where ever they meet with him Behold shee whom thou lovest is sick thy Church in whom thy love is concentrate as it were and gathered to an head doth even languish with love and is in ill case Tell him saith shee What shall yee tell him as the Hebrew hath it An earnest and passionate kinde of speech somewhat like that in Hosea Give them O Lord Hos 9.14 What wilt thou give them as if shee should say would you know what you should tell him even that which followeth that I am sick of love See chap. 2.5 Vers 9. What is thy beloved more than another beloved This capital question is here doubled for the more vehemency as also for the strangeness of the matter wherein they desire much to bee better informed and the rather because shee so straightly chargeth or rather sweareth them Something they must needs think was in it more than ordinary sith good people do not use to bee hot in a cold matter But as in the Revelation whensoever heaven opened some singular thing ensued So when the Saints bee so serious in a business sure it is of very great concernment Great matters are carried with great movings as for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart Judg 5.15 16 great impressions great searchings It is a common saying Admiratio peperit Philosophiam Wonderment at the works of God set men a work to enquire into the natural causes of them Semblably these damsells of Jerusalem friends to the Church little knowing the love of the Spouse to Christ which passed their knowledge and yet willing to comprehend with all Saints the several dimensions thereof Eph. 3.18 19 first they acknowledge her amidst all her miseries to be the fairest among women See chap. 1.8 as gold is gold though found in the dirt or cast into the furnace and stars have their glory though we see them sometimes in a puddle in the bottom of a well nay in a stinking ditch Secondly they propound to her two most profitable questions The one concerning his person Whereof wee have here a very lively and lofty description both generally and in his parts The other concerning the place of his abode and where hee may be had chap. 6.1 to the which she makes answer vers 2. and so her faith begins to revive vers 3. which was the blessed effect of this their gracious communication Conference in all arts and sciences is a course of incredible profiting Est aliquid quod ex magno viro vel tacente proficias the very sight Prov. 31.26 Prov. 20.5 nay thought of a good man oft doth good how much more when hee openeth his mouth with wisdome and in his tongue is the Law of kindness And surely it is a fine art to bee able to pierce a man that is like a vessell full of wine and to set him a running Elihu would speak that hee might bee refresht Job 32. It would bee an ease to him it would bee a great benefit to others as the mother is in pain till the childe hath suckt and the childe not at quiet till hee hath done so Foolish and unlearned questions about those things whereof wee can neither have proof nor profit wee are bound to avoid 2 Tim. 2.23 knowing that they do gender strifes and breed crudities fill men with winde and make them question-sick 1 Tim. 6.4 But profitable questions are frequently to bee propounded with a desire to learn and resolution to practice as the Virgin Mary demanded of the Angel Luk. 1.34 the Disciples of our Saviour John 16.17 19. c. and hee resolved them which hee refused to do for the Jews that asked him the same question John 7.35 36. because not with the same mind and desire So that frollick self-seeker with his fair offer of following Christ was rejected when those that had more honest aims and ends heard Come and see Mat. 8.19 20. John 1.46 These daughters of Jerusalem do not therefore ask because they were utterly ignorant of Christ but 1 That they might hear the Church what shee had to say of him as they that love Christ love to hear talk of him his very name is melâ—in ore melos in aure c. 2 That by her discourse they might better their knowledge for
God is both Van and Rere in the Churches Army Isa 52.12 The Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will bee your rereward Even hee that is the great the mighty and the terrible God Nehem. 9.32 So that although Loricatus incedat Satan cataphractus as Luther hath it Satan muster up all his forces Tyrants Hereticks c. that invade the Church and assault her on all sides yet they shall finde her invincible Oppugnatur sed non expugnatur Many a time have they afflicted mee from my youth may Israel say yet they have not prevailed against mee Psal 129.1 2. Populus Rom. saepe praeâ—io victus nunquam bello saith Florus The people of Rome lost many battels but were never overcome in a set war at the long run they crushed all their enemies So the Church Nay it may bee truly affirmed of her that shee conquereth even then when shee is conquered as Christ overcame as well by patience as by power So that more truly it may bee written upon her gates that is at this day upon the gates of Venice Intacta manet because it was never yet subdued by any enemy Vers 5. Turn away thine eyes from mee Or Turn thine eyes right upon mee so vers 13. hee calls Return return O Shulamite c. And then the sense is Look up unto mee by Faith Look unto mee and bee yee saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45.22 See chap. 31.1 42.18 But to keep to our Translation Christ had before confest himself ravished with one of her eyes and here hee saith the same in effect Stupenda sane dignatio a wonderful condescension Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur Majestas Amor. Wee use to say Majesty and love cannot meet or cohabit because love is the abasing of the soul to all services But it is otherwise in Christ Majesty and Love even unto ravishment meet in his holy heart If the Church bee sick of love toward him hee would shee should know that hee is overcome with love towards her and that there is no love lost betwixt them Thy hair is as a flock of Goats c. Grazing upon and gazing from Gilead q. d. I like thee as well as ever I did thy late relapse notwithstanding for I finde thee more humble watchful thankful for a Saviour merciful to others desirous of the state of perfection c. And as a limb once broke and well set again knits and grows stronger there than in any other place so by thy late falling in some sort from mee I finde thee more firmly fastened unto mee Thus God changeth saith one out griesly wounds into beauty-spots and maketh the horrible sting of Satan to bee a pearl-pin to pin upon us the long white Robe of Christ and to dress us with the garment of gladness See chap. 4.1 2 c. And observe here an addition of some other parts described and a more full description of some of the former to shew that his love was no whit diminished but rather increased Something it was surely that made Mr. Fox the Martyrologue say that hee got by his infirmities and lost by his graces Vers 6 7 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep c. See vers 4 5. chap. 4.2 with the Notes there Vers 8. There are threescore Queens and fourscore c. Or as some read it hypothetically Bee there sixty Queens and eighty Concubines which were secondary wives usurary the Lawyers call them that had right to the bed but no rule in the family and Virgins or waiting Gentlewomen without number although there bee of other sorts never so many yet My Dove albeit but one is an onely one and beloved accordingly see Jer. 31.20 For the allegory here some go one way to work some another Let there bee never so great a number saith one of Peoples and Nations of Churches and Assemblies which challenge my name and love and perhaps by their outward prosperities may seem to plead much interest in mee and much worth in themselves yet My Dove c. Others think that by Queens are meant true Beleevers by Concubines Hypocrites and formal professours and by Virgins prophane persons that have not yet so much as a form of godliness The first are the fewest and the last are the greatest number Lastly There are that make Queens Concubines and Virgins to signifie three several sorts or degrees of true Christians in the Catholick Church which yet is but one Some have made but small progress in piety these are compared to Virgins and are the far greater in number Some are got further onward and are of better proof these are like Concubines and do exceed the Queens in number quo enim perfectiores eo pauciores Some again are eminent and eximious Christians these are Queens and have more close communion with Christ and to this highest degree wee must all aspire and indeavour striving to perfection Nature Art Grace do all proceed from less perfect to more perfect Wee read in Scripture of a Christians conception Gal. 4.19 birth 1 Pet. 1.23 2.2 childe-hood 1 Cor. 3.1 2. 1 John 2.13 youth or well-grown age Ephes 4.13 old age Act. 21.15 Mâ—ason was a gray-headed experienced Christian a Father 1 John 2.13 All must exact of themselves a daily growth and be still bringing forth fruit in their old age Psal 92.13 14. so shall the King take pleasure still in their beauty so shall hee one day set them upon his right hand as place of dignity and safety in gold of Ophir Psal 45.9 11. Vers 19. My Dove mine undefiled is but one For though all the forenamed may bee called Spouses yet they all make but One. Hee that hath the Bride not Brides is the Bridegroom saith the Baptist And this is a great Mystery saith Paul but I speak concerning Christ and the Church not Churches Ephes 5.32 Una Ecclesia quia ex una fide per unum spiritum nascitur Christi tunica est unica Gal. 2.11 12. saith Epiphanius Beware therefore of the concision Phil. 3.2 that is of those that make divisions and cut the Church in minutula frustula as Austin saith of the Donatists into little peeces and sucking Congregations making separations Peter himself was blamed for this and others branded for profligate professours Jude 19. These are they that separate themselves sensual having not the spirit The Primitive Christians were famous for their unity animo animaque inter se miscebantur saith Tertullian The very Heathens acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together and love one another so as Christians did As the curtains of the Tabernacles were joyned by loops so were they by love And as the stones of the Temple were so close cemented together that they seemed to bee all but one stone so was it among them Neither need wee wonder sith Christs Dove is but one neither is there any such oneness or intireness any
countenance when hee stood before the Council It should suffice for the present that the Church looketh for or is looked for so some render this Text at first as the morning somewhat dark and duskish Shee shall bee fair as the Moon at least in regard of Sanctification and for Justification shee is clear as the Sun so that God seeth no sin in her or if hee do yet as the Sun hee blots out the thick cloud as well as the cloud the thickest mist as well as the thinnest vapour Isa 44.12 And therefore to the Devill and his Angells shee must needs bee terrible as an Army with Banners 2 Cor. 10.4 because as shee marcheth under the banner of Christs mercy and love chap. 2.4 so the weapons of her warfare are not carnal but mighty through God c. and do strike as great a terrour into her enemies as once Christ did into those ruffian souldiers that came to apprehend him Greg. Orat. de laude Basil or as Basil did into Valens the Emperour that came to disturb him when hee was in holy exercises See the Note on v. 4. of this chapter Vers 11. I went down into the garden of Nuts Or Nutmegs Tremellius and those that follow him render it the well-dressed or pruned Gardens These are the particular Churches and several Saints Christs mystical and spiritual garden that need much pruning and trimming Of all possessions Nulla majorem operam requirit saith Cato none requireth so much pains to bee taken with it as a Garden or Orchard Corn comes up and grows alone ripeneth and commeth to perfection the husbandman sleeping and waking c. Mark 3. hee knows not how But Gardens must bee dressed trimmed pruned pared almost every day or else all will bee out of order Christ therefore as a careful Gardiner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Putat purgat amputat weeds lops prunes his garden John 15.2 Be careful therefore saith a Worthy Divine Christ walks in his Garden spies how many raw unripe indigested prayers c. hang on such a branch What gum of pride what leaves or luxuriant sprigs and rotten boughes there are and with his pruning-knife cuts and slashes where hee sees things amiss c. Thus hee Neither may wee think that Christ doth this or any of this in ill-will but out of singular love and faithfulness to our souls which else would soon bee wofully over-grown with the weeds of wickedness as a neglected garden The wicked God never meddleth with as I may so say till hee come with his ax to hew them down to the fire because hee findes them incorrigible Hos 4.17 Isa 1. Let him alone faith God concerning Ephraim And why should yee be smitten any more sith yee revolt more and more They have a great deal of freedome for present but the end is utter extirpation Non surget hic afflictio Nehem. 1.9 they shall totally and finally bee consumed at once To see the fruits of the valley Green valley-plants that is the humble spirits which tremble at Gods Word and present him with the first ripe fruits which his soul desireth Mic. 7.1 And to see whether the Vine flourished These Vines and Pomegranates are the faithful who are compared to thâ—se trees for the plenty and sweetness of their fruits Christ came to see whether the former were flowring and the latter budding to see if there were any hopes of ripe fruit in due time for hee liketh not those out-landish plants that every year bud and blossom but never bring any fruit to its perfection No when hee hath done all that can be done for his Vineyard hee looks for fruit Isa 5.2 Matth. 21.34 1 Cor. 9.7 For who saith hee planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Danda igitur est opera ut hujus agricolae votis respondeamus Answer Christs expectation or else hee will lay down his Basket and take up his Axe Luk. 13.7 Vers 12. Or ever I was aware my soul c. Heb. I knew not So Christ speaketh after the manner of men And it is as if hee should say I could not conceive that my people were in so good a forwardness as indeed I found them for they have over and above answered mine expectation being full of goodness as those beleeving Romans chap. 15.14 filled with all knowledge and alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord from whom therefore they shall bee sure to receive a full reward 2 John 8. Or thus I know not that is I perceived not that the Vines flourished the Pomegranates budded that all was ripe and ready therefore I withdrew my self for a season O my Spouse And therein I dealt with thee no otherwise than as good Gardiners and Vinedressers do who coming perhaps before the time of fruit to look for fruit and finding none depart for present till a more convenient season But that thou mayest know my dear love and tender care of thy comfort behold my haste to call thee to thy former feelings again for dicto citius my soul set mee on the Charrets of Amminadib who may seem to bee some famous Charret-driver of Solomons that could out-drive all the rest There is another sense given of these words and perhaps a better For by some these are thought to bee the words of the Church confessing her ignorance I knew not Lord saith shee that thou wast gone down into the Garden to do those things I thought rather that thou hadst departed in great anger against mee for my negligence and therefore I sought thee carefully I made out after thee with all my might my soul made mee like the Charrets of Amminadib Amor addidit alas I drove furiously till I had found thee I was like unto those two women in Zachary that had wings and wind in their wings chap. 5.9 This was well that missing her Spouse shee followed so hard after him Psal 63.8 My soul cleaveth after thee saith David thereby shewing his love constancy and humility But then that was not so well that shee so far mistook Christ as to think that hee went away from her in deep displeasure and kept away from her as loathing her company Such hard conceits of Christ and heavy conceits wee are apt to have of our selves as if hee had forsaken us because wee cannot presently finde him when as hee is onely gone down in his Garden to prune it or to see how things thrive there as it hee had cast off the care of us because finding us too light hee make us heavy as there is need with manifold temptations 1 Cor. 11. 1 Pet. 1.6 Wee are therefore judged of the Lord that wee may not bee condemned with the world Hee leaves us on the other side the stile as Fathers sometimes do their children and then helps us over when wee cry To say God hath cast us off because hee hath hid his face is a fallacy fetcht out of the Devils Topicks Non est
surely that sweet singer never sang more melodiously than when his heart was broken most penitentially Psal 6. 51. Thus birds in the spring sing most sweetly when it rains most sadly and tears of true contrition are pillulae lucis pills made on purpose to clear the eye-sight When John wept the sealed book was set open to him Lilium lachryma sua seritur Light is sown for the righteous Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon c. Si verborum faciem consideremus quid poterit magis dici ridiculum saith Titleman upon the words If we look upon the out-side onely of this text what may seem to have been spoken more ridiculous Is it so great a commendation to have a nose like a tower That which wee must here-hence learn is that seeing Christ is now risen again and ascended up into heaven wee ought to bear our noses aloft as it were savouring things of the Spirit of Christ discerning things that are excellent and by a Spiritual sagacity aspiring to eternity That looketh toward Damascus The chief City of Syria having its name from the bloody excursions of theeves as Peter Martyr thinketh or else Pet. Mart. in 1 Reg. 16. as others from the blood of righteous Abel there spilled whence the place was called Damsech a bag of blood Vers 5. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel This head is Christ himself for hee is the sole head of his Church God hath put all things under his feet hence hee is here compared to Carmel because hee is high over all and given him to bee head over all things that is over all persons in the Church Ephes 1.18 22. Angels are under Christ as an head of government of influence of confirmation not of redemption as the Saints are The Angels are great friends to the Church but not members of it Heb. 2.16 The Church Christ sanctified and washed with his blood Ephes 5.26 Not so the Angels He was but a poor patron of the Popes Head-ship that said and as he thought very wisely too that hee had read in some Vocabulary that Cephas signified an head therefore Peter was head of the Church But if that should have been granted him yet it would not follow that the Pope is therefore so too For Belarmine a better scholar by far is forced to say Forte non est de jure divino Rom Pontificem Petro succedere Perhaps it is not by any divine right Lib. 2. de Rom. Pontif. c. 12. that the Pope succeedeth Peter And again Rom Pontificem Petro succedere non habetur expresse in Scripturis It is not expresly set down in the Scriptures that the Pope succeedeth Peter And the hairs of thine head like purple Which was the colour of Kings and Princes The Saints called here the hair of the Churches head for their number or multitude are Princes in all lands Psal 45.16 yea they are Kings in righteousness as Melchisedech was a King but somewhat obscure Compare Mat. 13.17 with Luke 10.24 Many righteous saith one Many Kings saith the other have desired to see those things that yee see c. The King is held in the galleries i. e. There is no King in the world so great and glorious but might finde in his heart to bee tied to these walks and to bee held prisoner in the sight of thee and thy bravery Like as King James comming first into the publique Library at Oxford and viewing the little chains wherewith each book there is tied to its place wished Rex Platon pag. 123. that if ever it were his destiny to bee a prisoner that Library might bee his prison those books his fellow-prisoners those chains his fetters Psal 138.4 5. 119. 72. The Psalmist shews by prophecying that even Kings comming to taste the excellency of the comforts of godliness and to feel the power of Gods Word should sing for joy of heart and greatly acknowledge the excelling glory of Christs Spouse the Church See Davids desire Psal 27.4 84. throughout Constantine and Valentinian two Emperours called themselves Vasallos Christi as Socrates reports the Vassals of Christ and Theodosius another Emperour professed that it was more honour and comfort to him to be membrum Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch quam caput Imperit a member of the Church than head of the Empire Nay Numa second King of Rome though but a Heathen held it an higher honour to serve God than to reign over men Some Interpreters by the King here understand Christ coveting the Churches beauty Psal 45.12 and held fast bound unto her in the bands of pure affection of spiritual wedlock Vers 6. How fair and how pleasant art thou O love for delight Emphatica haec admodum sunt cum toties exclamatio ponatur saith one This is a most Emphatical exclamation proceeding from admiration and importing that all that hee could say of her was too little Well might the Prophet say As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride so doth thy God over thee Isa 62.5 Hence hee can make no end here of commending her but having finished one praise hee presently begins another This yields infinite matter of comfort to the Saints that Christ loves them so dearly prizeth them so highly praiseth them so heartily Howbeit let not them hereupon turn again to folly Psal 85.8 or give way to carnal security Laetemur in domino sed caveamus à recidivo Argue not from mercy to liberty that 's the Devils Logick but from mercy to duty as those good souls do Ezra 9.13 14. Having received such and such both privative and positive favours should we again break thy commandments There is so much unthankfulness and dis-ingenuity in such an entertainment of mercy that holy Ezra thinks heaven and earth would bee ashamed of it Shall wee continue in sin that grace may abound saith the Apostle Rom. 6.1 And it is as if hee should say that were most unreasonable and to a good heart impossible A man may as well say the sea burns or fire cools as that assurance of Christs love breeds careless and loose living They that hold so know not the compulsive power of Christs love 2 Cor. 5.14 nor what belongs to the life of God Eph. 4.18 Vers 7. This thy feature is like to a palm-tree This thy whole stature and feature of body that hath been already pourtraied and described particularly and piece-meal is like to a palm-tree strong and straight fresh and flourishing so that thou maist say with the palm in the Emblem Nec premor nec perimor Pliny Aristotle Plutarch and Gellius have written of the palm-tree that it is alwaies green bearing pleasant fruit and that it will not bow downward or grow crooked though heavy weights bee hanged upon it The Church is all this and more ever green even in the winter of affliction when the oak loseth her leaves See the Note on chap. 1.16 full of the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus
Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 See the Notes on chap. 4.14 6.11 Neither can she be long kept under by any pressure of persecution or heavy affliction Premi potest opprimi non potest As Paul when stoned started up with Sic petitur coelum Sic Sic oportet intrare Tyrants might curse the Saints as hee did that cryed out to those ancient Confessours O miseri num vobis desunt restes rupes O wretches cannot you hang or drown your selves but that I must bee thus troubled with you to put you to death but crush them they never could The valour of the patients the savageness of the persecutors have striven together till both exceeding nature and belief bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers Hence Trajan forbade Pliny to seek after Christians But if any were brought to him to punish them Antoninus Pius set forth an Edict in Asia that no Christian should bee persecuted For said hee it is their joy to dye they are conquerours and do overcome you c. Trucidabantur multiplicabantur saith Augustine of the ancient Martyrs they were Martyred and yet they were multiplied Plures efficimur quoties metimur saith Tertullian the more we are cropt the more we are increased as the Lilly is increased by its own juyce that flows from it Plin. Hence Rev. 7.9 the Saints that by their victorious faith overcame the world are brought in with palm-branches in their hands in token of victory Plutarch tells us that the Babylonians made three hundred and sixty commodities of the palm-tree and did therefore very highly honour it The world hath a great deal of benefit by the Church could they but see it For Absque stationibus non staret mandus were it not for the Saints a short work would the Lord make upon the earth and cut it short in righteousness Rom. 9.28 And great is the gain of godliness even an hundred fold here and life eternal hereafter Who would not then turn spiritual merchant who would not pass from strength to strength and flourish in Gods house like a palm-tree Psal 29.12 till hee attain to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 And thy breasts to clusters of grapes Not well-fashioned onely as Ezek. 16.7 but full-strutting with milk yea with wine plenty and dainty to lay hunger and slake thirst to nourish and cherish her children even as the Lord doth the Church Eph. 5.29 See the Note on chap. 4.5 Vers 8. I said I will go up to the palm-tree c. I said it and I will do it for Christi dicere est facere together with Christs word there goes forth a power as it did Luk. 5.17 David said hee would confess his sins and take heed to his waies Psal 32.5 39.1 and accordingly hee did it Shall Christ purpose and promise mercy to his people and not perform it Is hee yea and nay 2 Cor. 1.19 can hee say and unsay doth not the constant experience of all ages fully confute any such fond conceit of him The Saints will not lye Isa 63.8 Christ cannot Tit. 1.2 Hee will not suffer his faithfulness to fail nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 89.33 All his sayings are the issue of a most faithful and right will void of all insincerity and falshood Now when Christ promiseth to climb his palm-tree and to take hold of the boughes thereof hee meaneth that hee will dwell most familiarly with his Church even in the branches thereof pruning and trimming it and accepting the fruits of his Spirit in his Spouse Or thus Hee will so joyn himself unto his Church as hee may cause her to bee fruitful hee will lay hold on her boughes which are very fit and apt to climb so covertly and elegantly noting the work of spiritual generation The effect follows Now also thy breasts shall bee as clusters of the vine Whatsoever they have been heretofore now at this time and for ever hereafter they shall be delightful to mee and nourishable to thy children who shall suck and be satisfied Isa 66.11 Albeit some Interpreters of good note conceive that all this is nothing else but a figurative description of Christs perfect conjunction with his Church in the Kingdom of heaven and of the unspeakable pleasure which Christ will take in her for ever And the smell of thy nose like apples i. e. The breath that comes out of thy nostrils is sweet as spice-apples The breath that the Church draweth into her lungs and sends out again is the spirit of grace without which shee can as little live as wee can without ayr This sweet Spirit is the joy of her heart and the breath of her nostrils and thereby shee draws many into her company If that bee true that one here noteth that the fruit of the palm partaketh of the nature both of the grape having a sweet and pleasant juyce and of the apple for pleasant meat it may well signifie that the Word of God is both meat and drink to the soul Vers 9. And the roof of thy mouth like the best vine Her word and doctrine for the palate is an instrument of speech often before commended by Christ Instrumenta novem c. and here again like as shee comes over it in him the second time chap. 3.13.16 See the Note there This hee resembleth to the best and most generous wine Such the Word of Gods grace is to those that have Spiritual palates that do not carry fel in aure their galles in their ears as some creatures are said to do that have their ears healed as Demosthenes said of his Athenians and their inward senses habitually exercised to discern good and evill The doctrine of the Church seems to some bitter and grievous it goeth down like the waters of Marah Pausanias Aristot or that water that caused the curse in case of jealousie Numb 5. It becomes a savour of death unto him as the viper is killed with palm-branches and vultures with oyl of roses But this is meerly their own fault For doth not my Word do good to them that are good saith the Lord Micah 2.6 Excellently St. Austin Adversarius est nobis quamdin sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Dei Gods Word is an enemy to none but to such as are enemies to themselves and sinners against their own souls This holy word in the mouths of Gods Ministers is like Moses his rod which while held in his hand flourished and brought forth almonds but being cast to the ground it became a serpent The application is easie See the Note on chap. 1.2 For my Beloved These are Christs words but hee speaks as if the Church spake to shew her great affection that had dedicated all her good things to him Some read it thus which goeth straight to my
