12.1 yet was not smitten with leprosy as she for the honour of the Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys lest such a foule disease on his person should redound to the disgrace of his office But I rather think he escaped by his true and timely repentance whereby he disarmed Gods indignation and redeemed his own sorrow and shame For God is an impartiall judge neither is there with him respect of persons Priest and people shall all be carried captive one with another the priests for the people according to that of Esay I am a man of poullted lips for why I live among a people of polluted lips and have learned their language Esay 6. and especially the people for the priests Jer. 23.10.14.15 from the prophets there goes profanenesse quite through the land so they shall fare the worse one for another they shall all be involved in the same punishment Onely it shall be more grievous to the priest by how much higher thoughts he had of himself looking on the people as his underlings as they did Joh. 7.49 and I will punish them for their wayes Heb. visit them So Exod. 32.34 In the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them God hath his visitation-dayes wherein to visit those visitours the priests and his articles will be as strict and as criticall saith one as ever was the inquisition of Spain or Lambeth It was therefore good counsel that a Martyr gave his wife in a letter Among all other prisoners visit your own soul and set all to rights there for else what will you do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what will you answer him Job 31 14â— And that which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan persecutor Si nobis non parcis tibi parce si non tibi Carthagini God will surely make inquisition for our blood therefore if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy countrey which must be responsible when God comes to visit and reward them for their deed Heb. I will make to return your doings Hence this is well observed by a good interpreter Sin passeth away in the act of it with much sweetnesse but God will make it return back againe in the guilt of it with much bitternesse Verse 10. For they shall eat and not have enough Onely they shall be filled with their own wayes Prov. 14.14 but that is but to feed upon the wind with Ephraim Hos 12.1 which breedeth nothing but troublesome belching or a doglike appetite as they call it that cannot be satisfied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appetitus caninus These greedy dogs the Priests that did eat up the sins of Gods people and thought to have full gorged themselves therewith they met with that sore plague of unsatisfiablenesse for the present a man may assoon fill a chest with wind as a soul with wealth See Eccles 5.10 Non plus satiatur cor auro quam corpus cura Ang. with the note and for the future they coveted an evill covetousnesse to themselves for they gat Gods curse along with their evill gotten goods which will bring them to a morsel of bread they have not onely suckt in the ayre but pestilentiall ayre that not onely not fills them but kills them too See the note on Hagg. 1.6 they shall commit whordome and shall not increase The Chaldee renders it They shall take wives but shall not beget sons Aristot. Sol homo generant hominem saith the Philosopher but unlesse God the first agent concurr that cannot be neither Loe Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward Psal 1â—7 3 saith David to his son Solomon who found it true by experience for by all his wives and concubines no lesse then a thousand he had but one son that wee read of and he was none of the wisest nothing like Edward the sixt whom alone Henry the eight left with his two sisters to succeed him though he had so many wives and concubines Wantonnesse is a sin commonly punished with want of posterity especially when it is accompanied with obstinacy in evill courses as in Ahab who to crosse Gods threat of rooting out him and his posterity took many wives 2 King 10.1 and so bestir'd him that he begat of them seventy sons but with evill successe for they were all cut off in one day Wicked men must not think to carry it against God and to have their wils al disputo di Dio as that prophane Pope said and as that gracelesse Ahaziah who sent a third captaine after that the former two had been consumed with fire as if he would despitfully spit in the face of heaven and wrestle a fall with the almighty Let no man expect to prosper in unlawfull practises to encrease by whoredome as these profane priests sought to do that they might be full of children any how and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 But fertility is not from the meanes right or wrong but from the Authour many a poore man hath a house-full of children by one wife whilest Solomon hath but one son by many house-fuls of wives and Job could tell that whoredome is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would root out all his increase Chap. 31.12 because they have left off to take heed to the Lord God is not bound to render a reason of his proceedings yet doth it oft as here that he may be justified and every mouth stopped Their Apostasy is here shew'd to be the cause of their calamity Time was when they took some heed to God and his wayes they kept close to him and observed his commandements to do them as the word here importeth but now they had left off to be wise and to do good Psal 36.3 untill their iniquity was found to be hatefull and themselves altogether filthy Psal 53.3 wicked doers against the covenant Dan 11.30.32 Apostates cannot chuse unto themselves a worse condition 2 Pet. 2.20.22 Mat. 12.43.45 Job 9.4 let them look to it Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered even of late my people is risen up against me as an enemy Mic. 2.8 but what will they do in the end thereof Verse 11. Whoredome and wine and new wine have taken away the heart i. e. have robbed my people of themselves and laid a beast in their roome Any lust allowed and wallowed in will eate out the heart of grace and at length all grace out of the heart Hence temporizers grow in time so saplesse heatelesse and heartlesse to any good some unmortified lust or other there is that as a worme lieth grubbing at the root and makes all to wither that like a drone in a hive proves a great waster that as a moth in fine cloth consumes all or as the light of the Sun puts out the light of the fire so here But above all
evill-gotten goods witnesse against them and eat their flesh as it were fire Jam. 5.3 till very Philistines and Egyptians cry shame on them and say as the Indians did of the cruel Spaniards that they carried themselves neither like Christians nor men but like devils that it had been better the Indies had been given to the devils of hell then to them and that if the Spaniards went to heaven when they were dead they would never come there Let no man think to thrive violentiâ vastitate by rapine and robery to treasure up sin is to treasure up wrath Rom. 2.5 which as a fire will devoure their palaces and it shall not be quenched Ier. 17.27 Verse 11. Therefore thus saith the Lord And he saith it in great hast and heat as appeareth by that concise kind of expression that he here useth after the manner of those that are through-angry Aposiopesis ut Ques ego c. and therefore say not much but meane to do the more an adversary round about the land A distresser at every corner that as all the borderers have beheld thy wickednesse so shall they thy wretchednesse by reason of the enemy and the avenger who shall meet thee at every turne and leave thee neither hope of better nor place of worse and he shall bring down thy strength from thee Thee in the feminine gender At for Atta ex â—â—agna perturbatione Chiskuni haply because they should be so infeebled and impoverished Or else to expresse the heat of Gods anger against them as Num. 11.15 where meek Moses being in a great passion of anger and grief together saith to God If Thou in the feminine deale thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand c. he was so out of measure moved that he could not fill up his speech nor utter the last syllable thy strength Thy strong-holds or thy riches those treasures of wickednesse wherein thou trustest Prov. 10.2 and verse 15. The rich mans wealth is his strong city It is called his strength because he confideth in it 1 Tim. 6.17 and because he is enabled by it to bring about his designes and thy palaces shall be spoyled They shall be blown up because their foundation was laid upon fire-works their morter mixt with blood their materials raked together by rapine and robbery their furniture and those ill-gotten goods therein hid and hoarded shall be given hosti non haeredi not to thine heire but to thine enemy for a booty An inheritance may be hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed Prov. 20.21 As the partridge sitteth on egges and hatâ—â—eth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the middest of his daies and at his end be a foole Jer. 17.11 A poor foole God will make of him ere he hath done with him as he did of Balaam Achan Ahab Gehezi the rich man Luk. 12. and 16. Verse 12. As the Shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the Lion by a countrey-comparison as before oft the Prophet sets forth the fewnesse of such as shall escape the enemies hands 1 Sam. 17.35 Is it but a little that a shepherd dare pull out of the jawes of a Lion Few Davids or Lysimachusses that dare look such fierce creatures in the face Something a shepheard in this case may adventure to do that he may not be made to stand to the loss Exod. 22.13 Gen 31.39 But it is not much quibus non est lectus integer Tarnou Kimchi neither are they many that shall make escape and those few shall be of the poorer sort too that have scarce a corner of a bed to lye on or such as are sick-abed and not cared for by the enemy not counted worth the killing Or such as are in good health but glad to hide themselves for feare of the enemy under any bed or bench-hole as is usuall in the sack of a city and in Damascus in a couch Or in the corner of a couch Now Samaria and Damascus are joyned together because they were both desolated about the same time by the same enemy and for the same cause viz. their invading Judaea in an hostile