maintain good works or honest professions for necessary uses these things are good and profitable to men Tit. 3.8 14. Some think that the Holy Ghost here alludeth to the order of old and still in use of strawing the wedding-house doors with sweet-smelling flowers Others to the customes of those that have Orchards to lay up their fruits over the gate-house New and old As a good storer that hath plenty and variety wherewith to please all palates new for delights and old for wholesomeness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 13.52 Extrudit copiosâ— alacriter The good Scribe well instructed to the Kingdome of heaven throweth out of his treasury things new and old new for the nice and old for the stronger stomach Some delight in the sweetness of things as in new wine David tells them the Word is sweeter than live-hony dropping from the hony-comb Others say the old is better are all for profit as elder people he tells them there 't is better than gold Psal 19. In the Churches store-house men shall bee sure to meet with all that heart can wish or need require Which I have laid up for thee Oh my Beloved Propter te Domine propter te 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit ille Graculus Augusto is the Churches Motto As all his springs are in her and all his offices and efficacies for her so all that shee has and is is onely for him and a great deal more shee could beteem him Let Ephraim that empty vine bear fruit to himself Hos 10.1 and those hypocrites Zech. 7.5 fast to themselves Christs hidden ones hide all for him set up and seek him in all they do or suffer are wholly devoted to his sole service CHAP. VIII Vers 1. O that thou wert as my Brother HEb Who will give thee for a Brother to mee q. d. Men may give mee many other things but God alone can give mee thy brother-hood love and communion which I wish above all saith the Bride here Ephes 1.3 Spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ are chiefly to bee desired and indeavoured after Quaerito primum bona animi saith Philosophy Seek first the good things of the minde Quarito primum regnum Dei saith Divinity Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and then other things shall seek you shall bee cast into the bargain as it were Let the Many say Who will sheir any good David prefers one cast of Gods countenance before all the worlds wealth Aug. de pec mort l. 1. c. 11. Psal 4.7 Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight said Abraham Oh that hee might bee written among the living in Jerusalem bee an heir of life truly so called for Aeterna vita vera vita The Lord make his face to shine upon you said the Priests to the people Numb 6. Grace bee to you and peace saith Paul what ever else be wanting Covet earnestly the best things saith hee 1 Cor. 12.13 With all thy getting get understanding saith Solomon Prov. 4.7 Hee desired wisdome above wealth and dispatcht the Temple in seven years space when as hee was thirteen years ere hee finished his own house as holding it a work of less haste and care Elisha begs a double portion the Spouse chap. 2. of this Book calls for whole flagons nothing less would content her The Prophet Isaiah chides men for laying out their mony on that which is not bread Isa 55.1 2. or but panis lapidosus bread made of gravell And our Saviour bids labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endureth to eternal life John 6.27 Mors privare potest opibus non operibus these dye not with us as Hortensiu his orations did with him but follow us to heaven when wee dye and shall be found to praise honour and glory at that day 1 Pet. 1.7 Hence the Church so earnestly desireth here to have more close conjunction and consociation with Christ as a brother yea as a most natural and kinde-hearted brother that had sucked the breasts of her mother that had been her collactaneus and so more inwardly affected toward her as Joseph was toward his brother Benjamin Gen. 43.29 30 34. In sum shee wisheth that shee may feel Christ dwelling in her heart that hee would remove all impediments of their happy conjunction and hasten the accomplishment thereof in heaven When I should finde thee without or at the door I would kiss thee As the Bride was wont to do the Bride-groom receiving and welcoming him with all comely familiarity and sweetness Kiss the son and covet his kisses Psal 2.12 Cant. 1.2 Bee not ashamed or afraid to perform all duties of an holy love and sound obedience toward him Hee was not ashamed of 〈◊〉 when wee had never a rag to our backs Ezek. 16. Hee stretcht the ski◠〈◊〉 love over us and said unto us Live when hee might well enough have loathed to look on us ib. vers 6. Yet I should not bee despised Heb. they should not despise mee Or if they did yet they should not dishearten mee from duty 2 Sam. 6.22 If this bee to be vile I will be yet more vile said David to his mocking Mâ—chal Wee may not suffer our selves to bee mocked out of our Religion Barren Michal hath too many sons that scorn the holy habit and exercises but they shall bee plagued as their mother was with continual fruitlesness they shall also one day viz. when they are in hell behold those with envy whom now they behold with scorn as the scoffers of the old world from the tops of the mountains that could not save them behold Noahs Ark floating upon the waters It is as impossible to avoid as necessary to contemn the lash of lewd tongues whether by bitter scoffes or scurrilous invectives as full of scorn commonly as the wit of malice can make them The Church here resolveth so to deport her self as that none shall have cause to contemn her or if they do bravely to slight all contumelies and contempts for her conscience taking them as crowns and confirmations of her conformity to Christ Vers 2. I would lead thee and bring thee With solemnity and joy Shee speaks it twice as fully resolved to do it and hereby to binde her self more straightly to a performnce I would not onely kiss thee at the door but bring thee into the house Many are strict abroad and in company but too too loose at home and in their own houses follow these stage-players to their crying rooms where they dis-robe themselves and you shall soon see what they are Heed must bee taken say the very Heathen Aedibus in propriis quae prava aut recta gerantur Religion admits not of that distinction between a good man and a good Governour If you will be for the publique bee good in private bear your own fruit work in your own hives reform your own hearts and houses man your own Oars
1 King 1. If hee shew himself a worthy man c. We will build upon her a palace of silver The whole blessed Trinity will have an hand in building the Church of the Gentiles upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone Isa 51.16 John 6.44 Esth 2.20 God plants the heavens and laies the foundation of the earth that hee may say to Zion Thou art my people None can come to Christ except God the Father draw him Christ the second person is both Authour and Finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 The Holy Ghost is the same Spirit of faith in David and Paul 2 Cor. 4.13 and is received by the hearing of faith Gal. 3.2 Hee is the God of all grace 2 Pet. 1.19 antecedent concomitant subsequent We have nothing of which any of us can say Mihi soli debeo I am not bound to God for it And if shee be a door c. As shee is the house of God and gate of heaven Gen. 28.17 If shee will open the everlasting doors to the King of glory Psal 24.7 and open a great door and effectual to his faithful Ministers 1 Cor. 16.9 who come to build her for an habitation of God through the Spirit Esther 2.22 If shee open the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Isa 26.2 then will the Lord Christ inclose her board her and beautifie her with fair sweet and strong cedars as with curious and costly weinscot which shall be monimentum munimentum ornamentum c. But all this is promised upon condition that shee bee a wall and a door that is that shee receive and retain Christ with her for otherwise shee can claim nothing Hee may desert her without breach of Covenant as hee did the old Church and many particular Churches of the New Testament now under the Turk for their perfidy and Apostasie The Church of Rome though utterly revolted yet laies strong claim to Christ still and concludes I sit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow Therefore shall her plagues come in one day c. For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Rev. 18.7 8. See the Note there About the year of grace 1414. Theodoricus Urias an Augustine-Frier in Germany said Jac. Revius de vit Pontif. pag. 229. that the Church of Rome was even so long since become ex aurea argenteam ex argentea ferream ex ferrea terream superesse ut in stercus abiret of gold silver of silver brass of brass iron of iron clay there remains nothing now but that of clay shee become dung to be swept out of doors with the beesome of destruction Vers 10. I am a wall and my breasts like towers If shee be a wall saith Christ I am a wall saith this Church of the Gentiles I will carefully keep the Doctrine of truth committed unto me I will stand firm in the faith being founded upon the rock of ages And whereas lately I was looked upon as breastless vers 8. Now my breasts are fashioned Ezek. 16.7 yea they are grown far greater than those of mine elder sisters so that they look like towers The Church of the Gentiles though little at first and scarce considerable yet after Christs ascension was marvelously increased and multiplied so that shee her self stood amazed to see her children come from far flying to her as a cloud most swiftly and in such flocks as if a whole flight of Doves driven by some hawk or tempest should scour into the columbary and rush into the windows Isa 60.8 Then was I in his eyes as one that found favour Heb. peace even as that Jerusalemy-Shulamite nothing inferiour to the old Church yea before her in this that shee for present is fallen off and through her fall Salvation is come unto the Gentiles for to provoke them to jealousie Rom. 11.11 But when God shall have united these two sticks Ezek. 37.19 and made way for those Kings of the East Rev. 16.12 then it shall be said of Jacob and Israel What hath God wrought Numb 23.23 Vers 11. Solomon had a Vineyard in Baal-hamon So hath Christ in a very fruitful hill Isa 5.1 Solomons Vineyard must needs be of the best for hee abounded both with wealth and wit to make it so Hee let it also to farm for a very great rent which sheweth the fruitfulness of it so many vines set for so many silverlings Isa 7.23 But Solomons Vineyard falls far short of Christs wherewith it is here compared in many respects For as it is nothing so fruitful so hee was fain to let it out to Vine-dressers Hee could not dress and manure it himself keep it in his own hands as his Father David his 1 Chron. 27.27 neither could hee take all the fruit for the tenants also must live and reason good If Solomon have a thousand the poor labourers may well have two hundred But I saith Christ here neither let out the Church my Vineyard but look to it my self though I have a great deal of pains with it nor suffer any part of the profits to go from mee So jealous I am of mine inheritance being ever in the midst of it Vers 12. My Vineyard which is mine c. And therefore most dear unto mee Seneca for ownness makes love Patriam quisque amat non quia pulchram sed quia suam Every man loves his own things best The Church is Christs own by a manifold right by donation conquest purchase not with silver and gold but with the dearest and warmest blood in all his heart 1 Pet. 1.18 No wonder therefore though shee be alwaies before him though hee look carefully to her that cost him so dear that hee trust not others with her as Solomon was forced to do but whomsoever hee employs about her for wee are labourers together with God saith the Apostle Yee are Gods husbandry 1 Cor. 3.9 himself is ever one Ipse adest praeest hee is present and president Feed my sheep said hee to Peter but do it for mee as the Syriack Translatour respecting the sense addes there John 21.15 Take not unto thee the instruments of a foolish shepheard Zech. 11.11 that is forcipes mulctram as an Ancient saith like those that are more intent attonsioni gregis quam attentioni fisco quam Christo Peter must not do any of this much less must hee Lord it over Gods inheritance as his pretended successors do with whose carcasses therefore Christ shall shortly dung his Vineyard and water the roots of his vines with their blood Hee must look to lip-feeding and when himself is converted strengthen his brethren neither must hee intervert or take to himself any part of the fruits as Solomons farmers did Hee may not seek his own things but the things of Jesus Christ Paul may plant and Apollos water but sith it is God that gives the increase let God reap all the glory they shall
Ver. 22. Thy silver is become dross Heb drosses A proverbial kind of speech deciphering Apostacy It is as if the Prophet had said There is nothing pure in thee nothing sincere or simple sed omnia fallacia omnia fucata omnia inquinata but all things are deceitful degenerate and corrupt Dross looketh like silver and is nothing less Wine mixt or marred with water hath the name of wine when it is nil nisi vappa Hypocrites are meer seemers Jam 1.26 Juglers Job 13.16 having a form of Knowledge Rom. 2. a form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 fair professors they are and foul sinners But be not deceived God is not mocked he is a faithful Metallary saith a Father and will easily find out mens mixtures and impostures It is to be feared that he hath yet a further controversie with this Nation for our hateful Hypocrisie and Apostacy for where now alas is our ancient fervour and forwardness our heating and whetting one another O how dull and dilute are we c. Ver. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious Or Revolters Apostates there is an Elegancy in the Original such as this Prophet is full of ac si dicas primi sunt Pravi vel Perversi so saith Calvin here Episcopi may be called Aposcopi Cardinales Carnales vel Carpinales Carpet-men Canonisi Cenonici Praepositi praeposteri c. This note A Lapide is very angry at lapides loquitur And companions of Thieves Whilest they not only suffered such to go unpunished but also shared with them as Psalm 50.18 Cato complained that in his time some thieves stood at the bar in cold Irons when others and worse sat on the Bench with Gold-chains about their necks The bold Pirat told Alexander to his teeth that he was the Arch-Pirat of the World And what shall we think of Pope Alexander who Anno 1505. sent a Bull of Pardons for many Speed 992. dispensing thereby with such as kept away or by any fraud had gotten the goods of other men which they should now retain still without scruple of conscience so as they paid a rateable portion thereof to his Holinesses receivers And at this day Popish Priests will absolve a thief of his wickedness Scultet in loc if he may have half with him of the stollen goods Every one loveth gifts Not only taketh although in taking also the Greek proverb saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great care and caution should be used Olim didici quid sint munera said a grave man See Deut. 16 19. And followeth after rewards As an Hunter his game or a Merchant his gain or a Martialist his enemy Sectantur retributiones i. e. Collidunt inter se judices saith the Chaldee Paraphrast the Judges complot saying one to another Help thou me in Judging against the poor and I 'le do as much for thee another time They judge not the fatherless Because friendless pennilesse Sed pupillos laedere est pupillam oculi Dei contingere Neither doth the cause of the Widow come before them The Widow cannot speak for her self in the Original she hath her name from Dumness and hath no mony to make room for her hence her cause is slighted Ver. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord Dominator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great House-keeper of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord of Hosts Heb. Jehovah of Armies The mighty One of Israel Able enough to deal with them and to punish their facinus majoris abollae Ah Some render it Heu Alass to shew that God punisheth nolens dolens unwillingly and with grief Heu â—olentis Luther Oecolâ—mp Ab exultantis as Lam. 3.33 Others make it to be an expression of joy to shew what content he will take in punishing the obstinate and so it followeth I will ease me I will avenge me As it is an ease to a full stomack to disgorge and as to a vindictive person Revenge is very sweet Est vindicta bonum vita jucundius ipsa So but in a way of Justice God delighteth in the destruction of his stubborn enemies animumque explesse juvabit See Deut. 28.63 Ezek 5.13 Prov 1.26 Mine Adversaries Such by a specialty are corrupt Judges as Calvin here noteth Ver. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee So Zech. 13. I will turn my hand upon the little ones so soon doth it repent the Lord concerning his servants Here he mitigateth the former fearful menace and promiseth a Reformation And purily purge away thy dross Et expurgabo ut purificativum scorias tuas The wicked are the dross of the State Psal 119.119 and wickedness is the dross and dregs of the soul Prov. 17.3 27.21 God promiseth her to purge out both to separate the precious from the vile to reform refine all a Metaphor from Metallaries And I will take away all thy tinne 1. Thine Hypocrisie for tinne hath a shew of silver but t is not so nay it is a deadly enemy to gold silver saith One making them hard and brittle Diod. It is also a Tyrant over them and will hardly be separated from them Hereby are figured your most noted rooted and inveterate sins Ver. 26. And I will restore By new minting the Common-wealth Volut adulterinum nummum as Jer. 9.7 Mal. 3.3 This I will do for thee after thy Captivity but especially after the coming of Christ in the flesh Thou shalt be called Thou shalt have the name and the note the comfort and the credit of such a one The City of Righteousness Wherein dwelleth Righteousness or the City of the Righteous of Jesus Christ the Righteous One 1 Ioh. 2.2 and of his people which shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 Thou shalt be a very Jehovah shammah Ezek 48.35 The faithful City As once thou wast ver 21. Ver. 27. Zion shall be redeemed in judgement Or by judgement executed on her enemies who are also Gods enemies ver 24. And her converts Such as were Manasseh made of a Lion a Lamb Matthew of a Publican an Evangelist Paul of a Pharisee an Apostle Justin of a Philosopher a Martyr Cyprian of a Rhetorician and as some think a Magician a most famous Bishop Austin of a Manichee a Champion of the Church Petrus Paulus Vergerius of the Popes Nuntio a zealous Preacher at Zurich that I speak not of Peter Martyrs converts in Italy Earl Martinens Marquess Caracciolus Lacisius Tremellius Zanchius and other great Divines Hist of Modern Divines by Lupton Bucer was first wrought upon by Luthers Sermon preached before the Emperour at Worms and so of a Dominican became a famous Protestant Bilney was converted by reading Erasmus his Translation of the New Testament for the Eloquence of it and particularly by that sweet sentence 1 Tim. 1.15 Latimer was converted by blessed Bilney as he calleth him from a stiff Papist to a stout Professor of the Truth Julius Palmer the Martyr by reading Calvins Institutions Dr. Sibbs by a
Vine unto him Jer. 2.21 the plantation and supplantation whereof is here 1. parabolically propounded Secondly more plainly expounded Some read it To his Vineyard Others for his Vineyard See Matth 21.33.34 Mar. 1.1 12. Luke 20.9 16. My Beloved See how oft he harps upon this sweet string and cannot come off What a man loveth he will be talking off as the Huntsman of his hounds the Drunkard of his cups the worldling of his wealth c. Ten times in nine verses together doth St. Paul mention the name of Jesus 1 Cor. 1. c. shewing thereby that it was to him mel in ore melos in aure jubilum in corde the sweetest Musick Hath a Vineyard So the Church is here ver 7. and elswhere frequently and fitly stiled Confert autem vineae saith Oecolampadius To a Vineyard is the Church compared for sundry reasons Nulla pâ—ssessio majorem operam requierit Cato Itali dicunt Vinea est tinea Soli antemeridiano meridiano atque postmeridiano expostus Pisc as the great care men take about it the great delight they take in it the sweet fruits they expect from it the great worth of its fruit the little worth of its stemm Ezek. 15.3 if it prove fruitless the lowly and feeble condition thereof the continual need it hath to be dressed supported sheltered pruned Joh. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amputat putat In a very fruitful hill Heb. in an horn the son of oyl that is an horny-hill bowing like a half-Moon and so exposed to the Sun beams all the day long Some say that Judea lyeth in the form of a horn like as the Low-Countries do in the form of a Lion unde Leo Belgicus The son of oyl or fatness that is exceeding sat Judas is called Sumen totius orbis a Land flowing with Milk and Honey Ezek. 20.6 a very Cornucopia of all comforts Basil telleth us that it was a Tradition of great Antiquity that Adam when he was thrust out of Paradise ut dolorem leniret for a mitigation of his grief chose Judea that most fruitful Countrey for a place to dwell in whence it is that Sodom and her sisters which were a part of that Countrey are said to be pleasant as the garden of God Gen 13.10 Pro Sepivit alii vertunt Fodâ—t pastinavit plantavit Ver. 2. And he fenced it Maceria munivit He hedged it in or walled it about protecting his people from the rage of enemies wherewith that Countrey was begirt God was a wall of fire to them Zech. 2.5 and a wall of water to them as Exod. 14.22 whence their land though part of the Continent is called an Island Isa 26.6 not only because separated from other Countries but because secured and made media insuperabilis unda And gathered out the stones thereof He not only cast out the Cananites but flatly forbad Idolatry and all other wickednesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every scandal or rock of offence that might hinder their growth or turn them out of the way Heb. 12.13 And planted it with the choicest Vine Heb. Sorek the Vines of which place Judg. 16.4 may seem to be the best and choicest like as now in Germany are the Vines of Herbipolis See Jer. 2.21 The Saints of God are noble Plants and of choice spirits they are the chiefest Personages and of highest account in Heaven And built a Tower in the midst of it for both Beauty Defence and Conveniency This may be meant of Jerusalem or the Temple therein that Tower of the flock and the strong Hold of the Daughter of Gods people Mic. 4.8 Religion set up in the power and purity of it is the beauty and bulwark of any place And also made a Wine-press therein for the pressing of the Grapes and saving of the Vine but alass that labour might have been saved for any grapes he gat or wine he made Fallitur augurio spes bona saepe suo Little good is done many times by the most pressing and piercing Exhortations and Arguments used by Gods faithful Prophets And he looked that it should bring forth grapes i. e. good grapes as little thinking ut opera perdatur spes eludatur to have lost all his care and cost as he did For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a Flock and eateth not of the milk of the Flock 1 Cor. 9.7 And it brought forth wild-grapes stinking stuffe as the word signifieth that which was naught and noysom grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah Deut. 32.32 33. He looked for the fruit of the spirit but behold the works of the flesh Gal. 5. No whit answerable to his continual care culture and custody they made him as One saith a contumacious and contumelious retribution Thus the wicked answer Heavens kindness with an ungrateful wickedness Ver. 3. And now O ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem Here we have Gods Plea before his Sentence and therein his Appeal to them and his Inditement against them First he appealeth to the Jews themselves maketh them Judges in their own cause So Nathan dealt by David and Jesus by the wicked Jews of his time Mat. 21.40 Judicate quaso only judge a righteous Judgement John 7.24 and then I dare report me to the conscience of any one amongst you and will therehence fetch witness Between me and my Vineyard With which I am now at variance Sin is that hell-bag make-bate trouble-town that sets odds betwixt God and his greatest favourites Ver. 4. What could have been done to my Vineyard See the like angry expostulations Jer. 2.5 Mic. 6.3 when God hath done all that can be done to do wretched men good they oft do their utmost to defeit him and undo themselves Quid debu facere Domino meo quod fecerim said Austin of himself by way of penitent confession quis ego qualis ego quid non mali ego The Cypress-tree the more it is watered the less fruitful so it is with many people But God can no way be charged with their barrenness At Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus Horat. Cogi posse negat Ver. 5. And now go to I will tell you c. God loveth to fore-signifie to warn ere he woundeth and to foretell a judgement ere he inflicteth it This he doth that he may be prevented Amos 4.12 Prolata est sententia ut non fiat Well might the Lord say Fury is not in me Isa 27.3 I will take away the hedge thereof Hedge and Wall shall be taken away at once from an ungrateful people and all laid open to the wrath of God and rage of enemies it shall be opentide indeed See Psalm 80.12 13. And what may be reasonably pleaded against God at such a time when he may say to men as Reuben did to his brethren Did not I warn you saying Sin not It shall be eaten up it shall be trodden down All shall run to ruine as it did at Jerusalem by the
hell hath inlarged herself c. To swallow up those insatiable Helluones and Lurcones Drunkards and Epicures These Swilbowles and Sensualists Cerberi instar tria guttura pundebant Diotimus of Athens was surnamed Tunbowl and yong Cicero Tricongius because he could take off three pottles of wine at a draught Therefore Death and Hell Have opened their mouth without measure hiante rictu amplissimo helluones istos absorbere to devour such pests and botches of mankind Oh that the carousers were perswaded as Mahomet told his followers that in every grape there dwelt a devil and Oh that they would foresee and prevent a worse punishment in hell then befell that poor Turk who being found drunk had a ladleful of boyling lead poured down his throat by the command of a certain Bashaw And their glory their great ones those men of honour ver 13. And their multitude The meaner sort Nos numeri sumus And their pomp Or their noise or tumult their revel-rout as they call it when they have drunk all the Out 's and are now a singing and hallowing Ver. 15. And the mean man shall be brought down c. Here the Prophet before he comes to the third denunciation for this part of the chapter like Ezekiels roule is full of lamentation and mourning and woe chap. 2.10 inserteth three good effects of the fore-threatened punishments 1. that the wicked shall be thereby tamed Piscat in this vers 2. that Gods glory shall be asserted ver 16. and 3. that Gods poor people shall be graciously provided for ver 17. See for this ver chap. 29. And the eyes of the haughty See on chap. 2.11 Ver. 16. But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted See chap. 2.11 And God that is holy shall be sanctified He shall be religiously acknowledged Dio i. approved of and worshipped as an enemy to sin and an upright judge because of his most righteous judgments It shall be said Certainly there is a God that ruleth in the earth Psal 58.12 Ver. 17. Then shall the Lambs feed after their manner i. e. freely and quietly by Lambs here understand the godly poor those Lambs with golden fleeces who shall be graciously provided for And the waste places of the fat ones Medullatorum of those fat Buls of Bashan who had oppressed the poor and laid waste their dwellings but are now served in like sort by the enemy Shall the strangers eat Such as had been strangers at home because held captive in a far countrey but are now returned and repossessed of all Ver. 18. Woe unto them that draw iniquity that draw sin to them as a beast draweth a cart after it Here the Prophet reproveth and threateneth such Nihil agitantes nisi malum omni studio suo Jun. Qui datâ operâ peccant Scultet saith an Interpreter as sin without any strong temptation or occasion drawing them thereunto yea they draw sin to themselves as with ropes quodammodo velut invitum repugnans cogunt not remembring that sin haleth hell at the heels of it Let such get from under sins cart assoon as they can Otherwise they shall be holden with the cords punishments of their iniquity they shall dye without instruction c. Pro. 5.22 The Devils as they sinned without a tempter so they perish without a Saviour Cavete Ver. 19. That say Let him make speed That jear when they should fear jest at Gods judgments and mock at his menaces as if they were onely bug-bear terms devised on purpose to affright silly people but that themselves had more wit then to regard them This also was the guise of those Atheists in after-ages Jer. 17.15 Ezek. 12.23 Am. 5.18 2 Pet. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they made childrens play of Gods direfull threats as the Greek word signifieth and that they may not plead ignorance the Apostle addeth ver 5. that they were willingly ignorant they choaked their natural light and contradicted the testimony of their own consciences Magna corum hodieque seges est such dust-heapes are found in every corner And let the counsel of the Holy one of Israel Verba ludificantium Deum Prophetas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These scoffers are here brought in deriding the very name whereby the holy Prophets for more reverence sake commonly called the Lord viz. The Holy one of Israel Oecolamp Or thus God is the Holy one of Israel which Israel we are and thinkest thou that he will do us hurt Hereupon the Prophet addeth Ver. 20. Woe unto them that call evil good c. that can make Candida de nigris de candentibus atra and go about to invert the nature of things and to change the very names of them whilest they call not out of ignorance or infirmity but out of base calumny or gross flattery evil good and good evil cleping drunkenness good fellowship covetousness good husbandry prodigality liberality swearing with a grace a gentleman like quality fornication a trick of youth adultery an enjoyment of the fellow-creature as Ranters call it c. Thus the Athenians flattered their own vices calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Catll c. Cicero said it was an ill omen of the overthrow of the Commonwealth that the true names of things were lost And in Divinity it is a rule Qui fingit nova verba nova gignit dogmata David Par. vlta He that affecteth new terms would bring in new opinions That saying of Luther was oft in Pareus his mouth Theologus gloriae dicit malum bonum bonum malum Theologus Crucis dicit id quod res est Not long before our late unhappy troubles the Martyrs of the Protestant religion were disgraced the Conspiratours in the Powder-treason excused in a Sermon at St. Maries in Cambridge by one Kemp of Queens Colledge The schools press and pulpit began to speak Italian apace Myst of iniq p. 15. and to perswade to a Moderation to a Reconciliation with Rome which now was said to be a true Church the Pope not Antichrist c. The great Elixar called State-policy hath with some at least so transmutative a faculty as to make copper seem gold right wrong and wrong right But let us pray with good David Psal 119.66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge give me senses habitually exercised to discern betwixt good and evil Heb. 5. Vlt. and then take heed that we neither make Censures whip nor Charities cloak too long we may offend in both Ver. 21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes wiser then Daniel as the proud Prince of Tyre thought himself Ezek. 28.3 or than any Prophet of them all This self conceitedness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said that Heathen the hinderance of all true Proficiency and a mischievous marre-good here is a Woe hanged at the heels of it And left any should hold that to be a small matter let them consider what befell Meroz after that bitter