manner 2 King 16.7.9 Esay 7.4 See the like Esay 8.4 and 17.3 Verse 13. Heare ye and testisie c. ye my Prophets and all true beleevers The Septuagint add ô ye Priests whose lips were to preserve knowledge and to present it to the People All that were thereunto commissionated by the Lord God the God of Hosts are here straightly charged to heare and to charge testify or contest See 2 Tim. 4.1 and what they have received of the Lord to deliver the same to the whole house of Jacob not stealing away the word from them Jer. 23.30 or shunning to declare unto them his whole counsell Act. 20.27 but faithfully handling the law Ier. 2.8 Verse 14. That in the day that I shall visit c. Tell them so from me saith God say to these wicked Wo be unto them it shall be ill with them Esay 3.11 The jelous Lord of Hosts will surely visit the iniquity of Idolatrous fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation Exod. 20.5 See Ier. 3. Ezek. 16. Hos 2. As they have their day of defection so hath He of Visitation his season his harvest for judgment Mat. 13.30 What then will they do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what will they answer him Iob. 31.14 I will also visit the altars of Bethel At first there was but one altar 1 King 12.32 33. and 13.2 but afterwards they multiplied as in Peters at Rome there are said to be now above an hundred altars Hos 8.11 and 10.1 there is no end of will-worship but like the Ierusalem-Artichoke plant it where you will it over-runs the ground and choakes the Heart Now as God loved the gates of Zion where he was solemnly worshipped more then all the dwellings of Jacob Psal 87.2 and as the walls of good people whose houses are little churches are continuall before him Esay 49.16 So he heartily hateth places and monuments of Idolatry and layeth them wast as he hath done our Abbeys and Monasteries Zisca overthrew three hundred of them in Bohemia and among the rest the famous Monastery called the Kings-Court a mile from Prague Zisca 's life by Mr. Clark in the walles whereof the whole Bible was most exquisitely written in letters of gold but little read or regarded by those filthy Abbey-lubbers of whom Luther testifieth that they were tam desperatae malitiae c. so desperately debauched that they durst adventure upon any villany whatsoever and the hornes of the altar c. which were held the holier parts thereof This was fulfilled by good Iosiah many yeares after 2 King 23.15 2 Chron. 34.4.6 Nullum tempus occurrit Regi Time can be no prejudice to Gods proceedings neither is his forberance any quittance Verse 15. And
lurking-holes as he did Adam out of the thicket 2 Chro. 33.11 Manasseh from among the thornes Jonah from the sides of the ship the Duke of Buckingham in Rich. the thirds time c. Be sure saith Moses your sinne will finde you out Speed Num. 32.23 and Gods hand will hale you to punishment Though they climb up to heaven That is by an hyperbole to high and strong places as the Babel-builders the Benjamites that fled to the Rock Rimmon and there abode four moneths Judg. 20 47. the gibing Jebusites that were so confident of their strong-hold of Zion that they flouted David and his forces 2 Sam. 5.8 the proud Prince of Tyre and others thence will I bring them down From their loftiest tops of Pride and creature-confidence which God loves to confute and defeat as I might instance in Nebuchadnezzars Xerxes Haman Sejanus Bajaezet that terrour of the world and as he thought superior to fortune yet in an instant with his state in one battle overthrown into the bottome of misery and despaire Turk hist 287. and that in the middest of his great strength The same end awaits the Pope and his hierarchy ruet alto à culmine Roma that Jupiter Capitolinus shall be one day unroosted by him who casteth the wicked down to the ground Psal 147.6 Verse 3. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel In densis sylvis inter spelaea ferarum Lawfull enough it is in some cases to hides David did oft and Elias and Christ and Paul 2 Cor. 11.32 and Athanasius and diverse other Saints Tertullian was too rigid in condemning all kind of hiding in evill times Lib. de suga on persecution But to hide from God who searcheth Jerusalem with lights and to whom the darknesse and the light are both alike Psal 139.12 to whom obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur this is base and bootlesse Carmel shall not cover them nor any other starting-hole secure them from divine justice The poore Jewes were pulled by the Romanes out of privyes and other under-ground places where they had hid themselvss as Josephus writeth and so were those Samaritans served by the Assyrians who ferreted them out and slaughtered them and though they be hid from my sight as they think but that cannot be for He like the Optick vertue in the eye sees all and is seen of none in the bottome of the sea which how deep and troublesome soever is to God a Sea of glasse like unto Chrystal corpus diaphanum a pervious clear Rev. 4. transparent body such as he sees thorow and hath the sole command of thence will I command the serpent For there is that crooked serpent Leviathan there are also creeping things innumerable Esay 27.1 Psal 104.26 to arrest wicked men as rebels and traitors to the highest Majestie and to drag them down to the bottom of hell All elements and creatures shall draw upon them as servants will do upon such as assault their Lord. Rebellisque facta est quia homo numini creatura homini as Austin truely and trimly avoucheth Verse 4 And though they goe into captivity c. And so may hope the worst is over Surely the bitternesse of death is past yet it shall prove otherwise The hypocrites hope is as the giving up the ghost saith Iob and that 's but cold comfort 1 Sam. 15.32 Or as the spiders web spun out of her own bowels and when the beesome comes swept to the muck-hill before their enemies whose custome was to drrive their captives before them Lam. 1.5 young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered Esay 20.4 Or before their enemies that is before they are taken captive by the enemies by a voluntary yeeldance in hope of quarter for their lives The Jewes indeed had a promise from the Prophet Jeremy chap. 21.9 That if they went out and fell to the Chaldeans that besieged them they should have their lives for a prey but the ten tribes had no such promise made them They were strangers from the covenants Ephes 2.12 and therefore could look for no mercy Loammi and therefore Lo-ruhamah Hos 1. the Ark and the Mercy-seat were never sundred thence will I command the sword See Esay 13.15 16. Jer. 9.10 and 43.11 Ezek. 14.17 and I will set mine eyes upon them Emphaticoteâ—on est qâ—am si dixiâ—set Oculos pluraliter Mercer Heb. eye viz. the eye of my providence that oculus irretortus whereby I will look them to death and take course that nothing shall go well with them see a little below vers 8. Jer. 21.10 Psal 34.16 In Tamerlanes eyes sat such a Majesty as a man could hardly endure to behold and many in talking with him became dumb He held the East in such awe as that he was commonly called Turk hist 211.236 The wrath of God and terrour of the world Augustus Cesar frowned to death Cornelius Gallus and so did Queen Elizabeth Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellour Gods enemies are sure to perish at the rebuke of his countenance Psal 80.16 and if he but set his eyes upon them for evil and not for good all occurrences shall certainly work together for the worst unto them Verse 5. And the Lord God of Hosts is he c. Here the Prophet proveth what he had said in the foregoing verses by an argument drawn from the wonderfull power of God which profane persons are apt to question that they may harden their hearts against his fear Consider saith He first that He is the Lord God of Hosts and as the Rabbines well observe he hath the upper and lower troops ready prest as his horse and foot to march against his enemies Next that he toucheth the land as it were with his little finger and it shall melt like the fat of lambs before the fire it shall crumble to crattle moulder away and be moved because he is wroth Psal 18.7 and shall men be unmoved shall they bee more insensible then the senselesse earth The people of Antioch though many of them gave their hands for Chrysostoms banishment yet terrified by an earthquake which wrought in them an heart-quake as it had done in the Gaoler Acts 16. they immediately sent for him again But thirdly the tremend power of God appears in this that The land shall rise up wholly like a flood and it shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt God can flote it and flood it at his pleasure See chap. 8.8 Water is naturally above the earth as the garment above the body saith David and would but for the power and providence of God prove as the shirt made for the murdering of Agamemnon where the head had no issue out Let God be seen herein and mens hearts possessed with his holy fear who can so easily pull up the sluces let in the Sea upon them and bury them all in one universall grave of waters Fear ye not me
is false that some contend for sc that every man may be saved in his own faith be it right or wrong For none can come to the Father but by the Son Joh. 14.6 Neither is there any other name but His under heaven whereby men must bee saved Acts 4.12 See Joh. 17.3 and 6.40 Heb. 11.6 whatsoever the Huberians affirme of Universall Election or the Puccians of a naturall faith and we will walk in his paths which are all paved with mercy and love so that the saints run therein and faint not walk and are not weary Esay 40.31 They are all Peripateticks ever in action Gen. 17.1 they are Currists not Quaerists Ambros saith Luther elegantly they do not reason but run the pathes of Gods precepts Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia For the law shall go forth of Zion The law or doctrine as Prov. 13.14 Understand here the Gospel that Law of God Psal 19.7 that Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 that perfect law of liberty Jam. 1.25 a counter-pane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people Jer. 31. whereby they become as it was once said of the Thracians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law to themselves Herod as being transformed into the same image with the Gospel like as