Called the Jews language chap. 35.11 13. the Hebrew tongue wherein were written the lively Oracles of God This Language therefore the Elect Egyptians shall learn and labour for that pure lip Zeph. 3.9 to speak as the Oracles of God 1 Pet 4.11 Wholsom words 2 Tim. 1.13 Right words Job 6.25 Words of wisdom Prov. 1.6 Of truth and soberness Act. 26.25 to be Examples to others not only in faith and conversation but also in words and communication 1 Tim. 4.12 And swear to the Lord of hosts Devote themselves to his fear and service Nempe susceptione baptismi Piscat taking a corporal oath for that purpose as in baptisme and other holy covenants whereupon haply they might be inabled to speak with tongues the holy tongue especially as most necessary for Christians Here then we have a description of a true Christian not such as the Jesuites in their Catechisme give us viz. A Christian is he who believeth whatsoever the Church of Rome commandeth to be believed swearing fealty to Her One shall be called the City of destruction i. e. Nevertheless there shall be a few cities that shall despise Christian Religion and shall therefore be destroyed for neglecting so great salvation It shall be easier for Sodom one day then for such Others render the text Heliopolis or the city of the Sun shall be accounted one sc of those 5 converted cities and become consecrated to the Sun of righteousness Joseph Ant. lâ—b 13. cap. 6. Ver. 19. In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord A spiritual altar for spiritual sacrifices as ver 20. Heb. 13.10 Onias the Jewish Priest who hereupon went and built an altar at Heliopolis in Egypt and sacrificed to God there was as much mistaken as the Anabaptists of Germany were in their Munster which they termed new Jerusalem and acted accordingly sending forth Apostles casting out orthodox Ministers c. And a pillar in the border thereof that is saith One the Gospels and writings of the Apostles that pillar and ground of truth Or a publike confession of the Christian faith Rom. 10 9. An allusion to Josh 22.10 25. See Zech. 14.9 20 21. Ver. 20. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness The doctrine of Christs death is a clear testimony of Gods great love and kindness to mankind Rom. 5. and 8. For they shall cry unto the Lord for their oppressours As the Israelites sometimes had done under the Egyptian servitude Exod. 3.9 And he shall send them a Saviour not Moses but Messias that great Saviour Servatorem magnatem vel magistrum for God hath laid his peoples help on One that is mighty Psal 89.19 See Tit. 2 13. Ver. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt They shall both know the Lord Christ and be known of him as Gal. 4.9 See Rom. 10.20 And shall do sacrifice and oblation Perform reasonable service Rom 12.1 such as whereof they can render a reason Not a Samaritan service Joh. 4.22 or Athenian Act. 17.23 Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship c. God will have no such blind sacrifices Mal. 1.8 Yea they shall vow a vow c. That in baptisme especially Facit opus aâ—tenum ut faciat proprium Isa 28. Ver. 22. And the Lord shall smite Egypt That he may bring it into the bond of the covenant Ezek. 20.37 Heb. 12.9 Hos 6.1 He shall smite and heal it Heb. smiting and healing Vna eademque manus c. Vna gerit bellum monstrat manus altera pacew as it was said of Charles 5. And shall heal them Pardon their sins heal their natures and make up all breaches in their outward estates Ver. 23. In that day there shall be an highway c. All hostility shall cease and a blessed unanimity be settled amongst Christs subjects of several nations Hereunto way was made by the Roman Empire reducing both these great countries into Provinces And the Egyptiant shall serve Serve the Lord with one shoulder as Zeph. 3.9 Ver. 24. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt The posterity of Sem Ham and Japhâ—t shall concur in the communion of Saints the pale and partition-wall being taken away Even a blessing in the middest of the earth The Saints are so Absque stationibus non staret mundus If it were not for them the world would soon shatter and fall in pieces Jun. Ver. 25. Whom the Lord of hostes shall bless Or For the Lord of hostes shall bless and then he shall be blessed as Isaac said of Jacob Gen. 27.33 Blessed be Egypt my people A new title to Egypt and no less honorable Vide quantum profecerit Aegyptus flagellis saith Oecolampad here i e. See how Egypt hath got by her sufferings See ver 22. She who was not a people but a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven is now owned and taken into covenant And Assyria the work of my hands For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 And Israel mine Inheritance This is upon the matter one and the same with the former every regenerate person whether Jew or Gentile is all these three in conjunction O the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heaped up happiness of all such Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149.2 For the Lord her God in the midst of her is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over her with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over her with singing Zeph. 3.17 CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. IN the year that Tartan A certain Commander under Sennacherib 2 King 18.17 who came against Ashdod among other Cities of Judah about the twelfth year of King Hezekiah Came to Ashdod Called also Azotus Act. 8.40 and much praised by Herodotus in Euterpe When Sargon That is Sennacherib most likely who had seven Names saith Hierom eighth say some Rabbins Commodus the Roman Emperour took unto himself as many names as there are months in the year 1 â—on which also he changed ever and anon but constantly kept that of Exuperans because he would have been thought to excel all men The like might be true of Sargon Herod l. 2. And fought against Ashdod and took it Psammetichus King of Egypt had before taken it after a very long siege now it is taken again from the Aegyptian by the Assyrian to teach them and others not to trust to Forts and fenced Cities Ver. 2. At the same time spake the Lord Against Egypt and Ethiopia whom he had comforted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Per Isaiam tanquam organum disâ—ensatorem suoâ—um myster Oecolamp Vestimentum â—i losum ver 18. 19 and yet now again threateneth shewing by an ocular demonstration what miseries should befall them This was done in Jury but the report thereof might easily come to these confederate Countreys and the Jews howsoever were given hereby to
Lawes by Ordinances the ceremonial and by everlasting Covenant the Decalogue Others by Lawes the municipal Lawes of the Common-wealth by Ordinances the Lawes of Nations as not to violate an Embassadour c. by everlasting Covenant the Law of Nature which is that Light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.9 Ver. 6. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth The Chaldee and Vatablus render it the perjury viz. in transgressing the Laws c. which they had covenanted and sworn to observe See Psalm 119.106 That dreadful curse of the Jews Matth. 27.25 is come upon them to the utmost devouring their Land and desolating the Inhabitants thereof Though the curse causeless come not yet God sometimes saith Amen to other mens curses as he did to Jothams upon the Shechemites Judg. 9.57 How much more to mens banning themselves Ver. 7. The new wine mourneth As being spilled and spoiled by the enemy All the merry-hearted do sigh Who were wont to sing away care and to call for their cups Ver. 8. The mirth of Tabrets ceaseth Quicquid laetitiarum fuit in luctum vertitur Ver. 9. They shall not drink wine with a song Revel it as they had wont to do non convivabuntur pergroecando We use to call such merry-griggs that is Greeks Ver. 10. The City of confusion Vrbs desolanda destined to desolation whether it be Babylon Tyre Jerusalem or any other Mundum intellige in quo nihil nisi vanum saith Oecolampadius that is by this City of vanity so the Vulgar translateth it understand the world according to that of the Preacher Vanity of vanities all is vanity Austin in the beginning of that excellent work of his De Civitate Dei maketh two opposite Cities the one the City of God the other the City of the Devil the one a City of Verity the other a City of vanity Ver. 11. There is a crying for Wine The Drunkards weep the Ale-stakes yell because the new Wine is cut off from their mouthes Joel 1.5 All joy is darkened Heb. It is eventide with joy As the ayr in the evening waxeth dark so shall their mirth be turned into heaviness The mirth of the land is gone Together with their liquor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wine is by Simonides called the expeller of sadness Ver. 12. In the City is left desolation There is nothing of any worth left but havock made of all it is plundered to the life as now we phrase it since the Swedish Wars Custom is the sole Mint-Master of currant words Ver. 13. When thus it shall be in the midst of the Land Or for so it shall be in the land among the people as in the beating of an Olive-tree c. En misericordiae specimen still there is a remnant reserved for royal use quando omnia passim pessum â—unt God never so punisheth but he leaveth some matter for his mercy to work upon A Church on earth he will ever have Ver. 14. They shall lift up their voyce c. Laudabunt Deum laetabuntur this Elect remnant in all Countries shall be filled with spiritual joy and peace through the belief of the Truth which shall vent it self by singing praises to God And here we have the very mark of the true Church which is to celebrate and profess the great and glorious Name of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For the Majesty of the Lord Or for the magnificence that great work of his especially of divulging his Gospel all the world over and thereby gathering his Church out of all Nations They shall cry aloud from the sea i. e. From the Islands and transmarine parts as we do now from great Brittain thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift calling to our Neighbour-nations and saying Ver. 15. Glorifie ye God in the fires In ipsis ignibus in the hottest fires of afflictions rejoyce in hope be patient in tribulation praise God for crosses also this is Christianorum propria virtus saith Hierom. Jun. In the Isles of the sea Quicunque quocunque loco inter quoscunq sitis Ver. 16. From the uttermost part of the land have we heard songs Or Psalms aliquid Davidicum The Martyrs sang in the fire Luther in deep distress called for the 46. Psalm to be sung in contemptum Diaboli in despight of the Devil Maerore ac macie conficior Even glory to the Righteous To Jesus the just One 1 John 2.2 But I said my leanness my leanness The Prophets flesh was wasted and consumed with care and grief for his graceless Country-men See the like in David Psalm 119.158 and Paul Rom. 9.1 2. Wo unto me Or Alass for me The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously They have crucified the Lord of Glory upon a desperate and deep malice out of most notorious contumacy and ingratitude This was with most treacherous treachery to deal treacherously this was to do evil as they could Ver. 17. Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee Metaphora à venatoribus a Metaphor from Hunters elegantly expressed in the original by words of a like sound God hath variety of plagues at command his quiver is full of shafts neither can he possibly want a Weapon to beat his Rebels with If the Amorites escape the Sword yet they are brain'd with Hail-stones Josh 10. If the Syrians get into a walled Town yet there they are baned by the fall of a Wall upon them 1 King 20. Ver. 18. He who fleeth from the noise of the fear See Am. 5 19. with the Note and learn to fear God the stroke of whose arm none may think to escape For the windows from on high are opened The cataracts or sluces of the clouds as once in the general Deluge The foundations of the earth do shake Heaven and earth shall fight against them and conspire to mischieve them Ver. 19. The earth is utterly broken down This he had said before Oyl if not well rub'd in pierceth not the skin Menaces must be inculcated or else they will be but little regarded Let Preachers press matters to the utmost drive the nayl home to the head not forbearing through faint-heartedness nor languishing through luke-warmness Ver. 20. The earth shall reel too and fro like a drunkard As the Inhabitants thereof had drunk in iniquity like water Job 15.17 so they should now drink and be drunk with the Cup of Gods wrath And shall be removed like a cottage Or lodge but or tent so shall they be tossed and tumbled from one place to another And the transgression i. e. The punishment of your transgression Observe here the wages and the weight of sin Ver. 21. The Lord shall punish the host of the high-ones that are on high Altitudinis in excelso Hereby he may mean the Jews Gods first-born and therefore higher then the Kings of the earth Psalm 89.27 though now for most part degenerated and therefore in the next words also heavily
the damned there endure and this the Assyrians are here threatned with yea their very King whose preservation from the stroke of the Angel was but a reservation to a worse mischief here and hereafter For potentes potenter torquebuntur great men if not good shall be greatly tormented and the more they have of the fat of the earth the more they are sure to fry in hell Such therefore had need to add true grace to their high places else they shall prove but as an high gibbet to bring them to more disgrace in this world and torment in the next Of old Heb. from yesterday Hence some infer that hell-torments are always fresh and new as if they had begun but yesterday and every sacrifice there is salted with fire Mar. 9.49 that is it burneth but consumeth not fire being of a burning but salt of a preserving nature He hath made it deep and large capacious enough to receive a world full of wicked ones Psal 9.17 The pile thereof is fire and much wood Hell-fire is no Metaphorical thing but a material true proper real and corporeal fire Mat. 18.9 25.41 Luk. 16.23 for vehemency of heat saith Austin it exceedeth ours as far as our fire doth exceed fire painted on the wall That Friar said too little of it who said that one might feel it burn seven miles of Aetna Vesuvius Pietra mala which is a mountain in the highest part of the Apennines that perpetually burneth come not near it Some gross Papists have imagined Aetna to be the place of Purgatory Odilo Abbot of Cluniacum perswaded Pope John the nineteenth that he had there seen the tormented souls wailing whereupon that Pope appointed the Feast of All-souls The breath of the Lord as a stream of brimstone This formidable fire then is fed with most tormenting temper rivers of brimstone and kindled with the breath of the Almighty throughout all eternity Simile quiddam videmus in thermis ubi sulphureae scaturigines magno fremitu effervescunt some resemblance hereof we have in the hot baths c. CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. WO to them that go down to Egypt for help The Prophet saw them set upon it to send down to Egypt he therefore addeth another Woe to such refractaries and layeth before them more reasons to disswade them from doing so a good president for Preachers Oecolampadius rendreth it O descendentes O ye that go down to Egypt c. Oh ye are a wise company of you and full well ye have done it But they look not to the holy one of Israel They trust not God at all that not alone He that stands with one foot on a rock and another foot upon a quick-sand will sink and perish as certainly as he that stands with both feet on a quick-sand See Psal 62.2 5 6. Ver. 2. Yet he also is wise yea he is the only wise God whatever the worlds wizzards think of Him or of themselves They counted the voyage down to Egypt the wisest way and to rest altogether upon God Tacita Antithesis in qua latet Antanaclasis to be altogether impolitique as the case now stood Egypt also they knew was famous for wisdom chap. 19.11 12. but considered not how God had fooled them Exod. 1. and taken those foxes in their own craft 1 Cor. 3 19. And will bring evil To those evil-Counsellors especially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 3. Now the Egyptians are men and not God Poets fain that in the Trojan war one god fought against another Mulciber in Trojam pro Troja stabat Apollo But these Jews could not imagine that the Egyptians in whom they confided were fit matches for God and able to deal with him Who would set those briars and thorns against me in battle I would go through them I would burn them together chap. 27.4 And their horses flesh and not spirit God is Lord of hosts and as the Rabbins well observe he hath his Cavallery and his Infantry or his horse and his foot his upper forces and his lower ready prest The charets of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels Psal 68.17 and what can the Egyptian horse do against such worthy warriors Ver. 4. Like as the Lion and the young Lion That they may trust in God and not in the arm of flesh the Prophet setteth before them under two fit similitudes the power of God ver 4. and the mercy of God ver 5. These are the Jachin and the Boaz the two main pillars and supports of Trust in God Procopius here noteth that the Lyon when he preyeth first roareth so terribly that he thereby amazeth both the cattle and their keepers and then he falleth upon them and teareth them in pieces so doth God first roar that is threaten by his Prophets and then he destroyeth such as obstinate themselves in a sinful course Ver. 5. As birds flying so will the Lord of Hosts This is the second similitude the Eagle when she flyeth highest of all from the nest and seemeth to set her self among the clouds still keeps her eye on her nest so that if any come near her young ones to offend them she makes all possible speed for their defence Such an Eagle is Almighty God Deut. 32.11 such a hen is Jesus Christ Mat. 23.37 see Psal 91.1 2. The Church is Gods nest who dare meddle with it Sennacherib had threatned to destroy nest and young ones together because he had done so elsewhere and none durst wag the wing at him chap. 10.14 but he found it otherwise here chap. 37.33 Ver. 6. Turn ye unto him Vos Apostatae Judaei He runs far that never turneth again we say ye have revolted and run away from God with all your hearts doing evil as ye could O Turn again to Him ex profundo imoque corde ad illum redite let there be a proportion betwixt your sin and your repentance Turn ye unto me usque ad me all out as far as to me give not the half turn only with all your heart Joel 2.12 Take heed left there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 7. For in that day Sc. of your effectual conversion chap. 30 22. or when the Assyrian shall assault you then you shall see the vanity of your Idols and of all humane helps so chap. 2.20.22 Ver. 8. Then shall the Assyrian fall fall in his forces flee in his person but evil shall hunt that violent man to destroy him Psal 140.11 Not of a mighty man or of a mean man but of an Angel And his young men shall be discomfited Heb. shall be unto melting they shall melt away as 1 Sam. 14.16 Vide hic saith à Lapide see here how this world is nothing else but a perpetual ruin of all kinds and conditions of men Ver. 9. And he shall pass over to his stronghold To Nineveh never thinking
gracious answer he that beleeveth maketh not haste Ver. 13. I have raised him up i. e. Cyrus Ezra 1.1 And I will direct all his wayes sc When he cometh against the Babylonians Lydians c. on mine errand But when moved by his ambition he invaded Scythia and cruelly wasted the Country God took no further charge of him as I may say He that is out of Gods precincts is out of his protection Ver. 14. Thus saith the Lord the labour of Egypt Here he turneth his speech to Cyrus promising him that he should be no loser by his generous carriage toward the poor people of God his captives whom he freely dismissed without ransom ver 13. Gods retributions are more than bountiful Agatharch lib. 5. cap. 20. vel proceri i. e. potentissimi agro mercib Trem. In Psal 37. Men of stature The Arabians are reported to have been goodly personable men by Agatharchides an ancient writer from whom Plutarch and Pliny borrowed much They shall come over unto thee Commodissime dicemus promissionem hanc referendam ad tempus revelati Evangelii This was fulfilled chiefly when the Gospel was preached and Nations thereby converted See Psal 45.5 and 149.6 8. The bonds of the holy Spirit are stronger than Adamant saith Ambrose Surely God is in thee Or with thee and hence thou O Cyrus so prevailest and prosperest Thus these conquered Kings shall supplicate and say to Cyrus And there is none else there is no God Hence Mahometans seem to have taken that which out of their Alchoran they dayly proclaim in their Moschies or meeting-houses There is no god but God and Mahomet his Counsellour Thus those Kings but what saith the Prophet Hac approbatio est Prophetae Scultet Ver. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self As thou art invisible and dwellest in light inaccessible so in thy dispensations thou goest a way by thy self and thy judgements are unsearchable Thou hidest thy self and standest off a while sometimes from the help of thy poor people but wilt appear to them and for them in due time The Septuagint here translate Tues Deus nescitbamus Thou art God and we knew thee not And this the Fathers interpret concerning Christ and hence the Jews seem to have drawn that speech of theirs Christ when he cometh no man knoweth whence he is Ver. 16 That are makers of Idols The Word rendred Idols signifieth properly Tormina cruciatus paines and throws and straits Idolaters heap up sorrows to themselves and terrours of conscience See Psal 16.4 with the Note Ver. 17. But Israel with an evelasting salvation By Cyrus they were not so for not long after Antiochus afflicted them Herod gat the Scepter from them the Romans came and took away both them and their Nation But the Israel of God were and are still saved by Jesus with an everlasting salvation Ver. 18. He created it not in vain Therefore never think that he will forsake it or not take care of his Church therein for whose sake he made it at first and still upholdeth it by the word of his power 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Now if God created not the earth in vain much less the heavens wherein he hath shewed his greater skill Heb. 11.10 See the Note there but that his people might there inhabit for ever And here it is that they shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation Yea they shall not be ashamed or confounded world without end ver 17. Ver. 19. I have not spoken in secret As the Sibylls did out of their dens as the Idol-priests did out of their holes and under-ground vaults as hereticks and seducers who creep into corners and there vent their false wares as Vincentius Lirinensis long since observed Epiphanius fitly compareth them to Mouls who do all their mischief by working under ground But God as he delivered his Law openly on Mount Sina so his Gospel he commanded to be preached on the house-top and in Mount Zion Christ spoke openly to the world Joh. 18.20 Truth seeketh no corners I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1.16 But what was this word that was delivered so plainly and pespicuously Seek ye me And for your encouragement ye shall not do it in vain for I am a rewarder of all those that diligently seek me Heb. 11.6 Let Heathen deities disappoint and delude those that seek to them Jacobs God scorneth the motion he is better to his people then their prayers better then their hopes and when with Gehezi they ask but one talent he like Naaman forceth them to take two I the Lord speak righteousnesse I declare the things that are right Or even so doth not the Devil but things sinful and obscene as humane sacrifices promiscuous uncleannesses ut in nefariis Priapi Veneris sacris Contrariwise all the words of Gods mouth are in righteousnesse ther is nothing froward or perverse in them Prov. 8.8 Ver. 20. Ye that are escaped of the Nations That have escaped the sword of Cyrus and well proved how little your gods can do for you That set up the wood of their graven Image Qui levant lignum carrying them in pomp and procession upon their shoulders as Papists now do their pictures their breaden god especially and crying to it Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbaoth Ver. 21. Who hath declared this sc that the people of God should be set at lilerty by Cyrus Ver. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved Whiles the Moon looketh directly upon the Sun she is bright and beautiful but if she once turn aside and be left to her self she looseth all her glory and enjoyes but only a shadow of light which is her own so while men look to Christ the Sun of righteousnesse and toward the stars in his right-hand c. For I am God and none else This Judas Maccabeus acknowledged in his Ensigne wherein this Motto was written Mi Camoca Belohim Jehovah Godw. Heb. Antiqu. i. e. Who is like unto thee among the Gods O Lord from the capital letters of which Motto he took his name Maccabi Ver. 23. That unto me every knee I will be known and obeyed all the world over sc by Christians Of the Jews Hierom noteth quod mentis superbiam demonstrantes genu non flectunt that they bow not the knee in Gods service but only stand up at times Ver. 24. Surely shall one say This shall be the Christian Confession In the Lord have I righteousnesse c. righteousnesse i. e. Mercy to those that come over to him and strength to enable them to come as the Sea sendeth out waters to fetch us to it c. Ver. 25. Shall be justified by faith in Christ Rom. 5.1 And shall glory Having peace of Conscience they shall glory in tribulation Rom. 5.1 3. Note this against Meritmongers CHAP. XLVI Ver. 1. BEl is bowed down Jupiter Belus as Pliny calleth him Babels chief God is now become a prey to the
money-Merchants hath mystical Babylon also not a few Rev. 18.11 Non desunt Antichristo sui Augures malefici saith Oecolampadius Antichrist hath those abroad that trade with him and for him these shall be cast alive with him into the burning lake Rev. 19.20 and though they wander yet not so wide as to misse of hell CHAP. XLVIII Ver. 1. HEar ye this O house of Jacob Ye stiffenecked of Israel and uncircumcised in heart and eares who do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Act. 7.51 to you be it spoken for to the Israelites indeed enough hath been said of this subject already Which are called by the name of Israel Sed nomen inane crimen immane Ye are called Jews and make your boast of God Rom. 2.17 having a form of knowledge Picti estis Israelitae est◠hypocritae Rom. 2.20 and of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 and that 's all the voyce of Jacob but the hands of Esau Let such fear Jacobs fear My Father perhaps will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Gen. 27.12 'T is sure enough And are come forth out of the waters of Judah i. e. Out of the bowels Pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videtur hic legendum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 15.4 as waters out of a spring Deut. 33.28 Psal 68.26 Judah was the tribe royal hence they so gloried and remained ruling with God and faithful with the Saints when other tribes revolted Which swear by the Name of the Lord And not of Baal And make mention of the God of Israel Who was neer in their mouths but far from their reines Jer. 22.2 Psal 50.16 Religionem simulabant cum in cute essent nequissimi arrant hypocrites But not in truth nor in righteousnesse i. e. Without faith and sound conversion Ver. 2. For they call themselves of the holy City Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah yea they swore by their City and Temple as appeareth in the Gospel and cryed out ad ravim usque The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. like as the Romists now do The Church the Church glorying in the false and empty title of Roman Catholicks Sed grande est Christianum esse non dici saith Hierom and it is a great vanity saith the Poet Respicere ad fumos nomina vana Catonum And stay themselves As far as a few good words will go See on Mic. 3.11 The Lord of hosts is his Name So said these hypocrites bearing themselves bold upon so great a God who had all creatures at his command Ver. 3. I have declared the former things This God had said oft before but being now to conclude this comfortable Sermon he repeats here the heads of what had been spoken in the seven foregoing Chapters Ver. 4. Because I knew that thou art obstinate Heb. hard obduraete therefore do I so inculcate these things if by any means I may mollify thee Hypocrites are harder to be wrought upon then other sinners And thy neck is an iron sinew Thou art utterly averse from yea adverse to any good no more bended thereunto than if the body had for every sinew a plate of iron And thy brow brasse Sinews of iron argue a natural impotency and somewhat more but brows of brasse impudency in evil quando pudet non esse impudentes when men are shamelesse in sin setting it upon the cliffe of the Rock Ezek. 24.7 and declaring it as Sodom Isa 3.9 Ver. 5. I have even from the beginning c. See ver 3. It is probable that there were many among the Jews who when they saw themselves to be so punished and the heathen prospered would be ready to think that the God of Israel either could not or would not do for his people as those Devil-gods did for theirs For their help therefore under such a temptation God was pleased to foretell his people what good or evil should betide them and accordingly to accomplish it Ver. 6. Thou hast heard see all this Here God extorteth from them a confession of the aforesaid truth and urgeth them to attest and publish it Ver. 7. They are created now i. e. They are now brought to light by my Revelations and predictions Behold I knew them By my gods or Diviners or by my natural sagacity Ver. 8. Yea thou heardest not yea thou knewest not Yea so oft used here is very emphatical and sheweth how hardly sinners are born down and made to beleeve plain truths where they are prepossessed with conceits to the contrary And wast called a transgressour from the womb Ever since thou madest and worshippedst a golden Calf in the wildernesse See here the Note on Psal 58.3 and art still as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever thy Fathers were Act. 7.51 Ver. 9. For my name sake will I defer mine anger Heb. prolong it Here he setteth forth the cause of his patience toward so perverse a people viz. the sole respect to his own glory whereof he is so tender and so loth to be a loser in Propter me faciam And for my praise The praise of my might and mercy That I cut thee not off Which I would do were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest thine adversaries should behave themselves strangely and lest they should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Deut. 32.27 Ver. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver Much lesse as gold which is wont to be fined most exactly Non agam summo jure tecum Jun. and to the uttermost because these precious mettles will not perish by fire But thou hast more drosse in thee than good oare therefore I have refined thee with favour Psal 118.18 Ne totus disperires lest I should undoe thee for if thy punishment should be commensurate to thine offence thou must needsly perish I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction i. e. In affliction which is as a furnace or crucible See Ezek. 20.37 Ver. 11. For mine own sake even for mine own sake This is oft repeated that it may once be well observed Bene cavet spiritus sanctus ubique in Scripturis ne nostris operibus salutem tribuamus it is Oecolampadius his Note upon the first verse of this Chapter i. e. The holy Ghost doth everywhere in Scripture take course that we ascribe not our safety to our own works See on chap. 43.13 For how should my Name be polluted As it will be by the blasphemous Heathens who else will say that their gods are fortiores faventiores more powerful and more merciful than the God of the Hebrews Thus the Turkes at this day when they have beaten the Christians cry up their Mahomet as mightier than Christ And I will not give my glory to another Presse this in prayer 't is an excellent argument Exod. 32.12 Josh 7.9 Psal 79.9 10. Psal