the pearl by the often-beating of the Sun-beams upon it becommeth radiant as the Sun and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Not from Africa at first as the brethren of the rosy-crosse would have it though 't is thought the Gospel was received and the Christian faith professed even from the Apostles time in that large region of Nubia in Africk But repentance and remission of sinnes was preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.41 The Jews were Gods Library-keepers and the Apostles sent and went from Jerusalem to plant Churches abroad the world and to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed Ioh. 11.52 Verse 3. And he shall judge among many people We had before Christs Propheticall Office here we have his Princely and elsewhere his Priestly This seems to have been the effect of that old prophecy among the Easterlings that Judaea profecti rerum potirentur some that came out ofâ— Jury should conquer all Vide Sueto in Vespas Tacit. lib. 21. wherein both the former are founded for he is the true Trismegist and Melchisedech was a right type of him He is the onely judge and needs no Vicar upon earth such as the Pope claims to bee Esay 33.22 no such Officers to see his lawes executed as the Ephori were among the Greeks and the Censores among the Romans The Lord that sent the rod of his strength out of Zion as verse 2. doth also give him to rule in the middest of his enemies whiles his people are willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holinesse Psal 110.3 willing that Christ should send forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20 that is perfect his own work of grace begun in their hearts To which end as it here followeth He shall rebuke or convince strong nations Convince them I say by his Spirit of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement â—oh 16.8 Of the lothesomnesse of sin of the necessity of getting righteousnesse by Christ and repentance from dead works that men may serve the living God and as much as in them is Acts 17.30 live peaceably with all And they shall beat their swords into plowshares i. e. their fierce and fell natures shall be mansuefied as Esay 11.6 7 8 9. and if they wage warre it shall be non nisi coacti either for the just punishment of Delinquents whom they cannot otherwise come at or for their own necessary defence and that they may establish peace with truth But if men would live by the lawes of the Gospel they need not wage warre or want peace either of countrey or of conscience but they might take for their Motto that of David Ani shallom I am peace and have for their portion that peace peace Esay 26.3 even a perfect sheer pure-peace a multiplied peace with God with themselves and with others this is a main piece of Christs kingdom upon earth Florus who is the Prince of peace and came in a time of peace viz. in the raigne of Augustus when as there was Totius orbis aut pax aut pactio saith Florus a generall peace or truce thorowout the whole world neither shall they learn warre any more To make a trade or a gain of it and so to earn a curse Deut. 27.25 to delight in it Psal 68.30 and make a sport of it as Abner did 2 Sam. 2.14 and Pyrrhus king of Epirots to wage it without weighty reason rashly If we Princes said our Hen. 7. should take every occasion that 's offered the world should never be quiet but wearied by continuall warres We may also here take warring as St. Iames doth chap. 4.1 for jarring and jangling for private discords and dissentions Now these the people or God are so farre from learning that they utterly lay them aside and are kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave them Ephes 4.32 Verse 4. But they shall sit every man under his vine seeding upon the fruit that shall even fall into his mouth saith à Lapide Sit they shall under Christ the true Vine saith Hugo and under the holy Ghost as a fig-tree whose fruit is farre sweeter then any honey But these are coynt interpretations saith Gualther I should rather expound this Text by that 91. Psalm wherein the safe and happy condition of the godly is at large described Vineyards and fig-yards were ordinary in those countreys and hence this proverbiall expression to set forth doubtlesse the spirituall security and that peace of conscience chiefly that is granted to Christs subjects a peace farre beyond that under Solomon which is here pointed at or that under our Queen Elizabeth not to be passed over without one touch at least upon that string which so many years together sounded so sweetly in the ears of our Fathers Then it was if ever that the mountains brought forth peace and the little hills righteousnesse Psal 72.5 The great ones defended their inferiours Westmer in Psal 72. and the inferiours blessed their superiours the Magistrate righted the subject and the subject reverenced the Magistrate and none shall make them afraid God they know will not hurt them man cannot he may take away their heads but not their crowns their lives but not their hopes for the righteous hath hope in his death his Posie is not onely Dumspiro spero but Dum expiro Let the wicked have a trembling heart and failing eyes while he lives Deut. 28.65 and when he dies crie out as a great man was heard to do Spes fortuna valete Farewell life and hope together The servant of Christ as he sits mediis tranquillus in undis all his life long
among the princes of Judah Mat. 2.6 because Christ was born there The tribe of Nepthali is first reckoned of those by Rachels side because at Capernaum in this tribe Christ inhabited Rev. 7.6 in which respect also this town is said to be lifted up to beaven Mat. Gen. 42.4 11.2 3. Benjamin is called the beloved of the Lord Gods darling as their father Ben amin was old Jacobs because God dwelt between his shoulders sc in his Temple built upon those two mountaines Moriath and Zion Deut. 33.12 The glory of that first Temple was that the Majesty of God appeared in it covering it self in a cloud The glory of this later house was greater because therein the same divine Majesty appeared not covered with a cloud but really incarnated For the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 In this flesh of ours and under this second Temple Christ not only uttered oracles did miracles and finished the great work of our redemption but also laid the foundation of the Christian Church Jam. 1. For the Law that perfect Law of liberty the Gospell came out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem to all the ends of the earth Esay 2.3 Psal 110.1 From hence it was that the Lord of glory whom the blind Jewes had crucified sent out his Apostles those messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ as they are called 2 Cor 8.23 to gather together unto him those desirable ones his elect verse 7. See the Note there whom he calleth the glory Esa 46.13 the house of his glory Esay 60.7 a crown of glory Esay 62.3 the throne of glory Ier. 4â— 21 the ornament of God Ezek 7.20 the beauty of his ornament ib. and that set in majesty ib. a royall diadem in the hand of Jehovah Esay 62.3 and in this place will I give peace Even the Prince of peace and with him all things also Rom. 8.32 pacem Pectoris Temporis Peace of countrey and of conscionce this later especially seemeth here to be meant For the former viz. outward Peace was not long enjoyed by these Jewes and their second Temple was often spoyled by the enemies Ioh. 14. and at length burnt and overturned But the Peace of God that passeth all understanding is that Legacy which the world can neither give nor take from Gods people And of this inward Peace the Septuagint according to the Roman edition taketh the Text and so doth Ambrose Haec est pax suâ—er pacem saith He. Christ as he was brought from heaven with that song of Peace Luk 2.14 Onearth peace good will toward men which is the same with that salutation of St. Paul who learned it belike of those Angels Grace be to you and Peace so he returned up againe with that farewell of peace Ioh. 14.27 and left to the world the doctrine of peace the gospell of peace Eph. 2.17 whose Authour is the God of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 whose Ministers are ministers of peace Rom. 10.15 whose followers are the children of peace Luk 10.6 whose unity is in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 whose duty is the study of peace Rom. 12.18 and whose end is to enter into peace to rest in their beds their soules resting in heaven their bodyes in the grave till the joyfull resurrection even every one walking in his uprightnesse Esay 57.2 Psal 37.33 Verse 10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month in the second yeer of Darius This diligence of the Prophets in noting and noticing the precise time of Gods hand upon them Scultet Annal. should teach us to do the like See the Note on chap. 1. ver 1. Melch. Adam in vit Bugenhà g The churches in Switzerland kept that day yearely as an holiday whereon the Reformation began amongst them Bugenhagius kept a feast every yeer on that day of the month wherein he and some other Divines had finished the Dutch Bible and called it The feast of the Translation of the Bible Philipp Pareus in vita Dau. Parei The University of Heidelberg kept an Evangelicall Iubilee three whole dayes together Anno Dom. 1617. in the Calends of November in the remembrance of the renowned Reformation of religion begun by Luther a just hundred yeers before Hereby Gods name shall be sanctified our faith strengthened and our good affection both evidenced and excited By the time here described it appeareth that they had now been three moneths building and the Prophet meane-while had given them great incouragement thereunto But forasmuch as he found that they stuck in the bark as they say rested in the work done thought they should therefore win upon God because they built him a Temple the Prophet gives them to understand that there is more required of them then a Temple viz. that therein they worship the Lord purely and holily in spirit and in truth that their divine worships bee right both quoad fontem quoad finem for principle and end of intention for else they impure all that they touch and are no whit better but a great deal the worse for all their performances This the Prophet teacheth them in the two following oracles propounded by