dreary tears from us Zach. 12.10 Ver. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked i. e. He should have been buried among malefactours had not rich Joseph begged his body Or his dead body was at the disposal of wicked ones and of rich men or Rulers the Jews and Pilat at his death And with the rich The same say some with wicked And indeed Magna cognatio ut rei siâ— nominis divitiis vitiis Rich men are put for wicked rich Jam. 5.1 And how hardly do rich men enter Heaven Hyperius thinketh that the two thieves crucified together with Christ were rich men put to death for Sedition and Christ was placed in the midst as their chieftain whence also that memorable title set over his head King of the Jews Because he had done no violence Or albeit he had done c. notwithstainding his innocency and integrity Nec te tua plurima Pentheu Labentem texit pietas Ver. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Singula verba hic expendenda sunt cum Emphasi saith One Here every word hath its weight Hyper. and it is very sure that the Apostles and Evangelists in describing the mysteries of our salvation have great respect as to this whole Chapter of Isaiah so especially to these three last verses And it must needs be that the Prophet when he wrot these things was indued with a very great Spirit because herein he so clearly setteth forth the Lord Christ in his twofold estate of Humiliation and of Exaltation that whereas other oracles of the Old Testament borrow light from the New this Chapter lendeth light to the New in several places He hath put him to grief Or he suffered him to be put to pain See Acts 2.23 4.28 God the Father had a main hand in his Sons sufferings and that out of his free mercy Joh. 3.16 for the good of many When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Confer 2 Cor. 5.20 He made him sin for us that knew no sin Our sins were laid upon him as the sins of him that sacrificed were laid upon the beast which was thereby made the sinner as it were and the man righteous Christs Soul suffered also Matth. 26.38 it was undequaque tristis surrounded wich sorrows and heavy as heart could hold This Sacrifice of his was truly expiatory and satisfactory Confer Heb. 10.1 2. He shall see his seed Bring many sons to God Heb. 2.10 13. See on ver 8. an holy seed the Church of the New Testament to the end of the world Parit dum perit perit dum parit Phaeâ— nic aenigma Psal 72.17 filiabitur nomine ejus The name of Christ shall endure for ever it shall be begotten as one generation is begotten of another there shall be a succession of Christs name till time shall be no more And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He came to send fire on the earth which whiles he lived upon earth was already kindled Luke 12.49 This some interpret of the Gospel which how wonderfully it spred and prospered the Evangelical and Ecclesiastical histories testify Ver. 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul Or because his soul laboureth he shall see his seed and be satisfied A Metaphor from a travelling woman confer Acts 2 24. Joh. 16.21 And shall be satisfied As a Parent is in his dear children or a rich man in the fight of his large farms and incomes Saturabitur salute fidelium quam esurivit If therefore we would gratify and satisfy Christ come by troops to the Ordinances By his knowledge i. e. By the lively light and impression of Faith as Joh. 17.3 Acts 25.23 26.18 Joh. 6.69 Faith comprehendeth in it self these three acts Knowledge in the understanding Assent of the will and Trust of the hearâ— so that justifiyng Faith is nothing else but a fiducial assent presupposing knowledge The Popish-Doctours settle the seat of Faith in the Will as in its adaequate subject that they mean while may doe what they will with the Heart and with the Understanding To which purpose they exclude all knowledge and as for confidence in the promises of Christ they cry it down to the utmost and everywhere expunge it by their Iudices expurgatorii for a bare assent though without wit or sense is sufficient say they and Bellarmine defendeth it that Faith may better be defined by ignorance then by knowledge Shall my righteous servant Jesus Christ the just one 1 Joh. 2.2 Jehovah our righteousnesse Jer 23.6 Justify many i. e. Discharge them from the guilt of all iniquity by his righteousnesse imputed unto them This maketh against Justification by works Cardinal Pighius was against it so before him was Contarenus another Cardinal And of Stephen Gardiner it is recorded that he died a Protestant in the point of mans Justification by the free mercies of God Fullers Church hist and merits of Christ For he shall bear their iniquities Bajulabit that by nailing them to his Crosse he may expiate them Ver. 12. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great Or I will give many to him Psal 2.8 Some sense it thus I will give him to conquer plunder and spoil the evil spirits as Colos 2.15 and this he shall have for a reward of his ignominious death and his intercession for some of his enemies whom he conquered by a new and noble kind of victory viz. by loving them and by praying for them And he was numbred with transgressours So he became a sinner though sinlesse 1. By Imputation 2. By Reputation And he bare the sins of many Not of all as a Lapide here would have it because all are many c. And made intercession For those that with wicked hands crucified him Luke 23.34 so for others still Heb. 7.25 CHAP. LIV. Ver. 1. SIng O barren thou that didst not bear O Church Christian O Jerusalem that art above the mother of us all the purchase of Christs passion chap. 53. to whom thou hast been a bloody spouse Acts 20.28 an Acheldama or field of blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. he hath paid dear for thy fruitfulnesse As the blood of beasts applied to the roots of trees maketh them sprout and bear more fruit so doth the blood of Christ sprinckled on the roots of mens hearts make them more fruitful Christians as it did the Gentiles whose hearts were purified by Faith Acts 15.9 See Gal. 4.27 The corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died there abode not alone but brought forth much fruit Joh. 12.44 For more are the children of the desolate The Christian Church made up of Jews and Gentiles shall have a more numerous and glorious off-spring then ever the Synagogue had Sarah shall have more issue then Hagar Hannah then Peninnah Ver. 2. Enlarge the place of thy tent Thus he speaketh after the custom of those Countries wherein was frequent use of tents neither is it
ver 8. And the ships of Tarshish first i. e. With the first or in the beginnings as the vulgar hath it The Islands were converted assoon as any as this of Britain is said to have been by Joseph of Arimathea Omnium provinciarum prima Britannia publicitus Christi nomen recepit saith Sabellicus Of all Provinces Enneâ—d 7. lib. 5. Britain first embraced the faith of Christ From the which also as we first of all the ten Kingdomes Rev. 17. revolted to the Pope so we were the first that shook off that yoke our Henry 8. being the first that broke the neck of the Popes usurped authority Because he hath glorified thee By his gracious presence and the sanctification of his Spirit by the Word Ver. 10. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls By preaching and writing for the truth as did many famous Greek and Latine Doctours and since them not a few of all Nations And their Kings shall Minister unto thee As did Cyrus and Darius but especially Constantine the Great who cared not what he bestowed upon the Church and was therefore in a jear by the Heathens called Pupillus His life by Sr. Jo. Heyw. p. 115. as if he needed a Guardian to order his expences Valentinian Theodosius Honorius Justinian Our Edward the sixth beside the much good he did at home sent at one time five thousand pounds to relieve Protestants beyond seas Queen Elizabeth sent both men and means in abundance to the relief of the French and Hollanders Ver. 11. Therfore shall thy gates be open continually Such shall be thy spiritual security and so great the resort unto thee And that their Kings may be brought Led captive saith the Chaldee sc to the obedience of Faith as Psal 149.8 or led in state so others Ver. 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish They are utterly out then who hold that men may be saved in what Religion soever so be it they lead an honest life And Pope Julius the third is justly accused of sacriledge for stamping money with his own image and this inscription The Nation and Kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish Ver. 13. The glory of Lebanon The best Cedars there in allusion to the building of the material Temple by Solomon and afterwards by Ezra q. d. Whatsoever is good in the world either in understanding virtue or doctrine shall be sanctified and employed for the building up of the Church The Fir-tree the Pine-tree and the Box tree Which from those that would but cannot bring better shall be well accepted And I will make the place of my feet glorious i. e. My Church when at lowest and the members thereof even the meanest of them Hence also Christs name King of Kings and Lord of Lords is written on his thigh i. e. On his lower parts Rev. 19.16 Ver. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee When once they shall return and discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked as Mal. 3.18 there shall be a strange alteration wrought in them as was in Paul Cyprian Vergerius Latimer others Shall bow themselves at the soales of thy feet Such was the custome of the Easterlings And this the Popish writers say is fulfilled in their Vice-god as we may in the worst sense best call him The first that held forth his feet to be kissed was Dioclesian the Tyrant Eutrop. Ver. 15. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated The Primitive Christians suffered Odio humani generis Lib. 15. saith Tacitus through the general hatred conceived against them and non tam crimen quam nomen puniebatur saith Another their very name was odious I will make thee an eternal excellency Here in part but hereafter in all perfection God so favoured the first orthodox Christian Emperours ut cum illorum pietate Dei liberalitas certare videretur That Gods liberality might seem to strive with their piety Ver. 16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles Satiaberis divitiis populorum saith the Chaldee Thou shalt be satisfied with the riches of the peoples And shalt suck the brest of Kings i. e. With Kingly dainties and delicacies saith Zanchez after the Rabbines Ver. 17. For brasse I will bring gold i. e. I will beautify my Church with far greater gifts of my Spirit then now The New Jerusalem which signifieth say some the state of the Church in this world when it shall be refined to the utmost is all of gold and these golden times are yet to come Thine exactours Or Overseers thy Bishops say the Sept. Ver. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land The full accomplishment of this is not to be expected here But thou shalt call thy walls salvation sc When thou hast got the great gulf Luke 16.26 betwixt thee and thine enemies And thy gates praise God will continually come to thee with new benefits and thou shalt go forth to meet him with thanksgiving Psal 89.16 Ver. 19. The Sun shall be no more God shall be thy Sun and shield thy solace and safety Psal 84.11 the light of his loving countenance shall be lifted up upon thee and this shall be better to thee then all outward comforts Ver. 20. Thy Sun shall no more go down Thy joy shall no man take from thee thou shalt have an habitual cheefulness Ver. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous Professional Saints at least they shall all be Saints by calling some of them also shall be really righteous and religious justified by the merit and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ And these together make up a true visible Church such as was that of Corinth and of Sardis A mature there will be to the worlds end They shall inherit the land for ever Those that are righteous indeed are heirs of the world together with faithful Abraham The meek shall inherit the earth and as for the poor in spirit theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5 3 5. The branch of my planting So may some be that yet bear no fruit Joh. 15.2 The work of my hands By regeneration Eph. 2.10 And so are such as are sanctifyed by habitual infusion and not by baptismal profession ony In both sorts God is glorified Ver. 22. A little one shall become a thousand Three thousand were added to the Church in one day Acts 2. five thousand in another Acts 4. Homo ille tricubitalis as Chrysostom calleth Paul that little man and least of all the Apostles what great pains took he how many Churches planted he how many thousand souls gained he to Christ See what a circuit he set and what a deal of work he dispatcht at one bout Rom. 15.18 19 20. Here was minimus in mille as t is Here. Think the like of the rest of the Apostles as also of Luther Melancthon Ferellus c. Mr. Fox telleth us that many were made to see the falsities of Popery by reading Chaucer more
his heat in Venery and ill savour saith Plutarch He that offereth an oblation Unless withal he present his body for a sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God as Rom. 12.1 Is as if he offered swines blood Blood was not to be offered at all in an oblation or meat-offering but meal oyle wine Levit. 2. much less swines blood See Levit. 11.7 He that burneth incense In honour of me unless his heart ascend up withal in those pillars of sweet smoke as Manoahs Angel did in the smoke of the sacrifice Is as if he blessed an Idol i. e. Gave thankes to an Idol called here by a name that signifyeth vanity or vexation as if he were a God in doing whereof God holdeth himself less dishonoured then by their hypocritical services performed to himself Ezek. 20.39 Beâ—n Yea they have chosen their own wayes Which must needs be naught Nemo sibi de suo palpet Are ye not carnal and walk as men saith Paul that is as naughty men Horreo quicquid de meo est ut meus sim Ver. 4. I also will chuse their delusions As they have had their will so will I have mine another while I will make them to perish by their mockeries idque ex lege talionis See chap. 65.11.12 They thought to cozen me by an out-side-service but it shall appear that they have cozened themselves when I bring upon them mercedem multiplicis petulantiae corum as Piscator rendereth it the reward of their manyfold petulancies and illusions And will bring their fear upon them Inducam nivem super eos qui timuerunt à pruina They have feared the coming of the Chaldees and come they shall So their posterity feared the Romans Joh. 11. and they felt their fury See Prov. 10.24 with the Note Because when I called c. See chap. 65.12 Ver. 5. Hear the Word of the Lord ye that tremble c. Here 's a word of comfort for you who being lowly and meek-spirited are the apter to be trampled on and abused by the fat bulls of Basan where the hedge is lowest those beasts will leap over and every crow will be pulling off wooll from a sheeps sides Your brethren By race and place but not by Grace That hated you For like cause as Cain hated Abel 1 Joh. 3.12 for trembling at Gods judgements whilst they do yet hang in the threatnings And cast you out Either out of their company as not fit to be conversed with chap. 65.5 or out of their Synagogue by excommunications as fit to be cut off See 1 Thes 2.14 Papists at this day do the like whence that Proverb In nomine Domini incipâ—t omne malum Ye begin in a wrong name said that Martyr when they began the sentence of death against him with In the name of God Amen Let the Lord be glorified With such like goodly words and specious pretences did those odious hypocrites palliate and varnish over their abominations they would persecute godly men and molest them with Church-censures and say Let the Lord be glorified So do Papists and other Sectaries deal by the Orthodox Becket offered but subdolously to submit to his Sovereign salvo honere Dei so far as might stand with Gods glory Speed 508. Anno 1386. The Conspiratours in King Richard the seconds time endorsed all their letters with Glory be to God on high on earth peace good-will towards men The Swenck feldians stiled themselves The Confessours of the glory of Christ and Gentiles the Antitrinitarian when he was called to answer said that he was drawn to maintain his cause through touch of conscience and when he was to dye for his blasphemy he said that he did suffer for the glory of the most high God so easy a matter it is to draw a fair glove upon a foul hand c. Some for Let the Lord be glorified render it Gravis est Dominus The Lord is burdensom or heavy and they parallel it with those sayings in the Gospel This is an hard saying Thou art an austere man We will not have this man to reign over us c. But he shall appear to your joy Parallel to that your sorrow shall be turned into joy How did some of the Martyrs rejoyce when excommunicated degraded c. Diod. Ver. 6. A voice of noise from the City This is a Prophetical description of the last destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans A voice from the Temple Wherin they so much gloryed where they had oft heard Christ and his Apostles preaching repentance unto life but now have their ears filled with hideous and horrid outcries of such as were slain even in the very Temple which they defended as long as they were able and till it was fited That which Josephus reporteth of Jesus the son of Ananis a plain Country-fellow is very remarkable viz. that for four years together before the last devastation he went about the City day and night crying as he went in the words of this text almost A voice from the East Lib. 7. Bâ—lli cap. 12. a voice from the West a voice from the four Winds a voice against Jerusalem and the Temple a voice against all the people Woe woe woe to Jerusalem and thus he continued to do till at length roaring out louder then ordinary Woe to Jerusalem and to me also he was slain upon the wall with a stone shot out of an Engin as Josephus reporteth That rendereth recompence to his enemies So they are here called who pretended so much to the glorifying of God ver 5. False friends are true enemies Ver. 7. Before she travelled she brought forth Quum nondum parturiret paperit understand it of Zion or of the Church Christian which receiveth her children that is Converts suddainly on a cluster before she thought to have done Subito ac simul Margaret Countesse of Henneburg and in far greater numbers then she could ever have beleeved That Lady that brought forth as many as a birth as are dayes in the year was nothing to her nor those Hebrew women Exod. 1.10 She was delivered of a man-child For the which there is so great joy Joh. 16.21 and which is usually more able and active than a woman-child so good and bold Christians strong in faith unless he meaneth Christ himself saith Diodaâ— who is formed by faith in every beleevers heart Gal. 4.19 Ver. 8. Who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things The birth of a man would seem a miracle were it not so ordinary miracula assiduitate vilescunt but the birth of a whole Nation at once how much more Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day Yes if the day be long enough as among the Hyperboreans of whom it is written that they sow shortly after the Sun-rising and reap before the Sun-set because the whole half year is one continual day with them But the words here should be rather read Can a land Heresbach
but look upon them as so many mice for what are they more in comparison of me and of thee who hast from me thy mission and commission zeal in well-doing sheweth a man to be right like as such are living fish as swim against the stream To root out and to pull down i. e. To denounce destruction to evil-doers and then I will effect it Elisha hath his sword as well as Hazael or Jehu 1 King 19.17 and vengeance for the disobedient is every whit as ready in Gods hand as in his Ministers mouth 2 Cor. 10.6 See Hos 6.5 with the Note Joh. 20.23 But what a mercy of God to the Church was it that the same day that Pelagius that Arch-heretick was born in Britain Austin the great confuter of that heretick should be born in Afrike Providence so disposing that the poison and the Antidote should come into the world together Dempster Hist Scot. To build and to plant As a co-worker with God for the good of souls by preaching Christ unto them as this Prophet doth notably in a most divine and stately strain setting him forth in his coming Covenant Offices Benefits c. as the only foundation and lively root of hope Ver. 11. Jeremiah what seest thou It was great kindness and familiarity thus to parle with him and to call him by his name And I said I see a rod of an Almond tree Which hath its name in Hebrew from watching because it watcheth as it were to bud and bear before other trees even in the deep of winter and when it is at coldest Hereby the Prophet is animated though but young and assured that he shall have the fruit of his so early labours God careth not for those arbores autumnales Jude 13. trees which bud not till the latter end of harvest The truth of all his predictions is designed though little beleeved by the most the speediness also of their performance as ver 12. and Ezek. 7.10 11. a good Comment upon this text The sins of Gods people saith one are sooner ripe then of the heathens because they have the constant light and heat of his Word to hasten their maturity This was typified by the basket of Summer fruits and by the Almond-tree in this text As the Almond-tree Hieron Theod. Just Mart. saith another hath a bitter rind but a sweet kernel so hath affliction sanctified and again as the Almond-tree is made more fruitful by driving nailes into it letting out a noxious gum that hindereth the fruitfulness thereof so is a good man made better by afflictions Ver. 12. Thou hast well seen Heb. Thou hast done well to see i. e. so to see For I will hasten my Word Heb. amigdalaturus sum I am watching upon the evil to bring in the Chaldeans as I have threatened See the like elegant allusion Ans. 8.1 2. Nemesis à tergo punishment is at the heels of sin Ver. 13. What seest thou By these questions his attention is stirred up that he may the better observe the matter of his preaching which is here represented by a second vision I see a seething pot Heb. a pot blown up Ollam Ebullitam This boyling pot is Jerusalem besieged by the Chaldeans and we are the flesh say those deriders of this Prophecy of Jeremy Ezek. 11.3 but they found it to be just so shortly after and then their profane hearts might well have bespoke them as the heart of Apollodorus the tyrant seemed to say to him who dreamed one night that he was flead by the Scythians and boyled in a Chaldron and that his heart spake to him out of the kettle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is I that have drawn thee to all this And the face thereof i. e. That part of the pot that is next the fire and heated therewith Ver. 14. Out of the North an evil shall break forth i. e. From Chaldea which is North from Judaea Gregory moralizeth the text thus mans mind is this pot Aquilo est sedes diaboli Aug. that which from the North sets it on fire is the devil by inflaming it with evil lusts and then he sets up his throne therein As Ver. 15. And set every one his throne Judging such as in those very gates had unjustly judged others See this performed 2 King 24.4 and 25.4 Chap. 52. Ver. 16. And I will utter my judgement against them sc By those Northern Princes bu first by thee and Zephany and Huldah c. if haply they will repent that I may repent of the evil God therefore threateneth that he may not punish Who have forsaken me and burnt incense These sins differ in degrees and are all found among the Papists Ver. 17. Thou therefore gird up thy loynes q. d. Thou hast I must needs say Perquam difficile est sed ita lex jubet a hard task of it But hard or not hard it must be done or thou art undone About it therefore and play the man plucking up thy best heart as we say and acting vigorously Stir up the gifts of God that are in thee and exercise thy talents committed unto thee Verbs minister es hoc age Be not dismaid at their faces least Ne conteritor nete conteram Be not afraid of them least I fright thee worse to thy ruth and utter ruine Excellently Bernard Anranaclasis If I deal not faithfully with you you will be damnified but I shall be damned Let me suffer any thing rather than be guilty of a sinful silence said that heroical Luther But Melancthon his Colleague was so timorous that Luther was fain to chide him many times And Calvin in an Epistle of his to John Sleidan prayeth God to furnish him with a more noble spirit ne gravem ex ejus timiditate jacturam sentiat posteritas lest posterity should rue for his timidity Calvin himself in his last speech to his fellow-Ministers on his death-bed speaketh thus When I first came to this City Geneva the Gospel indeed was here preached but things were very far out of order as if Christianity consisted wholly in the casting down of images c. There were also not a few wicked fellows who put me hard to 't Melch. Ad. in vic Calvin p. 106. setting themselves against me to their utmost But the Lord our good God did so steel me and strengthen me who am naturally fearful and dastardly that I stoutly withstood them and went on with the work of Reformation to his glory alone be it spoken Melacthon also admired that courage in Luther that he could not find in himself for besides many passages of his in his Epistles that way tending one time when he saw Luthers picture he uttered this verse immediately Fulmnia erant linguae singula verba tuae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 18. For behold I have made thee this day a defenced City i. e. Inpregnable inexpugnable the bulwark of truth as one said of Basil such as could not be battered
out unto them in my word and their conformity thereunto for the lives of Gods people are but the Word exemplified they walk as patters of the rule and are of exemplary holinesse as Luk. 1.6 To swear by my Name In righteousness in truth and in judgement as chap. 4.2 Then shall they be built i. e. Blest Ver. 17. But if they will not obey The tartnesse of the threatning maketh us best taste the sweetness of the Promise and a mixture of them serves to keep the heart in the best temper I will utterly pluck up and destroy that Nation This is fulfilled to the utmost upon the Jews especially since the last destruction of Jerusalem CHAP. XIII Ver. 1. GO get thee a linnen girdle Or belt or swath And put it not in water Or lye to wash it or whiten it but take it as it is first made us sordâ—ciem magis contrahat to shew say some that the Jewish Nation when first chosen was black by sin and nothing amiable better skilled and exercised in making morter and bricks in Egypt then in the worship of God and in good manners Or put it not in water i. e. Keep it from being rotted as a type of Gods care of and kindnesses to that people Ver. 2. So I got a girdle God is to be obeyed readily and without sciscitation Ver. 3. And the Word of the Lord came to me Heb. Was to me At sundry times or piece-meal God spake to his servants the Prophets Heb. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per gradus momenta non sâ—mul semel Ver. 4. Arise go to Euphrates A river which ran by Babylon six hundred and fourescore miles from Jerusalem The Prophets journey therefore thither seemeth to have been but visional as was Isay's going barefoot Hosea's marriage with a whore Ezekiels lying on one side three hundred and ninety dayes together his journey from Chaldea to Jerusalem chap. 8.3 c. Ver. 5. So I went and hid it by Euphrates In the cliffe of a rock where it might lye dry never once asking the reason This was simple and acceptable obedience far beyond that of the Popish Novices who yet if their Padres or Superiours send them to China or Peru without dispute or delay they do presently set forward Ver. 6. And it came to passe after many dayes See on ver 3. Ver. 7. Then I went to Euphrates See on ver 4. Those that are for an actual journey alledge that Jeremy might do this without danger in the dayes of Jehoiakim who was the King of Babylons Vassal and paid him tribute And behold the girdle was rotted it was profitable for nothing This shewed that the Jews should in that Country lye rotting as it were in basenesse and servility and sin together many years so that God might justly have left them there still in misery as a man leaves his rotten girdle to become dung Ver. 8. Then the word c. Adaptat simile See ver 3. Ver. 9. After this manner will I marre the pride Their pomp and power wherein they pride themselves Ver. 10. This evil people Populus ille pessimus these Pâ—neropolitans who are naught all over nequitiâ cooperti Walk in the imagination of their heart See chap. 9.13 and 11.8 Ver. 11. So have I caused to cleave unto me For nearness and dearness the loines are the seat of strongest desires and affections And for a name and for a praise That I might be magnified and glorified in them and for them also among other nations Ver. 12 Therefore Or Moreover Thou shalt speak unto them this word This other paradigmâ— or parable an excellent way of teaching and much used in both Testaments Every bottle shall be filled with wine Wine they loved well and a great vintage they now expected They shall have it saith God but of another nature then they look for Their heads not altogether unlike bottles for roundness and emptiness of all good shall be filled with a dry drunkennesse even with errours and terrours a spirit of giddinesse c. Do not we certainly know c. This they seem to speak insolently and jearingly q. d. you should tell us some news Ver. 13. Behold I will fill Heb. Lo I am filling but the lâ—quour is such as whereof you shall have small joy See ver 12. Ver. 14. And I will dash them one against another As so many earthen bottles brittle and soon broken Si collidimur frangimur said those in the fable Ver. 15. Hear and give ear Or Hear and hearken be not haughty Here the Prophet calleth upon them again to repent and to that end to listen diligently and to lay aside the highness of their hearts and the stoutness of their stomacks sith it is the Lord that speaketh The Lyon roareth who can but fear Am. 3.8 Repentance is the Removens prohibens as being founded in humility and wrought by the Word preached Jonah 3. Act. 2. Ver. 16. Give glory to the Lord your God Confess your sins Josh 7.19 one part of repentance put for the whole Jeremy was as constant a Preacher of Repentance as Paul and after him Austin were of the free-grace of God The impenitent person robbeth God of his right the penitent man sarcit injuriam Deo irrogatam seemeth to make some kind of amends to God whom he had wronged by restoring him his glory which he had run away with whilest he putteth himself into the hands of justice in hope of mercy Before he cause darknesse sc Of calamity and captivity Currat poenitentia ne praecurrat sententia Modestissima explicatio infaelicitatis Before your feet stumble So before ye fall upon the dark and dangerous cragges and precipices of eternal perdition Which to prevent work whiles the light lasteth walk whiles it is yet day Ver. 17. My soul shall weep in secret places Good men are apt to weep Et faciles motus mens generosa capit Good Ministers should be full of compassionate tears weeping in secret for their peoples unprofitableness and their danger thereby The breast and right shoulder of the sacrifice belonged to the Priest to shew that he should be a breast to love and a shoulder to support the people in their troubles and burthens Ver. 18. Say to the King and to the Queen Or Madam the Lady or Mistresse that is to the Queen Regent even to Necustah the mother of Jeconiab say the Jews When Beza in the behalf of the reformed Churches in France made a speech at Possiacum before the young King and the Queen-Mother he spake so effectually saith Rivet that a great Cardinal who heard it wished that either he had been dumb that day or that they had all been deaf This King and Queen in the text might be as much convinced though not throughly converted Humble your selves sit down Heb. Humble sit below For your Principalities Or your head-attires The crown of your glory Or your crown of glory that is your glorious crown
not keep their Temples from burning Diana said one jestingly was so busie at the birth of great Alexander that she could not a while to be at Ephesus where her stately Temple was at the same time set on fire by Herostratus And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt as a Shepherd putteth on his garment i. e. Easily and speedily shall he carry away the spoile of that rich country there being none there to hinder him either in taking them or carrying them away Pastor enim secum portat tectumque laremque Ver. 13. He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh Or Heliopolis Lib. 2. where the Sun was worshipped with great superstition as Herodotus writeth The Hebrews also called this City On or Aven that is Vanity or Iniquity as well they might for the abominable idolatry there committed Josephus saith that five years after this prophesie Antiq. l. 10. c. 11. Nebuchadâ—ezzar who had Egypt given him as pay for his paines at Tyre invaded Egypt and the King thereof being slain he set up another there and took the Jews that remained alive away into Babylon CHAP. XLIV Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah No word of comfort how could it be so long as they lived in open rebellion against the Lord but all of reproof and threatning for why they were obdurate and obstinate and did dayly proficere in pejus grow worse and worse Which dwell at Migdol To these chief Cities Jeremiah resorted to speak unto them Noph alias Moph Hos 9.6 is held to be Memphis now Alcair Ver. 2. Ye have seen all the evils that I have brought upon Jerusalem And should have been warned by this exemplum terrificum dreadful instance of mine indignation They that will not take example are worthily made examples Ver. 3. Because of their wickednesse That root of all their wretchednesse Ver. 4. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants Here the badnesse of men and goodnesse of God come equally to be considered Saying Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate Is were happy if this saying of God weres alway shrilly sounding in our eares whenever we are about to do any thing that is evil It would surely be a notable Retentive from vice Ver. 5. But they harkened not See chap. 7.24 26. Ver. 6. Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth A Metaphor from metalles See chap. 42.18 Ver. 7. Wherefore commit you this evil against your souls This land-desolating soul-destroying sin of idolatry Ver. 8. In that ye provoke me to wrath This is a most pithy and peircing Sermon all along not unlike that preached by Steven for the which he was stoned Acts 7. and likely enough that this was Jeremy's last Sermon also Ver. 9. Have ye forgotten the wickednesse of your fathers Mira hic verborum apparet emphasis What a powerful and pressing discourse is this Sed surdis fabulam but they were as a stake in the water that stirreth not Ver. 10. They are not humbled Not tamed not affected with attrition much lesse with contrition for their sins This I tell thee Jeremy for to them I am weary with talking to so little purpose Plactuntur sed non flectuntur corripiuntur sed non corriguntur Ver. 11. Behold I will set my face against you for evil I will be implacable as you are irreclaimable Ver. 12. That have set their faces I also will set my face against such ver 11. and they shall all be consumed and fall Oh what work hath sin made in the world Ver. 13. For I will punish them Let them never think that they shall one day be setled again in their own country they could easily come down into Egypt Sed revocare gradum c. Hic labor c. I will watch them for ever going back again let them set their hearts at rest for that matter it will never be Ver. 14. For none shall return but such as shall escape sc From these fighters against God Johanah and his complices The Talmudists tell us but who told them that Nebuchadnezzar at his conquest of Egypt sent back into Judea Jeremy and Baruch c. Ver. 15. Then all the men which knew that their wives had burnt incense And by suffering them so to do had consented to what they had done for qui non cum potest prohibet jubet And all the women that stood by Mulieres quicquid volunt valde volunt Women as they have lesse of reason then men Omne malum ex Gynaecio so more of passion being wilful in their way and oft carrying their men along with them Sicut ferrum trahit magnes Sic masculum suum trahit Agnes Answered Jeremiah saying One of the women speaking for the rest and that might well be one of Zedekiah's daughters the men conniving and well content therewith See ver 19. Ver. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee This is just woman-like See ver 15. When man lost his free-will saith One woman got it and whereas there came twelve kabs measures of speech at first down from Heaven women ran away with ten of them say the Rabbines merrily Here they are very talkative and peremptory In some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet Hosea calleth a spirit of whoredom Such there was in these women to idolatry they were fully set upon 's Ver. 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth Heb. we will doing do every word hath gone forth from our mouth that we may be dicti nostri dominae as big as our words our vows especially as ver 25. which we made to worship the Queen of heaven in case we came safe into Egypt To burn incense to the Queen of heaven See chap. 7.18 As we have done we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes Antiquity is here pleaded and Authority and Plenty and Peace These are now the Popish plea's and the pillars of that rotten religion It is the old religion say they and hath potent Princes for her Patrons and is practised in Rome the mother-Mother-Church and hath plenty and peace where it is professed and where they have nothing but Mosse and Matins These are their arguments but very poor ones as were easy to evince But as women counted the devouter sex have alwayes carryed a great stroke with their husbands as did Eve Jezabel Eudoxia c. the women of Antioch could do much against Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. so the people are indeed a weighty but unweildy body Plus valet malum inolitum quam bonum insolitum slow to remove from what they have been accustomed to The Irish will not be perswaded to put geeres and harnesse on their horses but will have the plough still tied to their tails as they have been neither in matters of religion will they be drawn
sit Gen. 34.20 to judge between party and party The young men from their musick From their ordinary and honest recreations and disports Ver. 15. The joy of our heart is ceased Heb. keepeth Sabbath i. e. is vanished and that because we made not Gods Sabbath our delight as Isa 58.13 Ver. 16. The crown is fallen from our head i. e. All our glory both of Church and State because we refused to serve God which indeed is to reign in righteousnesse Now neither is all this nor any of this spoken to exasperate or exulcerate peoples hearts to fret against God or to faint under their pressures but to put them upon the practice of true humiliation that so they may not lose the fruit of their Afflictions whence the following passage Woe unto us that we have sinned Which as it runneth sweetly and rythmically in the Original so it pointeth us to that savory and soveraign practice of lamenting our sins more then our miseries and humbling our selves to the utmost under the mighty hand of God that he may lift up in due season Ver. 17. For this our heart is faine Ponit symbolum vere contritionis we are sin-sick even at heart our sins are as so many daggers at our hearts or bearded arrows in our flesh For these things our eyes are dim we have well-nigh wept them out whereby neverthelesse out minds have been illightened Lachrymae sunt succus cordis contriti seu liquores animae patientis Ver. 18. Because of the mountain of Zion which is desolate q. d. Next unto our sins which are our greatest sorrow nothing troubleth us more then this that the publike exercises of Piety are put down Sion the seat of Gods Sanctuary is desolate Ver. 19. Thou O Lord remainest for ever Alioqui totus totus desperassem as that good man said once in like case Otherwise I should have but small joy of my life But thou art everlasting and invariable in essence truth will and promises This is mine Anchor-hold Thy throne from generation to generation i. e. Thy most equal and righteous ordering of all things utut nobis quaedam confusiusculè currere videantur though some things may seem to us to be somewhat confusedly carried and even to run on wheels yet it shall one day appear that there was a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1. that is an over ruling and all-disposing Providence Ver. 20. Wherefore dost thou forget us Sith thy Covenant runs otherwise 2 Sam. 7.14 See on ver 1. And forsakest us so long time Heb. to length of dayes as Psal 23 6. Not for Seventy years only but to the end of the world till wrath is come upon us to the utmost as 2 Thes 2. Ver. 21. Turn thou us unto thee That thou maist turn thee to us as Zach. 1.3 Let there be a through-reformation wrought in us and then a gracious restauration wrought for us Est Aposiopesis ad pathos Ver. 22. But thou hast utterly rejected us This is a sad Catastrophe or close of this doleful ditty Sometimes Gods suppliants are put hard to it in the course of their Prayers the last grain of their faith and patience seemeth to be put into the scale When the Son of man cometh with deliverance to his praying people shall he find faith in the earth Hard and scarce And yet he comes oft when they have even done looking for him he is seen in the Mount he helpeth those that are forsaken of their hopes Hallelujah Sure it is that God cannot utterly reject his people whom he hath chosen Rom. 11. Tremellius rendreth it and so the Margin of our Bibles hath it and I think better For wilt thou utterly reject us or be extreamly wrath with us sc supra modulum nostrum according to thine infinite power and above all that we are able to bear I cannot think it neither doth it consist with thy Covenant Here as also at the end of Ecclesiastes Isaiah and Malachy many of the Hebrew Bibles repeat the foregoing verse Turn thou us unto thee O Lord c. yet without pricks left any thing should seem added thereby to the holy Scriptures The reason here of read in the end of the Prophecy of Isa This is also here observed by the most renowned Mr. Thomas Gataker whom for honour sake I name and to whose most accurate and elaborate Annotations upon Isaiah and Jeremy I have been not a little beholden all along These he finished not long before his death to the great glory of God and good of his Church Fretum Magellanicum And of him and this worthy Work of his I may fitly say as a learned man doth of Magellanus the Portingal that great Navigator that the Strait or Sea now called by his name unâ navigatione simul immortalem gloriam mortem ei attulerit Boxhorn histor universal was both his death and his never-dying Monument 1 Sam. 7.12 Hitherto hath the Lord helped us A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK of the Prophet EZEKIEL CHAP. I. THe Book of the Prophet Ezekiel The Book of Ezekiel so the Hebrews call it and forbid any to read the beginning and ending of it till he be thirty years of age because it is so abstruse and mysterious Nazianzen calleth this Prophet The Beholder of great things In Apolog. and the Interpreter of visions and mysteries Another calleth him the Hieroglyphical Prophet A third Jeremy vailed a hand shut up A lap Ezâ—chiel scripturarum Oceanâ—â— et mysteriorum Dei labyrinthus Hieron Many both waters and readers have passed over this Prophet as dark difficult and lâ—ssâ— useful Greenhil praef Orat. 47. and you know not what is in it c. Contemporary he was to Jeremy though in another Country and a great confirmer of what he had foretold but could not be credited To him therefore as to many others Ezekiel became according to the import of his name The strength of God who mightily enabled him as Lavater well noteth with a stout and undaunted spirit to reprove both people and Princes and to threaten them more terribly and vehemently then Jeremy had done before him But in the substance of their Prophecies there is no small conformity Ferunt Ezechielem servum Jeremiae prius extitisse saith Nazianzen Some have affirmed that Ezekiel had sometimes been Jeremiah's servant as was afterwards Baruch Ver. 1. Now it came to passe in the thirtieth year sc Since the Book of the Law found and that famous Passeover kept in King Josiah's dayes 2 King 22. 23. since the eighteenth year of his reign ver 33 So elsewhere they began their account from some memorable mercy or remarkable accident as from the promise made to Abraham the birth of Isaac the departure out of Egypt the division of the Kingdom into that of Israel and the other of Judah c. In the fifth day of the month Which was the Sabbath-day say some confer chap. 3.16 Then was
which yet if Bellarmine reckoneth right runneth in the eighth part of an hour seven thousand miles others say many more Ver. 7. And their feet were strait feet Importing their right progresse in executing Gods will We must also make straight or even pathes for our feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Heb. 12.13 See ver 9. And the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calves foot Round Hoc ad agilitatem varietatem cursus spectat and therefore easily turned The Angels as they see every way so they are apt to go every way and this with the greatest facility that can be And they sparkled So swiftly they went that their feet seemed to sparkle or strike fire Like the colour of burnished brasse Burnished not blemished polished not polluted Ver. 8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings Faces wings hands all to expresse saith one the sufficiency of Gods Providence for all means of help A little of the Angels saith another is set forth by these faces wings hands feet but the distinct knowledge of Angels as Angels is reserved till we are like the Angels in heaven Great Angels they are but act invisibly for most part Their hands are under their wings Ver. 9. Their wings were joyned one to another To shew the unity of Angels the uniformity also of their motions in Gods service there is a suteablenesse and agreeablenesse betwixt them They turned not when they went sc Till they had effected that they went for and then they did as ver 14. They went every one straight forward The Angels in the execution of their office keep a straight course without deviating or detrecting without cessation or cespitation Our eyes should also look right on Prov. 4.25 and we should make strait steps for our feet Heb. 12.13 This is Angel-like St. Paul that earthly Angel did so Phil. 3.13 14. Ver. 10. They four had the face of a man and the face of a Lyon Hereby is set forth the wisdom strength serviceablenesse and perspicaciousness of the holy Angels for the Churches good all things requisite to great undertakings neither forbear they to serve us though we have the sent of the earth and hell about us quantumnis cos proh dolor faetore peccatorum mon raro laedamus Deumque offendamus though by the stench of our sins Polan Would any great Prince detend a mean man full of fores and vermin we do frequently annoy them and offend God And they four had the face of an ox Angels are obsequious painful patient useful The ox is of those beasts that are ad esum ad usum and is truely called jumentum à juvando They four also had the face of an Eagle Angels are shard-sighted 2 Sam. 14.20 vigorous and vivacious swift beyond belief Dan. 9.21 and if they be once upon the wing there is no escaping for any wicked people or person Ver. 11. And their wings were stretcht upward Faces and wings are both turned toward God at whose beck and obedience the holy Angels wholly are Psal 103.20 Or hereby may be imported the swiftness sublimeness and equality of their service Two wings of every one See on ver 9. And two covered their bodyes See on Isa 6.2 Ver. 12. And they went every one strait forward See on ver 9. Whither the Spirit was to go they went That is the Spirit of God by whose direction and conduct the Angels do all things He is the great Agent that setteth Angels awork Let us also be led by the Spirit of God so shall we approve our selves sons of God Rom. 8.14 Ver. 13. Their appearance was like burning coules of fire Angels are actuosi efficaces ut ignis of a fiery nature and of a fiery operation as is also the holy Spirit Isa 4.4 Mat. 3.11 Act. 2.3 whereby they are actuated Angels are all on a light fire as it were with zeal for God and indignation against sin Let us be like-affected Paul was an heavenly spark John Baptist a burning and shining light Chrysostom saith that Peter was a man made all of fire walking among stubble Basil was a pillar of fire Latimer cryed out Deest ignis In Bucholcere vivida omnia fuerunt Melch. Adam c. It went up and down among the living creatures The fire and flame did Heb. it made it self to walk of it own accord and pleasure And the fire was bright Let us also labour to kindle and keep quick the fire of zeal upon the harth of our hearts without all smoke or smutch of sin And out of the fire went out lightenings The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth his noble works done by those instruments of his the holy Angels are quickly noted and noticed as in Sennacheribs army Ver. 14. And the living creatures ran and returned Assoon as ever their work was done they came back to him who sent them out to know his further pleasure and to do him more service When the Angel had lessoned the good women about our Saviours Resurrection he biddeth them go quickly and tell his Disciples c. and then dismisseth them with Loe I have told you Mat. 28.6 7. q. d. Be gone now about your business you have your full errand why linger ye pack away As the appearance of a flash of lightening Which appeareth and disappeareth in an instant Ver. 15. Behold one wheel upon the earth Things here below are exceeding mutable and therefore compared to wheeles because they may seem to run on wheeles and to have no certain course but to be turned upside down eftsoones such is the various promiscuous administration of them to many mens thinking To set us right herein here we have the vision of the four wheeles for each of the four living-wights had a wheel by him ver 16. and chap. 10.9 to shew that God governeth all the four quarters of the world by the ministery of his Angels This the Poets hammered at but hit not on in their foolish fable of Fortunes wheele St. James speaketh of the wheele of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap 3.6 And indeed this world is of a wheeling nature moveable and mutable But God who moves this wheel who fuleth the world is unchangeable and eternal Jam. 1.17 and his providence and the ministery of his Angels sets all the wheels in the world in motion Ver. 16. The appearance of the wheeles was like unto the colour of a Beryll Heb. as the eye or colour of Tarshish i. e. the sea or Beryl which is of a sea-colour even sea-green whereby is represented the flux and fluctuating constitution of things here below And they four had one likenesse There is the same instability of things in one place as in another and the same over-ruling providence Their appearance and their work were as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel God hath a wheel Providence in all the
although they know not what belongeth to honour yet do they exceedingly affect to be honoured and well not abide to be reproached Ver. 6. Behold the Princes of Israel Here beginneth the black bill or bed-roll And as in a fish corruption beginneth at the head so in a Nation at the Rulers Ver. 7. In thee have they see light by father and mother Whom very Heathens honoured as their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houshold-gods In the midst of thee c. So Hierom complaineth of his country In mea patriae Deus Venter est in diem vivitur that they were all belly-gods and had no goodnesse in them So Bede complaineth of the ancient Brittons immediately before their destruction by the Saxons Bradford cryeth out of the iniquity of the times in King Edward's dayes You all know saith he in a certain letter of his there was never more knowledg of God and lesse godly living and true serving of God It was counted a foolish thing to serve God truly and earnest prayer was not past upon Act. Mon. Preaching was but pastime Communion was counted too common fasting was far out of use almes was almost nothing Malice covetousnsse and uncleanesse was common everywhere with swearing drunkennesse and idlenesse c. Ver. 8. Thou hast despised mine holy things These are all foretokens of a perishing people Emphasin habet quod dicit sancta mea Sabbata mea Shall that which hath the impresse of God upon it be slighted as his Sabbaths Sacraments Ordinances The holy God should in all these his holy things be sanctified in righteousnesse Isa 5.16 Ver. 9. In thee are men that carry tales Heb. men of slanders Exod. 23.1 Levit. 18.16 Whisperers backbiters tale-bearers Pedlars the Heb. word signifieth such as drop a tale here and another there are viri latrones thieves as the Septuagint here translate yea they are murtherers The devil was first a slanderer and then a murtherer His agents first take away the credit of the Church and then wound her Cant. 5.6 The Primitive Christians were first belyed and then cruelly handled So were the French Protestants before the Massacre of Paris Humphary Duke of Glocester was by the people of England notwithstanding the open shewing of his body and his pretended crimes thought to be doubly murthered viv by detraction and deadly practice saith the Chronicler Ver. 10. In thee have they discovered their fathers nakednesse i. e. Carnally known their fathers wives or concubines Reuben-like See 1 Cor. 5.1 with the Note Humbled her i. e. Ravshed her which was a double crime See Levit. 18.19 20.18 15.25 Ver. 11. And one hath committed So the Poet Hic thalamum invasit natae vetitosque Hymenaeos Virg. Aen. lib. 6. Ausi omnes immane nefas auso que potiti c. Ver. 12. Thou hast taken usury and increase Vsura quasi propter usum rei saith One and faenus quasi funus Such mony to necessity is like cold water to a hot ague that for a time refresheth but prolongeth the disease It is like the Timber-worm which is wonderful soft to touch but hath teeth so hard that it eateth the timber See on chap. 18.13 And hast greedily gained of thy neighbour Sept. Thou hast consummated the consummation of thy wickednesse in oppression And hast forgotten me All the forementioned evils are resolved into this as the root and original of them See the like Rom. 3.18 Dei oblivio convehit omnem vitiorum catervam Hieron Ver. 13. I have smitten my hand In token of utmost indignation as Num. 24.10 At thy dishonest gain which thou hast made The Jew-doctours observe that whereas twenty four several abominations are here reckoned up the destruction of the City is attributed chiefly to Covetousnesse Lycurgus foretold his Lacedemonians Plut. that filthy lucre would be the overthrow of their City and it proved so The like is reported of Constantinople of Babylon the seat of the great Chaliph Turk Hist taken and sacked by Haalon brother to Mango the great Chan of Tartary who affamished to death the rich but wretched Chaliph in the midst of his hoards like as the Roman Souldiers first slew Ruffinus who affected to be co-Emperour with Arcadius and then cutting of his right-hand carried it up and down the City crying out to the people Date stipem viro avaritiae inexplebilis Parael Med. hist profan Give an alms to a man of unsatisfiable covetise Ver. 14. Can theine heart endure or can thine hands be strong Interrogatio continens latentem Ironiam q. d. Misella superbula erisâ—e ferendo mala futùra Thou poor proud thing of nought canst thou make thy party good with Me Canst thou either in mind or body bear my wrath will not thine heart soon fall into thy heels and thine hands be enfeebled when I shall grapple with thee and take thee to do And will do it Thou thinkest likely that all these are but terrible words devised on purpose to affright silly people but I will do it Ver. 15. I will scatter thee Deut. 4.27 28.25 64. And will consume thy filthinesse By thy captivity and misery I will refine Heb. Faciam ut integretur and reform thee Zach. 13.9 Ver. 16. And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy self q. d. I will abandon thee Or Thou shalt be profaned and polluted And thou shalt know that I am the Lord Thou shalt know me by my punishments whom thou wouldest not know by my benefits Ver. 17. And the Word of the Lâ—rd See chap. 18.1 Ver. 18. The house of Israel is to me become drosse Recrementum argenti offalstuffe Silver they were once but now nothing lesse Haec ad nos quo que tranferenda sunt This is even our case we are quite degenerate and altogether unlike our zealous progenitours Heu pietas ubi prisca profana O tempora Mundi Faex vesper propè nox O Mora Christe veni All they are brasse See on Isa 1.22 Ver. 19. I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem Velut catinum fuforium as into a red-hot fornace or fiery crucible chap. 24 10. Ver. 20. As they gather silver and brasse The righteous perish with the wicked but either it is temporally only or else the seemingly righteous who are no better then reprobate silver And I will leave you there A terrible threat God will bring his enemies into the briars and there leave there See chap. 29.5 His own he will not leave or at least not forsake He will be with them in the fire and water c. Lord leave us not saith the Church Jer. 17.17 Ver. 21. And ye shall be melted in the midst thereof As in a fiery furnace Such was anciently Egypt Deut. 4. afterwards Babylon and in the year 1453. Constantinople where cruelly perished by the hand of the Turks a very great multitude of Christians Lavat Ver. 22. As silver is melted The same again for better fastening Tam
the Father His companions i. e. Benjamin and Levi 2 Chron. 11.12 13. Ver. 17. And joyn them one to another into one stick See on ver 16. Man and wife are as these two branches in the Prophets hand inclosed in one bark and so closing together that they make but one branch Ver. 18. Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these People though they should not be question sick as some in St. Pauls time were 1 Tim. 6.4 yet they should be inquisitive after truth according to godliness Tit. 1.1 Ver. 19. And make them one stick Taking away the deadly feud that hath so long time been betwixt them breaking down the partition-wall c. I will once more bring them all under one King and make them of one mind Religion is the only best bond of affection The very heathens honoured the Primitive Christians for their unanimity See Cant. 6.9 with the Note Ver. 20. Shall be in thine hand before their eyes That by this Chria publikely acted they may be the better affected Ver. 21. Behold I will take the children of Israel This was fulfilled when the Jews and with them many of the ten tribes also returned to their own countrey under Zorobabel and Ezra As for the rest of the ten tribes that returned not they degenerated into Gentiles The Jews say that they were shut up by Alexander the great in the Caspian mountains and shall therehence break forth when the Messias appeareth Of the Jews in general Tacitus hath observed that they are very kind to their own countrymen but to all others very cruel This might haply move Alexander to serve them in that kind There are that understand that text Rev. 16.12 the Kings of the East concerning the ten tribes whom they place in China which is called the land of Sinim as Junius conjectureth Isa 49.12 And who knows but that when all Israel shall be called Rom. 11.26 raised from the dead ver 15. joyned into one stick as here many of those poor Heathens in Asia and America may have part in the same resurrection Ver. 22. And I will make them one nation Who were before at deadly feud and fought many bloody battles Solemur nos hac promissione contra schismata Let us also comfort our selves with this promise against schismes saith Oecolampadius Christ will cause the false Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the land Zech. 13.2 he will also so work in the hearts of his people that they shall with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15.6 Ver. 23. Neither shall they defile After the Captivity the Jews could never endure idolatry The Popish image-worship is at this day a very great stumbling-block to them Out of all their dwelling-places Where being mingled among the Heathen they learned their works Psal 106.35 Ver. 24. And David my servant i. e. Christ who came to do the will of his Father in the shape of a servant Phil. 2.7 See Isa 42.1 And they shall all have one shepherd Even David their King is for his clemency here called a Shepherd saith Hierom tending and tendering his people See chap. 34. They shall also walk in my Judgements All Christs subjects can say as those Primitive Christians did Nos non eloquimur magna sed vivimus Athenagoras in his Apology saith No Christian is a bad man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse he be a counterfeit Ver. 25. And they shall dwell in the land So they did for six hundred years or near upon and in heaven whereof Canaan was a type they shall live and reign for ever Ver. 26. Moreover c. See chap. 34.25 And it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them With all the Israel of God And I will place them sc In the holy Land saith Piscator or else I understand not what this word place them or give them meaneth And will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them i. e. I will indwel in them and walk in them c. as a Cor. 6.16 The Jews pray earnestly for the rebuilding of their material Temple Pray we as hard for the building up of the mystical Temple Ver. 27. My Tabernacle also i. e. Mine Ordinances those Testimonies of my special presence See Rev. 21.3 Ver. 28. Do sanctify Israel i. e. Do set them apart for mine use and will see to their safety When my sanctuary Wherehence they shall have continual both direction and protection CHAP. XXXVIII Ver. 1. AND the Word This particle And sheweth the dependance of this discourse upon the former Gods people shall be brought to their own country The Lord Christ also shall sit upon the throne of his Father David But betwixt these two great benefits the Church shall suffer much and her enemies a great deal more when once God takes them to do Ver. 2. Set thy face against Gog i. e. Against those last enemies of the Church before Skiloh come the Kings of the lesser Asia and Syria before his first coming see the books of Maccabees the Pope and Turk before his second coming See Rev. 20.8 with the Note Against these Ezekiel is commanded to set his face that is to prophesie with utmost intention of spirit and contention of speech Virtute opus est contra Antichristum dâ—cturo Polan The land of Magog Or in the land of Magog which some make to be Gogs country and especially Hierapolis for which they alledge Pliny lib. 5. cap. 23. a chief City of Syria This Hierapolis had its name from the multitude of religious houses or idol-temples there erected May not Rome the Metropolis of idolatry Ptolom in quarta Asiae tabula be rightly so called The chief Princes of Meshec and Tubal People neighbouring upon the Syrians and subject unto them great enemies to Israel See on chap. 27.13 In Meshec or Cappadocia the Turks began to grow great and formidable As for Tubal Hierom and Josephus among the Ancients Bellarmine and Gretserus among the Jesuites understand it of the Spaniards R. David and Ahen-ezra take Meshec for the Italians Ver. 3. Behold I am against thee O Gog Ecce ego ad te Have at thee Gog. The chief Prince of Meshec and Tubal These two are thus conjoyned to shew as some think that Turks and Popelings shall at length joyn their forces to root out the true religion and that whilst they are tumultuating and indeavouring the Churches downfal Christ shall come upon them and confound them See on Rev. 16.14 16. Propheta omnia loquitur magnâ—ficis verbis per Hyperbolas The Jews hold that this whole Prophecy shall be fulfilled at the coming of their long-looked for Messiah and whilst they take all things therein according to the letter they run into many very great errors Ver. 4. And I will turn thee back As he did Antiochus Epimanes by the Jewes the Turks oft by Hunniades the Popes forces by the Hussites in Germany and lately