way of demand to the Priests How apt are men to lose themselves in a wildernesse of duties To dig for pearls in their own dunghils to think to oblige God to themselves by their good works to spin a threed of their own to climbe up to heaven by to rest in their own righteousnesse to save themselves by riding on horses Hos 14.3 The Prophets designe is here to beat them off from such fond conceits telling them that the person must be accepted ere the service can bee regarded as Abels To the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 saith the Apostle Calvin upon this Text saith no more and yet Cor. a Lapide is very angry with him for saying so much Aug. de vera innocent c. 56. There is in Peter Lumbard this golden sentence eited out of August inc The whole life of unbeleevers is sinne neither is any thing good without the cheifest good This sentence Ambrose Rybera a Poprsh Postiller censureth for harsh and cruell But doth not God here say the same thing Crudelis est illa sententia Certain it is that good actions from bad men displease as a man may speak good words but we cannot hear because of his stinking breath The facrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 Charity is nothing unlesse it flow out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Verse 11. Ask now the Priest concerning the Law For who should know the law better then the Priests And who so fit to
plurall Verse 12. And spake unto him saying Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying that is Confidently and Constantly affirme and averr it that notwithstanding all unlikely hood and unbeliefe on the peoples part Almighty God will surely bring it to passe This heape of words importeth so much for do ye think the scripture speaketh in vaine saith St. James not without some holy indignation chap. 4.5 behold the man whose name is the Branch The man Christ Jesus Rom. 1.3 who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and as a Branch grew out of his roots Esay 11.1 See the Note above on chap. 3.4 Jehoshuah 2 Cor. 12.7 Rom. 12.3 that he might not be exaited above measure with the abundance of this new honour or think of himself more highly then he ought to think is given to understand that he is crownned for no other cause then this that the Jewes might understand that there should One arise that should be both a King and a Priest also for ever after the order of Melchisedeck and his name should be the Branch Not only because when he was a child he grew in age and in wisdome and in grace with God and men which is Vatablus his reason but because he is the â—oot fountain and foundation of all the faithfull who do grow up and increase in him with the increase of God Hence it followeth he shall grow up out of his place and shall build the Temple of God that is the Church which at all times hath been gathered together by Christ through the preaching of the Gospel and he shall grow up out of his place Or He the Branch shall branch up de sub se from under hinself he shall be born of himself as it were of poor parentage for this Branch grew out of the root of Iesse when that goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter He that writeth the life of King Edward 6. saith of his Tutours Dr. Cox and Mr. Iohn Cheek Sr. Iohn Heywood that they were men of meane birth but so well esteemed for vertue and learning that they might well be said to be born of themselves and he shall build the Temple of the Lord i. e. the spirituall temple that Temple the Church the glory where of was far greater then the glory of the former Hag. 2.9 See the Note there And this he should do in the quality of a king and with royall magnificence Ye also as lively stones elect and precious are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood c. 1. Pet. 2.5 Verse 13. Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord The same againe for greater assurance as Pharaoh's dream was doubled Or Even he shall build it that is he shall both begin and finish it It is the same word againe but in the future tense Christ is called the Authour and Fimsher of our faith Heb. 12.2 and he shall beare the glory Jesus shall not thou Jehoshuah in Greek Jesus though now thou beare the crown All thy glory is but figurative of his Thus saith the Lord Remove the diadem or mitre take off the crown this shall not be the same c. I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him that is Christ the king and priest of his Church Particularly for his Kingly office he shall sit and rule upon his throne as a Soveraigne Lord of all And for his Priestly office he shall be a Priest upon his throne likewise for the Church also hath her throne and jurisdiction though distinct and severed from the civill and the counsell of peace shall be between them both i. e. there shall be no clashing between these two offices in Christ as there was sometimes between the Kings and the Priests of former ages but they should as it were take sweet counsell together for the good of the Church Christ having purchased all peace to his people by his Prâ—esâ—hood and maintaining and defending it by his Kingdome Verse 14. And the crownes shall be to Halem