by the Suedes It hath been long agoe foretold and for many ages believed and by the Turks themselves not a little feared that the Mahometan superstition by the sword begun and by the sword maintained Turk Hist 1153. shall at length by the Christian sword also be destroyed so that the name of Gog and Magog saith the Historian shall be no more heard of under heaven A cold sweat also stands at this time upon the limbs of the Western Antichrist by reason of the growing greatnesse of the Protestant Princes And put hooks into thy chaws A Metaphor from those that catch Whales Confer chap 29.4 And I will bring thee But for an ill bargain Ver. 5. Persia Ethiopia and Lybia A numerous army from all parts The Church is against all the world and all the world against the Church Hic vir totius orbis impetum sustinuis said One once concerning Athanasius A silly poor maid in the midst of many fierce and savage creatures assaulting her every moment is a true picture of the Church saith Luther Ver. 6. Gomer and all his hands The Cymbrians or Cimmerians saith Melancthon the Galatians saith Theodoret. The house of Togarmah The Phrygians as some the Armenians as others will Of Antichrist his great power See Rev. 9.1 20. 20.8 See on ch 27.14 Ver. 7. Be thou prepared Comparator comparate Muster up all thy forces and see to their safety But canst thou ward of my blows mote thy self up against my fire Ver. 8. After many dayes thou shalt be visited sc By mine heaviest Judgements for shall not God avenge his own Elect though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Luke 18.7.8 In the latter years thou shalt come into the land Antiochus that little Antichrist did and made havock It is the opinion of some very grave Divines that the great Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West Quod Deus avertat Which have been alwaies waste i. e. A long while Ver. 9. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm With great hurry and terror but it shall soon blow over Thou shalt be like a cloud Sed cito transibis Ver. 10. Things shall come into thy mind Ascedent verba super cor tuum thou shalt machinate mischief but it shall fall on thine one pate O pray pray said a holy man once Pontifex enim Romanus Concilium Tridentinum mira moliuntur for the Pope and his Council of Trent are hatching strange businesses Ver. 11. I will go up to the land of unwalled villages That care not to fortify their towns but commit themselves to God and think to escape us but we shall soon shew them their folly therein The Hebrews have one and the same word for folly and confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 49.14 Eccles 7.27 Psal 78.7 Job 31.24 See on Job 4.6 But in the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his children though their towns be unwalled have a place of refuge Prov. 14.26 Ver. 12. To take a spoil Heb. to spoil the spoil and to prey the prey The Antichristian rout are all for robbing and ravaging What vaste sums of mony raked the Pope once out of England which was therefore truely and trimly called by Pope Innocent the fourth hortus deliciarum puteus inexhaustus his delicate garden and pit that could not be drawn dry To turn thine hand To plunder them to the very bones as they say Time was when the Popes receivers here left not so much money in the whole Kingdom as they either carried with them or sent to Rome before them Of this Papal expilation King John heavily complained and could get no remedy but Henry the eighth would bear it no longer England is no more a babe said he in his Protestation against the Pope there is no man here but now he knoweth that they do foolishly that give gold for lead Act. Mon. 990. more weight of that then they receive of this c. Ver. 13. Sheba and Dedan The Arabians who lived by roving and robbing With all the young Lions That lye in wait for gain as Lions do for prey Art thou come to take a prey q. d. If thou art we are ready to set in with thee or to traffique with thee for it Mahomet came of these Arabians the Pope hath his mony-merchants great store Rev. 18. Ver. 14. Prophecy and say unto Gog Say it over again that it may be the better considered for the strengthening of the hands and hearts of my people Shall thou not know it sc By thine Intelligencers and wilt thou not think to make thine advantage of it The Pope hath his Coricaei in every corner of Christendom The Jesuites Colledges placed upon the walls of Cities afford them passage into the City or abroad into the world at pleasure to give or receive intelligence as occasion serveth Ver. 15. Out of the North-parts Ab Aquilone nihil boni from spiritual Babylon comes all mischief to the Church The King of Syria is called King of the North Dan. 10. A great company and a mighty army Such was the army of Antiochus Epiphanes against the Jews of the Turk against Christians of the Pope against the Hussites Waldenses c. He deceiveth the Nations which are in the four quarters of the earth to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea De Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 16. 17. Rev. 20.8 He hath at his command the Italians Walloons Spaniards whom Bellarmine rightly reckoneth among the souldiers of Antichrist Ver. 16. And thou shalt come up against my people Oh happy they in such a priviledge maugre all thy malice Deut. 33.29 In the latter dayes Before the coming of the Messiah first and second And I will bring thee But for thy bane Against my land The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 but that land where God is sincerely served is his peculiar portion It was said of old Anglia regnum Dei Polyd. Virg. It is now so much more When I shall be sanctified in thee i. e. Glorified in thy just and utter destruction Ver. 17. Art thou he T is sure enough thou art he for I cannot be deceived in thee nor shall fail to suppresse thee By my servants the Prophets Enoch Jude 15. Hos 2. Joel 3. Dan. 11. Zech. 14. Rev. 20.8 2 Thess 2. Which prophesied of thee Though under another name Ver. 18. My fury shall come up in my face Though it do not presently break forth Ira Dei quò diuturnior eò minacior Poena venit gravior quò magè tarda venit God delighteth to make fools of his enemies he lets them prevail a while and carry the ball on the foot as it were that they may fall with the greater disappointment Ver. 19. For in my jealousy God first kindleth and then speaketh and then shaketh
saith that in the faculty of Physick there is nothing small 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De part anim lib. 1. cap. 5. nothing contemptible Aristotle saith in all nature nothing is so mean vile and abject that deserveth not to be admired The Rabbines have a saying that there is a mountain of sense hangeth upon every Apex of the Word of God c. And brought me thither sc To Jerusalem in vision that valley of Vision In the beginning of this book the spirit carried him into the plain of Shinar there to see a vision purporting the destruction of the material Temple Here toward the close of it he is by the same hand carryed to Jerusalem to see a mystical Temple set up in the stead thereof far more stately The sufferings of this life are in no comparison worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Rom. 8.18 Ver. 2. Brought he me i. e. The Spirit brought me who is called Gods hand ver 1. quia à Patre Filioque quasi manus dimanat so he is called the finger of God Exod. 8.19 that is his power And set me upon a very high mountain Moriah where had stood the Temple which overlooked the City and had been a kind of heaven upon earth wherein the holy Priests and Israelites were as stars By which was the frame of a City So the Temple seemed to him for its many courts walls towers gates c. So doth the Seraglio at this day Ver. 3. And behold there was a man Christ the Soveraign Architect of his Church as Rev. 11.1 This might well be brought in with an Ecce He appeared after another manner in that first dreadful vision chap. 1. Whose appearance was like the appearance of brasse Bright and durable importing Christs purity and eternity With a line of flax in his hand Christs measuring-line is the holy Scripture and the preaching of the Word so is also his measuring rod here said to be of reed but Rev. 11. of gold Both these are in Christs hand to shew that the power and efficacy of the Word read or preached is from him alone See 1 Cor. 3 9 10. 18. 2 Cor. 10.13 17. Ver. 4. Son of man A most kind compellation holding forth Christs Philanthropy or love to mankind He calleth us sons of men who for our sakes became the Son of Man that we might become the sons of God It is observed that Ezekiel with the Seventy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of man but Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the son of Adam he was the next and only other common-person Behold with thine eyes and hear with thine eares and set thine heart c. We should give all possible diligence and heed to a discourse of the new Jerusalem that City of pearle setting a work both our outward and inward senses and those well exercised to discern both good and evil Heb. 5. ult Declare all that thou seest unto the house of Israel For therefore hast thou seen it The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 And as any man hath received the gift so let him minister the same to others 1 Pet. 4.10 What use is there of candle under a bushel Ver. 5. And behold a wall on the outside of the house Betokening Gods Almighty Protection of his Church and chosen Esa 26.1 Zach. 2.9 Job 1. Psal 125.1 2. Psal 46.1 c. Ver. 6. Then came he unto the gate Henceforth we shall read of gates greeces posts porches courts chambers windows c. after the manner of Solomons Temple now burnt to ashes Concerning all which various and very different are the opinions of Interpreters We shall see hereafter the whole building in heaven meanwhile for many things here mentioned we must content our selves with a learned ignorance and not call it descriptionem insulsam Sanctius Argum in hoc cap. as that Popish Commenter blasphemed or think that the holy Pen-man spake he knew not what This was basely to speak evil of the things that he knew not How much better those Rabbines who meeting with many things here inextricable and inexplicable say Elias cum venerit solvet omnia Ver. 7 And every little chamber Or Porters-lodge Ver. 8. He measured also the porch This porch which had neither doores nor roof that we read of was symbolum caeli De bell Jud. l. 6. c. 6. caelum enim undique conspicuum lateque patens significabat saith Josephus it represented heaven Ver. 9. And the porch of the gate was inward Or this was the porch of the inner gate Ver. 10. And the little chambers Here lay the door-keepers whose office was to keep out the unclean 2 Chron. 23.19 Oh for such officers amongst us Ver. 11. And the length That is the height of the gate Ver. 12. The space also before the little chambers Which space served either for seats walks or eaves rather at either end Ver. 13. Door against door The one facing the other in a direct line Ver. 14. Even unto the post i. e. The height was the same everywhere See these things best set forth by pictures at the end of Castalio's and Lavaters Annotations on the Text. Ver. 16. Narrow windows i. e. Narrowed the better to let in light and so shadowing out that spiritual illumination and joy wrought in the hearts of the children of light See Esa 42.7 49.6 60.19 20. Mic. 7.8 Luk. 2.32 Joh. 3.19 8.24 9.5 12.35 36 46. Were palm-trees As for ornament so in token of Victory gotten by the Saints who do over-overcome Rom. 8.31 37. 1 Cor. 15.54 55. Ver. 17. Then brought he me into the outward court In this Temple were more Courts and more Chambers then ever were in Solomons Heaven is large and full of mansions Joh. 14. And a pavement made More costly and stately then that of Ahashuerosh Esth 1.6 Gods people are said to be living stones 1 Pet. 2. more precious then Sapphires Esa 54. firm as a pavement by faith and low by humility submitting to their teachers Heb. 13.17 and obeying from the heart the form of doctrine delivered unto them Rom. 6.17 Ver. 18. Was the lower pavement See on ver 17. Ver. 19. An hundred cubits Square Ver. 21. Of the first gate i. e. Of the east gate first measured Ver. 22. And their windows See ver 16. And they went up unto it by seâ—â— steps Whereby was noted the Saints progress in knowledge and holinesse Luk. 17.5 Rom. 1.17 Rev. 22.11 still climing up toward the heavenly Temple Psal 84.7 Ver. 31. And palm-trees See on ver 16. Eight steps See on ver 22. Ver. 35. And measured it according to these measures Vilalpandus here noteth that whatsoever is measured in one gate the same is common to all the rest Ver. 38. Where they washed the burnt-offering All must be pure and clean in Gods Service Pura Deus mens est c. This washing of
home Eccles 12.5 One being asked what life was made an answer answerlesse for he presently went his way Ver. 10. And the Prince in the midst of them c. For example sake Vita Principis censura est and to see that all things be rightly carried in Gods service And although the Prince hath many weighty occasions yet he is to be at the publike Assemblies with the first and to stay till the last Ver. 11. An Ephah to a bullock and a Hin of oile A whole Ephah and a whole Hin whereas in the Mosaical service there was required but a certain part only of either Polan Because the Jewish Church was but of a part of mankind but the Church Christian is universal Ver. 12. A voluntary burnt-offering one shall then open him the gate c. Here is warrant for our week-day Lectures a voluntary service well accepted provided that afterwards one shut the gate and men return to their honest labours Ver. 13. Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt-offering God must be served daily and duely not on the Sabbath-day only See Psal 72.15 The Papists are at their Masse every morning and they bind much upon this text for it They have a Proverbe also Masse and meat hindereth no mans thrift Ver. 14. The sixth part of an Ephah This is also different from the Levitical Ordinance Num. 15 28. Exod. 29.40 though R. Solomon here extremely troubleth himself but to no purpose to reconcile them Ver. 15. Every morning Understand it of every evening also as Exod. 29.38 Ver. 16. If the Prince give a gift unto any of his sons As Jehosaphat did Cities to every of his sons though they long enjoyed them not through the barbarous cruelty of their elder-brother Jehoram Christ the Churches King giveth all his children gifts of great price such as the world can neither give nor take from them spiritual blessings in heavenly things and places Ephes 1.3 yea he bestoweth himself upon them and is therefore called The Gift Joh. 4.10 and The Benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 Ver. 17. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants As Alexander the Great who going to subdue a great part of the habitable world gave away to his servants almost all he had and when one of his officers asked him What he would leave for himself Don̄a throni he said Hope Messiah the Prince besides his choycest gifts to his dear children giveth gifts unto men even to the rebellious also Psal 68.18 these are common gifts Dona scabelli temporal favours external privivedges See Mat. 7.22 23. 25.14 15 c. Luke 19.12 c. But as the servant abideth not in the house for ever as the son doth Job 8.35 so these gifts to servants but for the behoof and benefit of his Sons are but till the year of liberty or Jubilee till the last day at utmost Levit. 25.10 Then shall the wicked give a dreadful account of all with the whole world flaming about their eares Ver. 18. To thrust them out of their possession Ill accidents attend such Princes as affecting to be absolute in power will be too resolute in will or dissolute in life oppressing their subjects to enrich their servants and parasites Ver. 19. Afterward he brought me Here he returneth again to things sacred viz. to shew where the Priests should boyl and bake Polan Into the holy chambers of the Priests These holy cells or chambers are particular Christian Churches committed to the care of Christs faithful Ministers Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 5.2 Ver. 20. Where they shall bake the meat-offering i. e. The Ministers shall endite or boyl good matters in their hearts for the use of the people and then their tongues shall be as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 See there They shall not feed their hearers with crude and indigested stuff but such as is well boyled and baked with the fire of the holy Spirit kindled on the harth of their own hearts that from the heart they may speak to the heart To sanctify the people As in promiscuous Communions where all are pelmel admitted Ver. 21. In every corner of the Court there was a Court And buildings in every of them for the same purpose round about ver 22. These served saith Hierom to set forth the four parts of the world out of all which the Church is gathered by Ministers c. It served also saith Another to shew that in Gods House which is his Church there shall alwaies be provision both for his Ministers and people Those that have but from hand to mouth have their bread hot as it were from Gods hand which is best of all Ver. 22. Courts joyned Or made with chimnies Caminata vaporaria See on ver 21. Ver. 23. With boyling places Such as the Ancients called Popinas Nolo ego Florus esse Adrian Imp. Latitare per popinas Ver. 24. These are the places of them that boyl Of Gods Cooks who dresse spiritual food for the use of his people See ver 20. CHAP. XLVII Ver. 1. AFterward he brought Christus Mystagogus me duxit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christo ducente docente Follow God whithersoever he leadeth thee this was an ancient rule among the Heathens And behold waters issued out i. e. The Gospel of grace and the gifts of the Holy Ghost thereby conveyed into the hearts of believers and poured out upon the world by the death of Christ The Prophet seems to allude to those waters which by conduits were conveyed to the Altar to wash away the blood of the sacrifices and filth of the Temple which else would have been very offensive and noisom See the like Zach. 14.8 where the Eastern and Western Churches also are pointed out See Rev. 22.1 From under the threshold Quod gloria Dei dudum triverat Christ is that door Oecol Joh. 10.7 and fountain of living water Jer. 2.13 Isa 12.3 55.1 and from the Temple at Jerusalem flowed forth the waters of saving truth to all nations and first Eastward not Rome-ward though the faith of the Romans was not long after spoken of throughout the whole world Rom. 1.8 Ver. 2. And behold there ran out waters As out of a Viall On the right side The right side is a place of honour and defence The doctrine of the Gospel hath the preheminence and is maintained by the right-hand of God against all opposites Ver. 3. And when the man that had the line in his hand The Man Christ Jesus the sole Architect of his Church and Measurer of his Gospel and that by his Gospel which is the line in his hand nec solum recta sed regula He measured a thousand cubits It was not for nothing that Plato said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is alwaies measuring the world The waters were to the ancles Grace is but a smal thing at first no more is the Gospel Matth. 13.31 32 33. The Church
those fenns and quagmires Job 40 21. they are void of the Spirit Jude 18 19. they say unto God Depart from us we had rather dance to the Timbrel and Harp Job 21.11 whoredom and wine and new wine take away their hearts Hos 4.11 he who had married a wife or rather was married to her sent word flat and plain he could not come others excused themselves more mannerly Mat. 22. such persons chuse to remain in the sordes of their sins and so are miserable by their own election They shall be given to salt Delivered up to strong delusions 1 Thes 2.15 16. vile affections Rom. 1.26 just damnation Rev. 22.11 Ver. 12. Shall grow all trees for meat Arbores esibiles these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 useful Christians such as whose lips are feeding and their tongues trees of life Prov. 11.30 15.4 See the Notes there Whose leaf shall not fade They will not fail to make a bold and wise profession of the truth See on Psal 1.3 Jer. 17.8 Neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed But as the Lemmon-tree which ever and anon sendeth new fruits assoon as the former are fallen down with ripeness Or as the Egyptian fig-tree which yeeldeth fruit seven times a year saith Solinus and if you pull off one fig another groweth up presently in the place thereof Because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary Hence their so great fruitfulness viz. from the divine influence Hos 14.8 the Word and Spirit going together Esa 59.21 hence it is that the Saints are neither barren nor unfruitful 2 Pet. 1.8 And the leaf thereof for medicine Gods people by their holy profession of religion do much good to many souls as did diverse of the Martyrs and Confessors Lucianus an ancient Martyr perswaded many Gentiles to the Christian faith by his grave countenance and modest disposition insomuch that Maximinus that persecuting Emperour durst not look him in the face for fear he should turn Christian And so Beda telleth us of one Alban who receiving a poor persecuted Christian into his house and seeing his holy devotion and sweet carriage Hist Ang. l. 1. c. 7. was so much affected with the same as that he became an earnest professour of the faith and in the end a glorious Martyr for the faith The like is recorded of Bradford Bucer and others Ver. 13. This shall be the border Here the Prophet returneth again to the dividing of the land begun chap. 45.1 2 c. having hitherto interposed many most memorable matters and of great use to the Church Joseph shall have two portions He had so by his fathers will and for his two sons adopted by his father Ver. 14. And ye shall inherit one as well as another Spiritual blessings are divided in solidum amongst the community of Gods people they all partake of one and the same saving grace of God righteousnesse of Christ and eternal life though there are several degrees of grace and of glory See Gal. 3.26 27 28 29. All Gods Sons are heirs heirs of God and coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Ver. 15. And this shall be the border of the land i. e. Of the Christian Church the borders whereof are here set forth as far larger then those of the land of Canaan ever were From the great sea The Mediterranean sea The way of Hethlon From one end of the Kingdom of Damascus to another Ver. 16. Hamath Berothah Sibraim Towns of Arabia deserta All this is to set forth the amplitude of the Christian Church spread far and near upon the face of the whole earth and therefore rightly called Catholike Roman-Catholike is contradictio in adjecto for it is a particular-universal Ver. 17. And the border from the sea shoil be Hazar-Enan Forasmuch as the borders in this description of the land are set to be such as never were in the Israelites possession the Jew-doctours are will they nill they forced to confess that the land of Israel in the world to come shall be larger then ever it had been Now Heb. 2.5 Gospel-times are called the world to come Ver. 18. From Hauran A town of Arabia deserta Ptolomy calleth it Aurana but Felix in this This was Palmira afterwards Hadrianople that it is taken into the Church Ver. 19. From Tamar Hazazon-Tamar which was near the sea of Sodom v. 10. In Kadesh Not in Rephidim Ezod 17.7 Ver. 20 Till a man come over against Hamath To that place of the great sea from which lyeth a straight way from Hamath East-ward Ver. 21. So shall ye divide Epilogus est There is one and the same inheritance of the Saints in light Ver. 22. An inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you What can the spiteful Jews say to this who stick not to say that rather then the bastard Gentiles so they call Christians should share with them in their Messiah they would crucifie him a hundred times over and over Under the old Testament though strangers lived with the children of Israel yet they had no inheritance with them at any time as now they are appointed to have Ver. 23. See on ver 22. CHAP. XLVIII Ver. 1. NOw these are the names of the tribes Who are in this chapter assigned their several seats and the land divided amongst them but this division is much different from that of old which was a plain prediction of a perfect and total abrogation of the Mosaical polity and Levitical worship together with a new state of the Church of God after the coming of Jesus Christ To the coast of the way of Hethlon Chap. 47.15 16 17. Judaea was not say Geographers above 200 miles long and 50 miles broad But R. Kimchi here noteth that the Talmudists affirm that the possession of Israel shall extend unto the utmost coasts of the earth Oecol id quod ex spiritu dictum existima This was well and truely spoken though they understood not what they spake as dreaming only of an earthly Kingdom Psal 89.11 12. But as elsewhere so here the land of Canaan is put for the whole world whereof all true believers are heires together with faithful Abraham Rom. 4. whether they be Jews or Gentiles Christs Kingdom runs to the end of the earth Psal 28. 72.8 A portion for Dan This tribe which was for their shameful revolt from the true religion Judg. 18. cut out of the roll as it were 1 Chron. 7. Rev. 7. is here reckoned first of those who had partem sortem part and lot amongst Gods people So true is that of our Saviour Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first Mat. 19.30 20.1 Judge not therefore according to the appearance c. Repent and God will reaccept The sable of Antichrist to come of this tribe is long since exploded Ver. 2. From the East side to the West The longitude is described not the latitude for why Christs Kingdom is limitless and
being so advanced in that Court And gave him many great gifts This Porphyry that Atheist snarleth at viz that Daniel received these rewards and honours But why might he not sith the gifts he could bestow upon the poor Captives his fellow-brethren and the honours he could also improve to their benefit himself did neither ambitiously seek them nor was vainly puffed up by them A noble pair of like English spirits we have lately had amongst us D. Vssier and D. Preston Contemporaries and intimate friends to one another The former when he was consecrated Bishop of Meath in Ireland D. Bern. in his life had this Anagram of his name given him James Meath I am the same The latter when he might have chosen his own mitre but denied all preferment that courted his acceptance had this Anagram made of him Johannes Prestonius En stas pius in honore Mr. Fuller Church-hist fol. 119. Ver. 49. Then Daniel requested of the King Acquainting him likely that by their prayes also in part the secret had been brought to knowledge ver 18 19. But Daniel sat in the gate of the King As chief Admissional so the Civilians call it without whose leave and license none might come into the Kings presence Himself mean-while had an excellent opportunity of treating with the King upon all occasions of such things as concerned the Churches good and this priviledge no question but he improved to the utmost CHAP. III. Ver. 1. NEbuchadnezzar the King made animage of gold Having taken Tyre which was that great service spoken of Ezek. 29.18 subdued Egypt which was his pay for his pains at Tyre and overthrown Niniveh as Nabum had foretold he was so puffed up with his great successe that he set up this monstrous statue of himself to be adored by all on pain of death That it was his own image which he here erected for such a purpose as did also afterwards C. Caligula the Roman Emperour it is gathered 1. Because he did not worship it himself 2. Because ver 12. it is distinguished from his Gods 3. Because this was long since foretold of him Isa 14.14 that Lucifer-like he should take upon him as a god which because he did he was worthily turned a grazing amongst beasts chap. 4. Mean-while take notice here of the inconstant and mutable disposition of thâ—s proud Prince as to matter of Religion Velâ—x oblivio est veritatis saith Hierom the truth is soon forgotten Nebuchadnezzr who so lately had worshipped a servant of God as a god and not being suffered to do so declared for the one only true God and advanced his servants to places of greatest preferment is now setting up idolatry in despite of God and cruelly casting into the fire those whom he had so exalted because they dissented Daniel its likely withstood this ungodly enterprize so far as he might and left the rest to God Whose height was threscore cubits The ordinary cubit is a foot and half but the Babylonian cubit saith Herodotus was three fingers greater then the common cubit Plin. l. 34 c. 7. so that this image might be Sixty seven ordinary cubits high The Rhodian Colosse was yet bigger then this for it was Fourscore cubits high made of brasse in the form of a man standing with his two legs striding over an haven under which Ships with their sails and masts might passe The little finger of it was as big as an ordinary man being the work of twelve years made by Chares of Lindum Theop. Pâ—zel Mell. hist and worthily reckoned for one of the worlds seven wonders It was afterwards sold to a Jew who loaded 900 Camels with the brasse of it for it had been thrown down by an earthquake This image of Nebuchadnezzar was thus great to affect the people with wonderment so they wondered after the beast Rev. 13.3 and thus glorious guilded at least if not of solid gold to perstringe their senses and with exquisite Musick to draw their affections The Papacy is in like sort an alluring tempting bewitching religion Hierom compareth heresy to this golden image Irenaeus worldly felicity which the devil enticeth men to admire and adore He set it up in the plain of Dura In a pleasant plain mentioned also by Ptolomy the Geographer quò statua commendatior habeatur Lib. 6. Geog. that it might be the more regarded Ver. 2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the King sent to gather together the Princes Satrapas not so called quia sat rapiant as Lyra doateth for it is a Persian word signifying such as were near the Kings person Superstition first looks to wind in great Ones Ezr. 8.11 the vulgar are carried away to dumb idols like as they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 They are sheepish and will follow a leader as well into a penfold as a pasture they also feed most greedily on the grasse that will rot them Ver. 3. Then the Princes the Governours These envying the new favourites and fearing that the King by his late confession chap. 2.47 had too good an opinion of the Jewes Religion came readily to this dedication and probably had contrived it for a mischief to those three Worthies as those chap. 6. did to Daniel Ver. 4. To you it is commanded Chald. they command i. e. The King and his Council as Esth 1.13 15. But what said the Heathen Eurlp in Phoeniss Obediemus Atridis honesta mandantibus we will obey Rulers if they command things honest but not else The Bishop of Norwich asked Roger Coo Martyr in Queen Maries days whether he would not obey the Queens laws He answered as far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them The Bishop replyed whether they agree with the Word of God or not we are bound to obey them if the Queen were an Infidel Act. Mon. fol. 1550. Coo answered If Shadrach Meshac and Abednego had done so Nebuchadnezzar had not confessed the living God Ver. 5. That at what time ye hear See on ver 1. The allurements of pleasure are shrewd enticements to idolatry 2 Pet. 2.18 Sr. Walter Rawleigh said Were I to chuse a religion to gratify the flesh I would chose Popery The Catholikes in their Supplication to King James for a Toleration plead that their religion is inter caetera so confortable to natural sense and reason that it ought to be imbraced A proper argument I have read of a Lady in Paris that when she saw the bravery of a Procession to a Saint she cryed out Oh how fine is our religion beyond that of the Hugenots That at what time ye heare the sound So in the Papacy when the Ave-Mary-bell rings which is at Sun-rising at noon and at Sun-setting all men in what place soever house field street or market Spec. Europ do presently kneel down and send up their united devotions by an Ave-Maria Ye fall down and worship This is all is required de certa confessionis forma imperata ne gry Ver. 6. And
saith an Expositor we also fear not to go down to the grave Rolloc so long as we may hear God saying unto us as once he did to old Jacob thinking of his journey to Egypt Fear not to go down into Egypt for I will go with thee and I will also bring thee up again Gen. 46.3 4. Further note how these three Martyrs carry themselves toward the tyrant they do simply obey his command and come forth they are not puffed up by the strangeness of the miracle wrought upon them neither do they tattle but suffer the matter it self and experience to speak shewing themselves to all sorts to be looked upon with greatest humility and modesty Ver. 27. And the Princes Governours and Captaines Who were more obstinate then the King and willing to have shut the windows leâ—t the light should shine in upon them but that there was no withstanding it Vpon whose bodyes the fire had no power See on ver 23. The creatures are at a league with the Saints Job 5.22 Ver. 28. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake Being convinced but not converted as appeareth by the next Chapter whatever Austin and others charitably thought to the contrary A wicked man may pray and praise God extemporally Job 27.10 And have changed the Kings word Chald. secundo loco habuerunt they have preferred Gods Word before it Ver. 29. Therefore I make a decree Magistrates then have to do with men in matters of Religion Deut. 13.6 Rom. 13.4 Which speak any thing amisse But was this all he would do for God after so clear convictions t' was very poor A professor of the Turks law proclaimeth before they attempt any thing that nothing be done against religion Ver. 30 Then the King promoted Restored them to their dignities and strictly forbad others to maligne or molest them CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. NEbuchadnezzar the King This bare title seemed sufficient to him who came now newly out of the fornace of sharp affliction whereby he was tamed and taken a link lower as we say Vnto all People Nations and languages This Epistolary Narrative or Proclamation was sent abroad a year or two before his death And here observe saith one an omission of twenty seven years history wherein the Church in Babylon had her Halcyons the Emperour being exercised in forrein wars Mr. Hueâ— and the Nobles disheartned from attempting any thing against those four Worthies as having had formerly such ill success That dwell in all the earth Thus this great King is made a Catholike Preacher of humility and moderation of mind Peace be multiplied unto you Courtesie and kind language in great ones draweth all hearts unto them as fair flowers do the eyes of beholders in the springtide Ver. 2. I thought it good Chald. It was meet or seemly before me It was my duty so Junius To shew the signes and wonders Signs they were because evident testimonies of Gods Wisdom Justice Power Wonders because worthy to be wondred at Ver. 3. How great are his signes Mark how he is enlarged here so should we If David bad had the thing in band he would have cryed out also for his mercy endureth for ever But Nebuchadnezzar celebrateth his Kingdom only and that also he had learned of Daniel chap. 2. Ver. 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house Having subdued all mine enemies round about But in the year of my triumph behold a vision of my downfal Suspecta nobis debet esse tranquillitas And flourishing in my palace But flourishing estates free not the mind of burthensome cares Eccles 5.12 Ver. 5. I saw a dream which made me afraid It is seldom seen that God alloweth unto the greatest darlings of the world a perfect contentment Something they must complain of that shall give an unsavoury verdure to their sweetest morsels and make their very felicity miserable Ver. 6. Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon Whom yet he had formerly found to be no better then Braghards and Impostours Was this man truly converted Ver. 7. Then came in the Magicians As if they would do the deed Seducers make up with boldnesse what they want of true worth 2 Pet. 2.19 Ver. 8. But at last Daniel came in before me And why at last Why was he not sooner sent for If the Soothsayers and Sorcerers could have served the turn Daniel had never been sought to This is the guise of graceless men they run not to God till all other refuges fail them According to the name of my god and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods Is this the language of a true Convert Should not former sinful practises be looked upon with a lively hatred and mentioned with utter distaste Ver. 9. Because I know that the spirit of the holy godâ— is in thee The spirit of divination and Prophecy And no secret troubleth thee Chald. puts thee to businesse Now he who had slighted Daniel before to get what he desired abaseth himself below the dignity of a King to him Ver. 10. Thus were the visions of my head in my bed He readily rememembreth this dream of his and roundly relateth it the more to befool the wise-men sith the Scripture whereof they were ignorant but Daniel well versed in revealeth sufficient direction for the interpretation thereof sc Ezek. 31.1 12. The wisdom of this World is not unlike the pains taken by Moles which dig dextrously under ground but are blind against the Sun-light Ver. 11. The tree grew and was strong See Ezek. 17.12 24. Plato compareth a man to a tree inverted with the root above and the branches below he also calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heavenly plant Homer calleth great men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 12. The leaves theref were fair and the fruit But because pride harboured under these leaves and poisoned these fair fruits they were broken down and trod under foot The beasts of the field had shadow under it Great is the benefit of civil government and far extending But mose men content themselves with a natural use of it as beasts of the field do of their food without improvement of any higher good Ver. 13. And behold a Watcher and an holy One i. e. An holy Angel active and watchful to know and do the will and commands of God for the good of the Church Hence Angels are said to be full of eyes Ezek. 1. and to stand alwaies beholding the face of God Matth. 18.10 as waiting an employment How ready was that Angel here ver 31. to interrupt the proud King from heaven and to tell him his doom So in the next words Ver. 14. How down the tree and cut off his branches One Angel seems to call to another to expedite the execution so earnest they are in the Churches revenge Rev. 18.21 Let the beasts get away Let this great Conquerour be stript at once of his train and dignity The Duke of Florence gave for his ensign a great
Principalities Thrones c. And hath shut the Lyons mouths Though they were savage and hungerstarved yet Daniel was kept from the paws and jawes of these many fierce and fell Lyons by the power of god thorough faith Heb. 11.33 How the Angel stopt the Lyons mouths whether by the brightness of his presence or threatening them with his finger Num. 22.27 33. or by making a rumble amongst them like that of an empty cart upon the stones Ariâ—â—ot Plin. or by presenting unto them a light fire which things Lyons are said to be terrified with or by causing in them a satiety or by working upon their phantasie c. we need not enquire The Lord well knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 and one way or other will not faile to do it Psal 34.19 Archimedes the great Mathematician was slain by a common souldier who was sent for him notwithstanding that Marcellus the Roman General had given charge that he should be spared The Temple of Jerusalem was burnt though Titus the Emperour had commanded the contrary When one told the Duke of Parma that he had shot Sir Philip Sidney instead of a reward he cursed him for killing so incomparable a man of whom though an enemy he heartily wished that he had been preserved all that are dear to God are sure to be protected he will rather work miracles then they shall be forsaken Jon. 2.10 And also before thee O King have I done no hurt Though I have not obeyed thine edict to the wounding of my conscience It was therefore an unadvised speech of Philip King of Spain who said that he had rather have no subjects then Protestant subjects and out of a blind bloody zeal he suffered his eldest son Charles to be murthered by the cruel inquisition because he seemed to favour the Lutherans How well might this young Prince have said as here Against thee O King have I done no hurt Ver. 23. And commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den Pull him up with cords as they did Jeremy in like case chap. 38. Mos priscus Christianorum fuit ut in suis sepulchris inter alia Resurrectionis symbola Danielem in lacu inter leones stantem sculperent A Lapide in loc So Daniel was taken up out of the den A lively type of Christs resurrection from the pit So was Joseph taken from prison and made Lord of Egypt Sampson breaking the bars and carrying away the gates of Gaza David so oft oppressed by Saul and yet exalted to the Kingdom Jonas his being drawn out of many waters Mat. 12.39 Because he beleeved in his God Of such force is faith of such power is prayer for it may well be thought that he prayed hard with David Psal 22.21 Save me from the Lions mouth so will I declare thy name unto my brethren The prayer of faith shall save the afflicted and questionlesse justifying faith is not beneath miraculous in the sphere of its own activity and where it hath the warrant of Gods Word Let such as desire a special providence believe wait and walk uprightly 2 Chron. 16.9 Ver. 24. And the King commanded and they brought these men which had accused Daniel Chald. which had accused accusations against Daniel Now they shall lick of the same whip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod and find to their small comfort the truth of that divine proverb Whose diggeth a pit shall fall therein c. Prov. 26.27 See Eccles 10.8 Psal 7.16 with the Notes They cast them into the den of lions A just and proper punishment yet not executed without too much severity as some think because their wives and children were cast in with them But for that others say that as these were part of their goods so by consent at least they were partakers of their crimes and therefore justly perished with them Heb. 10.31 And the lyons had the mastery c. It is a much more fearful thing to fall into the punishing hands of the living God Such shall have the cauls of their hearts torn in sunder Psal 50.22 c. Oh consider this ye that forget God seast he tear you in pieces c. Ver. 25. Then King Darius wrot See on chap. 4.1 Ver. 26. I make a decree It is the honour of Princes to make laws for the maintenance of religion 2 Chron. 30.4 5. And his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Daniels dialect touching Christ and his Kingdom chap. 2.44 7.14 27. By conversing with that good man Darius had learend something as those that walk much in the Sun are apt to be tann'd and discoloured Ver. 27. He delivereth and rescueth By this and the foregoing Verse it may be evidently seen that Darius was acquainted with Nebuchadnezzar's two dreams and affected with them Ver. 28. So this Daniel prospered And still sollicited the Churches cause And in the reign of Cyrus the Persian Under whom he affronted the Counsellors hired against the returned Jews Ezra 4.5 with Dan. 10.1 3. He lived also under Cambyses but was out of credit with that rakeshame CHAP. VII Ver. 1. IN the first year of Belshazzar Here beginneth to speak properly the Prophecy of Daniel or rather the second Part of Daniel's works which is concerning visions exhibited of God by divine Revelations not to others but to himself This vision is the subject and ground-work of the rest that follow to the end of the Prophecy One not unfitly compareth it to a general Map of the whole world the rest to particular tables of several countries Daniel had a dream and visions of his head God renewed unto him the same thing by vision which he had exhibited before by dream Jun. in recompence of his religious care to know the matter and to record it for the Churches comfort Then he wrot the dream 'T was Gods will the visions of the Prophets should be written Isa 30.10 and published to the Church Isa 31.10 Ver. 2. Daniel spake and said His writing is called his speaking Willet to teach us to receive the writings of the Prophets and Apostles with no lesse reverence then if we had heard them speak with their own mouths I saw in my vision by night The night doth in Scripture frequently signify trouble This vision by night was of troublesome businesse viz. hurlyburlies in the world and persecutions in the Church And behold the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great Sea i. e. There was a huge bussel upon the earth by means of the four successive Monarchies See Rev. 13.1 11. The World is fitly called the great Sea ever unquiet and full of commotions which are also called winds for their boisterousnesse contrariety of nature and inconstancy Ver. 3. And four great beasts Regnorum feritas bestiarum nomino demonstratur saith Hierom The fiercenesse of the four Kingdoms is set forth by the name of beasts Bellum à belluis Monarchies are mostly gotten kept Regna
mundana parantur retinentur bellis Commune vitium Monarchiis est tyrannâ— and governed with violence and tyranny Psal 76.4 Cant. 4.8 Ver. 4. The first was like a Lion Which is the king of beasts as the Eagle is of birds generous strong fierce fair-conditioned so were the Assyrian Monarchs in comparison of those that followed them And had Eagles wings Whereby is noted their victorious celerity and alacrity in seising upon Kingdoms as Obad. 4. 2 Sam. 1.23 Jer. 4.13 48.40 Ezek. 17.8 I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckd sc By the Medes and Persians taming Babels insolency and making her Inhabitants tributaries and slaves Xenophon to till their ground and to maintain their garrisons saluting them as their Masters wherever they met them And made stand upon the feet as a man i. e. Brought down to the common rank of men and no longer lift up as an Eagle And a mans heart was given to it Which before thought it self as good as God Cor humanum id est molle ac timidum Piscat now had low and common spirits not as once imperious and impetuous Ver. 5. And behold another beast a second like to a Bear Which is nothing so generous and ingenuous as a Lion but slow dull cruel ravenous Such were the Persians a mountainous tough uncivil people of barbarous and beastly cruelty And it raised up it self on one side sc By joyning with the Medes by whose help Cyrus subdued the Syrians Xenoph. Assyrians Arabians Cappadocians and many more nations not easily reckoned who to gratify him desired to be ruled according to his pleasure And it had three ribs in the mouth of it Whilst they conquered three parts of the known World pushing Westward Northward and Southward chap. 8.4 Westward by Cyrus Southward by Cambyses and Northward by Darius Hystasâ—iâ— And they said or it was said thus unto it Arise devour Intimating that it was God who turned this Bear loose upon the nations and gave them to him for a prey Tyrants prosper by Gods permission Joh. 19.11 Ver. 6. After this I beheld and let another like a Leopard Which is a creature cruel desirous of mans blood crafty spotted and very swift of foot So were the Grecians Alexander especially the founder of that third Monarchy active bold and headlong but directed much by those who had been Councellours to his father Philip a subtile Prince Leopard-like he was spotted by a mixture of virtues and vices he was very quick of dispatch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never deferring any enterprize he much delighted in wine and so took his death like as the Leopard is no way else to be taken but by such a bait laid for him Which had upon the back of it four wings Denoting the rapidity and celerity of Alexander and some other of the Grecian Monarchs in over-running countries as if they had flown The beast had also four heads i. e. This Monarchy was after Alexander's death divided into four Satrapies or rather Kingdoms Cassander had Macedonia Antigonus Asia Seleucus Syria and Ptolomy Egypt Ver. 7. Behold a fourth beast Not likened to any certain beast because none can be named so cruel which can expresse the cruelty of this fourth Monarchy viz. that of the Romans no although it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a namelesse monster Hom. made up of all the properties of the former beasts Rev. 13.1 2. The Rabbines with their wild-boar out of the wood Psal 80. fall far short of it Luther not unfitly compareth the Church of God to a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wildernesse Loc. Com. and beset with hungry Lions Wolves Boars Bears and with all manner of hurtful and cruel creatures Dreadful and terrible Because able and ready to annoy others with great evils And strong exceedingly So that it passed for a Proverb Irasâ—i populo Romano noâ—â—â— impuus potest It is not safe for any nation to fall out with the Romans for they are sure to be tamed and tawed with their iron teeth And it had great iron teeth i. e. Conquering captains such as Scipio of whom Eunius sang thus Si fas coedendo coelestia scandere cuiquam Mî soli coeli maxima porta patet Pompey who by his great acts and atchievements merited the name of Magnus and Julius Caesar who be bore the Phrasalian wars had taken a thousand towns conquered three hundred nations â—â—yl Geog. took prisoner one Million of men and slain as many And stamped the residue with the feet of it i. e. With their Provincial Magistrates such as were Verres Pilate Felix c. said to have nails of brasse â— 19 and fitly compared to petulanâ— wild beasts which when they can feed no longer trample with their feet on the residue of the prey The poor Jewes had hard measure from them alwaies And it was divers from all the beasts In respect of diversity and strange multiplicity of formes of government And it had ten horns Which the Angel afterwards interpreteth of Kings or Kingdoms ver 24. This fell out not long after Constantine the Great when the Roman Empire began to moulder and fall in-pieces About the year 456. it appeared broken into ten parts which by a learned Interpreter are thus reckoned The kingdom of the Britons of the Saxons both in Britanny of the Frankes of the Burgundians in France of the West-Gothes in the Southern part of France and part of Spain of the Sueves and Alanes in part of Spain of the Vandals in Africa a little before in Spain of the Alemans in Rhetia and Noricum Provinces of Germany of the East-Gothes in Pannonia a little after in Italy of the Greeks in the remnant of the Empire Ver. 8. And I considered the horns For without a serious and sedulous consideration I could not have kenned it so slily and secretly worketh the Mystery of iniquity And behold there came up among them another little horn This is Antiochus Epiphanes say some the great Turk say others the Pope say a third sort and with them I concur whose Kingdom is here called a little horn because the Pope was at first a mean Minister of the Roman Church viz till Constantine's time Afterwards he was only Primat and Metropolitan of the Churches of Italy no man took him for a Prince no not when he began to write Volumus jubemuâ— We will and command you A. D. 606. but he grew up by degrees and cunningly gat among the ten horns till at length he overtopped them Before whom there were three of the first horns pluckt up by the roots These were according to some Chilperick the French King Frederick the Emperour and King John of England whom he made his vassal Others reckon them to be Chilperick the Exarch of Italy in the time of Gregory the second and Desidorius King of Lombards slain by Charles the Great at the instigation of the Pope For three Kingdoms coming under him let
first universal secondly perpetual so was none of the former though the Roman was very large teaching from Euphrates to great Britaine and the Assyrian very lasting of a thousand and four hundred years duration Ver. 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit Chald. My spirit was stabbed thorough so that my body became as an empty sheath or scabbard Oh the rerrour of that last Judgement when such a man as Daniel was so affrighted to see the manner of it in vision only If the righteous scarcely be saved c. In the midst of my body Chald. of my sheath the body is but the souls sheath Pliny in the history of Hermotinus Clazometius Lib. 7. cap. 52. maketh use of the same Metaphor and compared to the soul it is but as a clay wall that encompasseth a treasure as a wodden box of a Jeweller as a course case to a rich instrument or as a mask to a beautiful face Ver. 16. I came near unto one of them that stood by i. e. To one of the holy Angels as ver 10. Let us have recourse in like case to Christs Ministers who are called Angels of the Churches like as Angels by a like change of name are called ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 The Preaching of the Gospel is taken from the Angels Luk. 2.10 and given to the Ministers hence Paul was sent to Ananias for further direction Act. 9. and Cornelius to Peter Act. 10. And asked him the truth i. e. The thing hereby signified See Joh. 1.17 14.7 holy minds are industrious after knowledge Ver. 17. These great beasts are four Kings i. e. A succession of Kings all of them truculent and savage toward the Saints Which shall arise out of the earth And as toads strive who shall dye with most earth in their mouths Ver. 18. But the Saints of the most high Or the most high Saints highly exalted in Christ and preferr'd far above those earth-sprung Mushrom-Monarchs ver 17. who are of the earth earthy and partake not of the inheritance of the Saints in light Now this is a very true definition of a Church saith Junius here viz. Caetus sanctorum ad excelsa a company of Saints partaking of an high and heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Shall take the Kingdom Take it by force Matth. 11.12 lay hold on the promised inheritance yet not till it is given them and the time is come ver 22. Ver. 19. Then I would know the truth See ver 16. And take notice that godly minds are not content with the knowledge of things in gross but covet a particular and distinct knowledge Phil. 3.10 Ver. 20. And of the ten hornes See ver 7. And of the other that came up See ver 8. Whose look was more stout then his fellows i. e. Then the ten hornes Antichrist exalteth himself above Kings and above all that is August 2 Thes 2.4 See the Note there Ver. 21. I beheld and the same horn made war with the Saints With the Waldenses against whom the Pope turned his Croisado's Thuar those armies of the Cross which had been first appointed against the Saracens This war began in the year one thousand one hundred and sixty and yet continueth and must till the end of the reign of Antichrist ver 9 10 26. And prevailed against them As they did against the ancient Waldenses or Leonists and against their posterity lately in Piedmont Yea it is the opinion and fear of some great Divines that Antichrist before his abolition shall once again overflow the whole face of the West and suppresse the whole Protestant Churches Ver. 22. Vntill the ancient of dayes came Not by change of place but change of Providence Zach. 14.3 4. And judgment was given to the Saints As Approvers of Christs righteous judgment That the Saints possessed the Kingdom sc In Christ their head ver 10. Ver. 23. Thus he said So ready are the holy Angels to further good desires Mat. 28.1 2. Ver. 24. And the ten hornes out of this Kingdom He saith not Kingdoms this maketh against those that make the Seleucidae and Lagida the fourth Monarchy And he shall be diverse from the first For the first were secular Kings but he stileth himself chief Bishop and head of the Church having both Peters keyes and Pauls sword c. And he shall subdue three Kings See on ver 8. Ver. 25. And he shall speak great words As Pope Julius the third did when he called for his pork-flesh forbidden him by his Physician as naught for his gout al despito di Dio in despite of God Act. Mon. 1417. and missing a cold Peacock which he commanded to be set up for his supper he raged extreamly at his steward and being desired to be more patient he replied If God were so angry with our first Parents for an apple may not I who am his Vicar be so much more for my Peacock See on Rev. 13.5 And shall think to change times and laws i. e. He shall usurp a power over religion and mens consciences set up holydayes canonize Saints appoint fasts order times c. Vntill a time and times and half a time i. e. Untill that time which God alone knoweth and hath in his power Ver. 26. But the judgment shall sit And then an end of him howsoever Ver. 27. And the Kingdom and dominion When once Christs foes shall be in that place which is fittest for them viz. under his feet Ver. 28. Hitherto is the end of the matter This seemeth added to stop all curious enquiries after things not revealed My cogitations much troubled me For the ensuing troubles of Gods people under those godless tyrants And my countenance changed Chald. my brightnesses I looked wan and pale much study will cause it Eccles 12.12 as it did in Mr. Fox the Martyrologue so that his friends knew him not CHAP. VIII Ver. 1. IN the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar Which was his last year when Babylon was close besieged therefore Daniel was not now really at Shushan but in vision only ver 2. A vision appeared unto me Whilest waking likely and for further explication of the former vision chap. 7. whereof because Daniel made so good use ampliorem gratiam accipit saith Oecolampadius he now receiveth further grace Ver. 2. I saw in a vision God revealed himself to men waking in vision as well as in dreams Heb. 1.1 wherein the Prophets saw things actually done which hereby they knew were to be done 1 King 22.17 Anthenaeuâ— I was at Shushan Which signifieth a lilly so it was called for the pleasantness of the place now it is called Valdac of the poverty of the place Here it was that Alexander found fifty thousand talents of gold besides silver great store It was once the seat-royal of the Kings of Persia and gave name to the whole Province Susiâ—nt See Neh. 1.1 Esth 1.1 And I was by the river of Vlai Called by Heathen Authors Eulaeus but better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
for it came up four notable horns i. e. Four potent Princes out of the shipwrack of his Empire which four in processe of time came to two Dan. 11.5 6. Ver. 9. And out of one of them Out of the posterity of Seleucus King of Syria Came forth a little horn This was Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes Illustrious Polybius called him Epimanes the mad man He is here called a little horn because he was vile and base from the very first to the last of him Indeed he was born a Prince but without a Kingdom a meer Nullatenensis till he became an V surper He was sent for an hostage to Rome by his father Antiochus Magnus whom the Romans had â—ndgeld into a treaty taking away from him the best part of his Kingdom After his fathers death he stole away from Rome and seized upon the Kingdom of Syria casting out of it his nephew Demetrius who was the right heir Afterwards he got into his hands also the Kingdom of Egypt under colour of Protectour to his young nephew Ptâ—lomy Philometor And being therehence discharged by the Romans and made to answer Parebo I will be gone he went thence in a rage and like a mad man recked his teem as we say upon the poor Jews playing the devil amongst them Toward the South i. e. Egypt And toward the East Persia which he also conquered And toward the pleasant land i. e. Judaea called here Decus Capreolus the delectable and desireable Country by reason of its great prerogatives So Ezek. 20.6 Psal 48.2 See there Ver. 10. And it waxed great even to the host of heaven Or against the host of heaven so the Church militant is called The Saints are the worlds great luminaries yea the only earthly Angels although wicked people count and call them the filth and off couring of all things And of the stars Such as shone in the light of holy doctrine Rev. 1.10 Persecutors spite is specially against such Zach. 13.7 Ver. 11. Yea he magnified himself extolled or extended himself such was his insolency Even to or against the Prince of the host Christ the Captain of his peoples sufferings and of their salvation Heb. 2.10 he bare an hostile spirit against the God of the Jews such an hell-bound hardly ever was born casting him out of his place and setting up in his room Jâ—piter Olympius that is the devil he defaced also and burnt up the books of the Law all he could light on 1 Mac. 1.59 Ver. 12. And an host was given him Or the host was given over for the trasgression against the daily sacrifice The Jewes were grown to a great height of profanesse even in Malachies dayes as is to be seen chap. 1 2 3. And by this time doubtlesse they were become much worse God therefore for punishment turned this Tiger loose upon them And it cast down the truth to the ground The doctrine of truth together with the Professors thereof The like whereunto is still done by the Romish Antichrist to whom some apply all this part of the Chapter as the proper and genuine sense of the Text. See the visions and Prophecies of Daniel expounded by Mr. Thomas Parker of Newbery in New-England pag. 43 44 c. And it practised and prospered Wicked practises against Religion may prosper for the time Acts 12.1 2 3. It was therefore no good argument that the Earl of Darby used to George Marsh Martyr telling him that the Dukes of Northumberland and of Suffolk and other of the new perswasion had ill luck Act. Mon. 1421. and were either put to death or in danger so to be And again he rehearsed unto him the good hap of the Queens highnesse and of those that held with her and said that the Duke of Northumberland confessed so plainly Ver. 13. And I heard one Saint speaking i. e. One holy Angel for they are sollicitous of Gods glory and sensible of the Saints sufferings whereof they would have a speedy end and should not we be so too weeping with those that weep and rejoycing with those that rejoyce And another Saint said unto that certain Saint which spake Anonymo illi qui loquebatur so Piscator rendereth it others To the wonderful Numberer who spake i. e. who commanded Gabriel to declare the vision to Daniel ver 16. This was Jesus Christ the Wisdom and Word of God He who knoweth all the secrets of his Father as perfectly as if they were numbred before him How long shall be the vision It appeareth then that Angels know not all secrets but that their knowledge is limited they know not so much but they would know more Ephes 3.10 1 Pet. 1.12 Concerning the daily sacrifice The losse whereof was a just matter of lamentation to godly minds See Zeph. 3.18 And the transgression of desolation Transgression is a land-desolating evil Lam. 1.9 And the host to be trodden under foot i. e. The Professors of the truth were over-turned some by perswasion others by persecution Ver. 14. And he 〈◊〉 unto me Not to the Angel but to me who should have proposed the question the holy Angel did it for me Vnto two thousand and three hundred dayes Heb. to the evening and morning two thousand and three hundred i. e. to so many natural dayes consisting of 24. hours which in all do make up six years three moneths and twenty dayes This point of skil Daniel here learneth of the Wonderful Numberer Christ who hath all secrets in numerato and will put a timely period to his peoples afflictions Not full seven years did they suffer here much lesse Seventy as once in Babylon How he moderateth the matter See on Rev. 2.10 How this Prophecy was fulfilled See 1 Maccab. 1.12 13 14. 2 Maccab. 4.12 c. with 1 Maccab. 4.52 Ver. 15. And it came to passe when I even I Daniel Not another as that black-mouthed Porphyry slanderously affirmed that not the Prophet Daniel saw Porphyr cont Christian l. 12. Hieronym and uttered these Prophecyes so long before they fell out but another who lived after the reign of Antiochus wrot an history of things past and entitled it falsely to Daniel as a prophecy of things to come Oâ—durum Then behold there stood before me They who seriously and sedulously seek after divine knowledge shall finde means to attain unto it Rev. 13.1 Ver. 16. And I heard a mans voice This was the Man Christ Jesus the great Doctour of his Church and Commander of Angels viro similis quia incarnandus Make this man to understand Angels and Ministers make men to understand secrets give the knowledge of salvation to Gods people Luke 1.77 not by infusion but by instruction Ver. 17. So he came near where I stood Let our obedience be like that of the Angels prompt and present I was afraid Through humane frailty and conscience of sin Vnderstand O son of man Ezekeil and Daniel only of all the Prophets are so called haply lest they should be exalted
seeen as in a glasse for so the light pierceth the firmament and Stars Let us therefore keep these bodies of ours clean and filth-free that they may be fit vessels and receptacles of such a transcendent glory And they that turn many to righteousnesse Heb that justify many sc Ministerially as instruments in Christs hand for we preach Christ yea we give what we preach We give the knowledge of salvation for the remission of sins Luke 1.17 we deliver men from hell Job 33.24 we save the souls of them that hear us 1 Tim. 4.16 As the Stars frr ever and ever What a glorious place is heaven then Festinemus ad clarissimam patriam corrigamus mores moras c. What though Christs Ministers be here slighted and slurred they shall one day shine as stars yea the meanest of them velut inter stellas Luna minores What then the Doctores Seraphici Ver. 4. But thou O Daniel shut up the words Sith the full understanding of them is reserved to after-tâ—mes and event will prove the best interpreter as it doth in all Prophecies which are as riddles till accomplished and men must mean while be content with a learned ignorance Omnis prophetia priusquà m compleatur aenigma est Irenaeus But what meant Jachidâ—es the Jew to give us this glosse upon the text God sealed up the time of the coming of the Messias revealing it only to Daniel and that his coming might be accelerated by their deserts like as for their sins which are many it is retarded He concludeth well howsoever God will one day give us a clear vision viz. when he shall bring back our Captivity then shall we understand things as they are Even to the time of the end The time appointed ver 9. Many shall run to and fro For increase of divine knowledge they shall spare for no pains care or cost as the Queen of Sheba the Ethiopian Eunuch c. See Prov. 18.1 Acts 17.11 12. Increase of knowledge is promised only upon our industry and it is especially promised to these latter times Joel 2.28 wherein we find to be as in our climate much light little heat our heads are so big like children that have the rickets that the whole body fareth the worse for it Bullinger thus interpreteth the text that toward the end of the world men shall run to and fro being certain of nothing but destracted in opinion variis se adjungent sectis Zegedin they shall joyn themselves to diverse sects They shall run to and fro saith Another Expositor velut canes famelici as hungry dogs and there shall be much knowledge in the world that is there shall be innumerable opinions and sectâ— abroad wherewith many being infected shall be at no certainty in the matters of salvation For the confirmation therefore and comfort of the last ages of the World wherein these things shall befal shut up the words and seal the book Ver. 5. Then I Daniel looked As being as yet unsatisfied And behold there stood other two Angels on each bank of the river Tigris by whose interrogation Daniel is further resolved about the vision Ver. 6. And one said i. e. An Angel inquisitive about the affaires of the Church for Daniel's further information To the man cloathed in linnen Of whom see chap. 10.5 Which was upon the waters See chap. 8.16 How long shall it be to the end of these wonders i. e. The forementioned mysteries viz. concerning the Saints sufferings the end of the world the coming of Christ the resurrection of the dead life and death everlasting Ver. 7. And I heard the man The Man Christ Jesus When he hâ—ld up his right hand and his left hand Assuring and assevering the matter with both hands earnestly That it shall be for a time and times and an half i. e. For a time most certain with God and by him determined but to us uncertain and unknown Broughton thinketh that this term of three years and an half sheweth the term of Christs persecution in the dayes of his flesh which was just so many years But there is more in it then so See Revel 6.11 a parallel text and such like glasses set one against another do cast a mutual light When he shall have accomplished to scatter the power When the Church shall be at the greatest under when the number of the Elect shall be consummated and they sorely afflicted by the Devil and his Agents then shall Christ appear to their relief as it were out of an engine See 2 Thess 2. 1 Tim. 4. Rev. 6. Ver. 8. And I heard but I understood not This he ingenuously confesseth for the best know but in part 1 Cor. 13. And if any man thinketh that he knoweth ought he knoweth nothing yet as ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Let this be noted by such as professe to know beyond the periphery of humane knowledge all that is knowable Any created Understanding is but as Aeschylus saith of fire stolen by Prometheus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spark of the All-wise Gods fire The Prophets themselves understood not some things that were shewed unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 6. de Rep. without a further light from the Father of lights whose alone it is to illighten both Organ and Object as Plato also could say What shall be the end of these things An end he much desired and the Angel for him ver 6. But men must have patience and wait Gods end Ye have need of patience or tarryance saith the Apostle Heb. 10.36 that after ye have done the will of God and suffered it too grievous though it be for present ye may receive the promise Good men find it oft more easy to bear evil then to wait till the promised good be enjoyed Ver. 9. And he said Go thy way Daniel q. d. Though dearly beloved Quiesce tibi satis esto yet of some things thou must be content to be ignorant It should suffice thee to be of Gods Court though not altogether of his Council See ver 13. There is a laudable and learned ignorance as of Vnnecessaries of Impossibles or of Vnprofitables such as are the term of our lives the end of the world the Reprobation of others c. For the words are closed up Viz. Till future ages which are more concerned in them and till which these things shall be concealed Ver. 10. Many shall be purâ—fied and made white c. q. d. It is enough for thee to know and that I should now tell thee quales sint futuri homines postremi saeculi what kind of folk there shall be towards the end of the world Some shall be good people and they shall meet with hard measure but all shall be for the best unto them in the end See chap. 11.35 Others shall be as bad and so desperately set upon sinning that they shall mind nothing else no not when these Prophecies are fulfilled but be destroyed for lack of
hath the face to say that the Catholicks were never yet worsted by the Hereticks as they call us in a set battle Ver. 18. Hear ye deaf and look ye blind Ye who as so many sea monsters or deaf Adders will not hear and as so many blind moles will not see by a perulant blindnesse and of obstinate malice such were the Scribes and Pharisees who winked hard with their eyes and wilfully shut the windows lest the light should come in unto them See more of this in the Notes on chap. 6. and 29. That ye may see In nature Caecorum mens oculatissima est We read of Didymus Alexandrinus that though blind yet he wrote Commentaries and of two of Archb. Vshers Aunts that being blind from their cradles they taught him first to read such was their readinesse in the Scriptures But this was rare and in spirituals it is otherwise till God enlighten both Organ and Object Ver. 19. Who is blind but my servant Who so blind as he that will not see Israel was Gods peculiar and had the light of his Law yet were blind as beetles Or deaf as my messenger The Priests and Levites Mal. 3.7 Such were the Papists dolts till awakened by the Reformation Buxtorf Tiber p. 5. Who is blind as he that is perfect The Elders of the people who arrogated to themselves perfection chap. 65.5 Rom. 2.17 18 19 20. as likewise the Popish Perfectists the Jewish Doctours with their pretended Mashlamnutha's and the Turkish Mussalmans i. e. Perfectionaries Ver. 20. But observest not Viz. for holy practice But he heareth not Viz. for any good purpose he heareth not what the Spirit saith to the Churches Ver. 21. The Lord is well pleased he will magnifie his Law c. Or to magnifie his Law and make it honourable sc by recompensing so highly those that observed it this he did for his righteousnesse sake i. e. of his free grace and fidelity but these are none such they are practical Antinomians and to me direct Antipodes Ver. 22. But this is a people robbed and spoiled And all too little unless they were better Hierom expoundeth this of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans after their voluntary blindness and malice shewed against Christ at what time they were pulled out of holes and privies spoiled slaved sold thirty a penny Ver. 23. Who among you will give ear to this Magna nimirum haec sunt sed paucis persuasa We shall have much adoe to make you believe these things though your liberties lives and souls lie upon it Hyper. Ver. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoile Omnia magno adfectu sunt pronuncianda debentque singula membra hujus orationis expendi This is a very remarkable passage Let us cry out O the severity and beware Cavebimus autem si pavebimus Ver. 25. And it hath set him on fire When the Country was wasted the City and Temple burnt and ruined Read Josephus Lege inquam luge And he laid is not to heart This was worse than all the rest Like a sleepy man fire burning in his bed-straw he cryeth not out when others haply lament his case that see a far off but cannot help him CHAP. XLIII Ver. 1. BVt now thus saith the Lord Here the Prophet comforteth those with the Gospel whom he had frighted with the Law saith Oecolampadius That created thee O Jacob By a new creation Aug. especially Isa 9.23 Eph. 2.10 2 Cor. 5.17 Magna sunt opera Dei Creatoris Dei Recreatoris longe maxima The work of Redemption is far beyond that of Creation And he that formed thee O Israel As the Potter formeth to himself a vessel of honour and distinguisheth it from other vile and sordid vessels so have I dealt by thee I have redeemed thee A mercy much celebrated in this book and for very great reason I have called thee by thy Name Which was no small favour See Exod. 33.17 Psal 147.4 Some think he alludeth to his giving Jacob the name of Israel when he had wrestled with God and prevailed Thou art mine I have adopted thee which is no small honour 1 Joh. 3.1 Meus es tu may very well be the new name spoken of Rev. 2.17 with Hos 2.23 better than that of sons and of daughers Isa 56.5 See it displayed 1 Pet. 2.9 Ver. 2. When thou passest through the waters Fire and water we say have no mercy when once they get above us extream calamities are hereby denoted Psal 66.12 But Gods gracious presence kept the bush from burning burn it did but was not consumed through the good will of him that dwelt in it saith Moses Deut. 33.16 the Israelites in the red sea from drowning Exod. 14. His presence made the fiery furnace a gallery of pleasure the Lyons den an house of defence the Leonine prison a delectable Orchard as that Italian Martyr phrased it the fiery tryal a bed of roses as another Tua praesentia Domine Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit Hierom of Prague and other Martyrs sang in the very flames Blessed Bilney being condemned to be burnt for the Testimony of Jesus when he was comforted by some against the extremity of the fire he put his hand toward the flame of the candle burning before them and feeling the heat thereof Oh said he I feel by experience and have learned by Philosophy that fire by Gods Ordinance is naturally hot But yet I am perswaded by Gods holy Word and by the experience of some spoken of in the same that in the flame they felt no heat and in the fire no consumption I constantly believe that howsoever the stubble of this my body shall be wasted by it yet my soul and spirit shall be purged thereby a pain for the time wherein notwithstanding followeth joy unspeakable and here he much treated on this text Fear not when thou passest through the waters c. So that some of his friends there present took such sweet benefit therein Act. Mon. fol. 923. that they caused the whole said sentence to be fair written in Tables and some in their books the comfort whereof in divers of them was never taken from them to their dying day Ver. 3. I gave Egypt for thy ransom quasi victimam piacularem à Sennacheribo mactandam loco Judaeae in exchange for thee so the Septuagint render it This was done when Tirhakah King of Egypt and Ethiopia was beaten by Sennacherib who was then making toward Jerusalem which he had already devoured in his hopes chap. 37.9 Thus the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead Prov. 11.8 Saul and his people were afflicted by the Philistins that David might escape 1 Sam. 23. The Canaanites were rooted out to make room for the Israelites Charles the fifth and Francis the French King after a mutual agreement to root out Lutheranisme fall together by the eares and the Church the while hath her Halcyons So the Turks
and Persians are at deadly feud to the great safeguard of Christendom and the Popish party are as a bulwark betwixt those Mahometans and the Protestants Ver. 4. Since thou hast been precious in my sight Nothing so ennobleth as Gods grace and being in the Covenant Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ismael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Some read the text thus Because thou wast precious in my sight thou wast honourable and I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life Ver. 5. I will bring thy seed from the East From all coasts and quarters This was a Type of the Church in the New Testament see Mat. 8.11 Joh. 11.52 Joh. 10.16 Gal. 3.28 this was also a type of the last Resurrection See Revel 20.13 Ver. 6. I will say to the North Give up I will do it with a word of my mouth Ipse dixit Oecola p. facta sunt Bring my sons from far and my daughters That is say some my stronger and also weaker children of what size or sex soever Souls have no sexes Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name i. e. My sons and my daughters ver 6. with 2 Cor. 6. ult such as have Christian for their name and Catholick for their Sirname I have created him for my glory See on ver 1. Feci i. e. magnum effeci Pisc Yea I have made him i. e. Advanced him as 1 Sam. 12.6 Ver. 8. Bring forth the blind people Such as were blind and ignorant but now are illightened And the deaf Such as were crosse and rebellious but now are tractable and obsequious chap. 42.7 16. Ver. 9. Let all the Nations See chap. 41.1 And shew us former things Much less can they shew us things future Varro calleth all the time before the flood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscure because the Heathens had no certain relation of any thing then done And Diod. Siculus acknowledgeth that all that was written amongst them before the Theban and Trojan wars was little better than fabulous The gods of the Gentiles had not so much as any solid knowledge of things past neither could they orderly and perfectly set them forth by their Secretaries It is truth sc That there is but one true God Phocyllides did say so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Socrates suffered for holding this truth at Athens Plato held the same but durst not speak out these are his words It is neither easie to find out the Maker of all things nor safe to communicate to the Vulgar what we have found out of him Here for fear of the people he detained the truth in unrighteousnesse And the like did Seneca De civi Dei lib. b. cap. 10. whom Austin accuseth quod colebat quod reprehendebat agebat quod arguebat quod culpabat adorabat that he worshipped those gods whom he disliked and decryed Ver. 10. Ye are my witnesses He taketh to witness of this great Truth in question not heaven earth sea c. but his people among whom he had given in all ages so many clear arguments and experiments of his Divinity his Oracles and Miracles for instance And my servant whom I have chosen i. e. Christ saith the Chaldee Paraphrast the Prophet Isaiah say others or which is more likely Cyrus who is called Gods Elect servant chap. 42.1 and his Testimony concerning God is to be read Ezra 1.3 The Lord God of Israel he is God Every true beleever doth as much if not more for He that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 hath given him a Testimonial such as is that Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is He. Such a sealer was Abraham Rom. 4.20 and such honour have all his Saints That ye may know and beleeve and understand That ye may have a full assurance of knowledge as Luk. 1.4 and a full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 Ver. 11. I even I am the Lord This redoubled I is Emphatical and Exclusive And beside me there is no Saviour They are gross idolaters therefore that set up for Saviours the Saints departed Ver. 12. I have shewed when there was no strange God amongst you See Deut. 32.12 See also the Note on Exod. 34.14 Therefore ye are my witnesses See on ver 10. Ver. 13. Yea before the day was I am He The Ancient of dayes yea the Eternal The God of Israel was long before Israel was in being And there is none that can deliver out of my hand So Nebuchadnezzar vainly vaunted but was soon confuted Dan. 3.15 17 29. I will work and who shall let it Angels may be hindered God can come between their Essence and their executive power and so keep them from doing what they would In fire there is the substance and the quality of heat between these God can separate as he did in the Babylonish fire Dan. 2. But who shall hinder the most High Ver. 14. Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer For their greater comfort and confirmation the Prophet purposely premiseth to the promise of deliverance from Babylon these sweet Attributes of God Each of them dropping Myrrh and Mercy For your sakes I have sent to Babylon and have brought down Or I will send and I will bring down All their Nobles Heb. bars Psal 147.13 Bars Noble men should be to keep out evils and to secure Saints Eut these were crosse-bars c. Whose cry is in the ships Or whose out-cry is to the ships whereby they thought to save themselves but could not because Cyrus had drained and dried up their river Euphrates Tremellius rendereth it The Chaldees with their most famous ships Ver. 15. I am their Lord More of Gods holy Attributes are her heaped up for like reason as ver 14. Ver. 16. Which maketh a way in the Sea Or that made a way in the Sea c. sc when your Fathers came out of Egypt Why then should you doubt of deliverance Ver. 17. Which bringeth forth the Chariot and horse Or who brough forth the Chariot and horse the army and the power viz. Pharao's forces Exod. 14.4.9.23 Vt ellychnium extinguentur They are quenched as tow Heb. as a candle-weik made of flax quickly quenched with water poured on it See how easily God can confound his foes Ver. 18. Remember ye not the former things sc in comparison of those things I shall now do for you by Cyrus but especially by Christ who is that way in the Wilderness and that running Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 ver 14. Ver. 19. Shall ye not know it Or Do ye not perceive it He speaketh of it as present and under view And rivers in a desart As once when I set the flint abroach Exod. 17.6 Num. 20.8 11. Psal 105.41 By this way in the Wildernesse and rivers in the desart understand the doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of the Spirit Joh.
were at first but a very few Act. 1. that is 120 of all the great multitudes which had formerly followed Jesus Sed vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum It was more for the loaves then any great love that the most followed him Ver. 4. Again he measured a thousand This is a number of perfection The Gospel is a perfect doctrine and is able to make the man of God perfect thoroughly furnished or perfected unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.17 The waters were to the knees Grace grows by degrees and the Scriptures have their shallows wherein the Lamb may wade like as they have their profundities wherein the Elephant himself may swin Confess l. 5. cap. 13. Confess l. 7. c. 21. Augustine contemned the holy Scriptures at first as neither eloquent nor deep enough for the elevation of his wit But afterwards when he was both a better and a wiser man he saw his own shallownesse and admired the never-enough adored depth of Gods holy Oracles Ver. 5 A river that could not be passed over Representing as the fathomlesse depth of the Scriptures which is such as that we may well do by it as the Romans did by a lake the depth whereof they could not found they dedicated it to Victory so the abundance of Spiritual graces in the Church the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge Ephes 3.19 the over-abounding goodnesse of God 1 Tim. 1.14 the superpleonasm of it as the Apostle hath it there Oh saith Chrysostom speaking of this subject I am like a man digging in a deep spring I stand here and the water riseth upon me and I stand there and still the water riseth upon me It is indeed a sea that hath neither bank nor bottom Ver. 6. Son of man hast thou seen this And art thou soundly sensible thereof it is very fit thou shouldest that God may have the glory of his great goodness and power in propagating the Gospel and bringing forward the work of his grace in the hearts of his people maugre the malice of earth and of hell The Reformation wrought in Germany from how small beginnings grew it The establishing of that amongst us how imperfect soever to be done by so weak and simple means yea by casual and cross means against the force of so potent and politick an adversary this is to be looked upon as a just miracle To the brink of the river Where my work was to stand and cry O the depth O how great things hath God prepared for those that fear him O the joy the joy eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. Arboretum Christi est Ecclesia Ver. 7. Behold at the bank of the river were very many trees These were trees of righteousnesse fruitful Christians See Psal 1.3 92.12 Isa 44.3 4 5. 55.11 12 13. Jer. 17.8 Rev. 22.2 where and elsewhere it is easie to observe that John the Divine borroweth the elegancies and flowers of this and other Prophets in his description of the Church Christian Ver. 8. These waters issue out toward the East country In Galilaeam anteriorem See Acts 9.31 Piscat The Churches in Galilee walking in the fear of the Lord and comforts of the holy Ghost were multiplied And go down into the desart Or plain i. e. into the plaines of Moab Num. 22.1 The Gospel worketh upon the worst even to a transmentation And go into the sea The dead sea The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus freeth men from the law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 The waters shall be healed i. e. Made wholesome and useful so great a cure is done upon corrupt nature by the grace of the Gospel He who was before vitiorum vorago lacus libidinum mare sceleribus amarum ac mortuum a lake of lusts a guzzle of vices a dead sea of wickednesse and wretchednesse shall by a strange change become a pleasant river pure clear sweet and savoury beset not with such mock-fruit as the banks of the dead sea are said to be but with trees richly laden with the choicest fruits as was to be seen in the penitent thief who as soon as Gospellized and converted bestirred him and bore abundance of fruit in a very little space Plin. l. 5. c. 16. Ver. 9. Whithersoever the river shall come shall live Not dye immediately as they used to do in the dead sea so bituminous and sulphurous were the waters thereof but live the life of grace here and of glory in heaven See Zach. 14.8 Acts 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Histories tell us of 580. Jews converted to the Christian faith at Axvernum by one Avitus a Bishop and baptized Pappi Eccles hist epit p. 214. Joseph de bel lib. 1. c. 13. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish i. e. Of Christians See Mat. 4.19 with the Note Christ himself from the initial Greek letters of his names and title was by some of the ancients called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fish And every thing shall live whither the river cometh The Gospel is the true Aqua-vitae the true aurum potabile the true Physick for the soul as one said once concerning the Library at Alexandria Ver. 10. The fishers shall stand upon it Upon the dead sea where formerly they had little enough to do This sea is the wide world dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 These fishers are Christs Apostles and Ministers who are called fishers of men Mat. 4.19 and their preaching compared to fishing Mat. 13.47 they fish with various success as did Peter Luk. 5.5 but may enclose a great multitude as he did Acts 2.3 and as Farellus who gained five Cities to Christ who brought them to hand by whole shoales From Engedi Called also Hazazon-Tamar 2 Chron. 20.2 that is the City of Palmes where grew the best balsam in the world though it were near to the dead sea Even unto Eneglaim Which is likewise a place adjacent to the dead sea where Jordan falleth into it as Hierom testifieth They shall be a place to spread forth nets Dr. Preston being asked why he preached so plainly and did so much dilate his sermons being of such abilities answered he was a fisherman Now such if they should wind up their net and so cast it into the sea they should catch nothing but when they spread the net Mr. Walls None but Christ p. 400. they catch the fish I spread my net because I would catch souls said he and indeed he had a very happy hand at it The fish shall be according to their kinds The sea they say hath as many kinds of living creatures as the earth hath There is that Leviathan and there are creeping things innumerable Psal 105. Ver. 11. But the myrie places thereof and the marishes shall not be healed Sensual souls are seldom wrought upon by the word Behemoth the devil lyeth in