for a memoriall Or monument of their incredulity saith Calvin and for their full conviction See the Note above on verse 10. Or their liberality fay others and peradventure with some inseription or remembrance of their names here recorded for honour sake But best of all those that say these duties were for a memoriall in the Temple of the Messiah that was shortly to be expected and was presently promised The poor Jewes at this day are said to have a crown hanging in their synagogues against the comming of their long lookt-for Messiah Taim in Sanhed cap. 11 And that he comes not all thiâ— while they say it is for their sins which are many and bony or mighâ—y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now seeing he stayes so long he shalibe say they a forerunner of the end of the world Spec. Eur. and shall gather by his power all nation into one fold according to that which here followeth Verse 15. And they that are farr off This was fulfilled in the conversion of the Gentiles who together with the Christian Jewes grew up into an holy Temple in the Lord Eph. 2.19 c. It was also in some sense fulfilled in Cyrus Darius Aâ—taâ—â—â—â—â—s Herod who were at great charge for the Temple-work See Ezra 7.15 16. the King and his Councel the Babylonian and Jewes make a contribution to the work and ye shall know sc by the event and by your own experience If you will diligâ—ntly obey the voyce That is If by faith ye receive Christ held forth in the promise and then petfift in the obedience oâ— faith unto the end CHAP. VII Verse 1. IN the sourth yeer of King Daritâ—s Two yeers and a month after the former sermon The word of the Lord was precious in those dayes Tâ—â— Lod gave the word Psal 68.11 but it cannot be said that great was the company of those â—hat prâ—achâ—a it during the Captivity they complained that there was no more any Prophet neither any among them that knew how long their miâ—ery should last Soon after their return God stined them up Haggie and Zachary and after that Malachy and then there was Chathimath chazon as the Jewes phâ—afe it a sealing up or end of Prophesie Onely they had Bath-gol as they ca lt it a voice from heavâ—n sometime as Mat. 3.17 Ioh. 12.28 This and the pool of Betheida only were left them as extraordinary fignes of Gods love to that people But for a punishment of their killing the Prophets as they did this Zachary between the Porch and the Altar and stoning those that were sent unto them as they did the other Zachary the son of Jehojadah they had no more Prophetâ— Mat. 23.37 till the Arch-prophet and his forerunner the Baptist came And now also by thiâ— long vacation of two yeers
such as hath no part in Christ nor portion in his kingdome b Gal. 5.23 Nay he passeth in Gods Book for a Pagan c Rom. 1.21 such as hath no blood of a Cristian in him for an Epicure d Phil. 3.19 20 the worst of Pagans for an Atheist the worst of Epicures e Psal 10.4 for an hypocrite f Acts 8.22.23 the worst of Atheists for an open rebell g Esay 65.2 the worst of hypocrites lastly for a reprobate h Phil. 3.23 the most desperate of rebels such as being enemies to the crosse of Christ have destruction for their end whereunto also of old they were appointed i Jude 4. I know what such kinde of people the ruder sort especially are apt enough to object They will never beleeve they say that the matter is so hainous ob the danger so great as the ministers would make of it for first they have as good hearts as the best and although they be not so strait-laced as to make such a businesse about idle and evil thoughts as some would seem to do yet so long as none can tax them for external outrages and reproachful offences they shall think never awhit the worse of themselves for all that Hereunto we answer sol that this very brag of the goodnesse of their loose and lewd hearts speaks them at once 1. Ignorant 2. Proud 3. Impenitent person First I say Ignorant of God and his will of themselves and their duties as if they were not bound to love the Lord their God with all their thoughts also k Math. 22.37 Now without knowledge the minde is not good saith Solomon and he that hood-winkt with such blinde conceits hasteneth with his feet in away good enough as he fondly imagineth sinneth l Prov. 19.2 Secondly they are stuft up with pride and self-conceitednesse as the Laodiceans who not knowing their own spiritual beggery and blindnesse gave out themselves for great rich men and in as good case as the best m Rev. 3.16 The pure in heart are withal poor in spirit n Math. 5.3 8. humbled for nothing more then their inward impurities those vain thoughts deceitful dreams carnal fears worldly cares endlesse and needlesse plodding upon earthly things that haunt their hearts and passe the forge of their fancies every day in despite of whatsoever endeavours to the contrary Together with those innumerable bythoughts and distractions that will needs throng in upon them even in the interim of divine duties when they would be most free and reserv'd to God These be the things that most gall and grieve the godly man and bring him ful often upon his knees for pardon of inward failings in those duties for the outward well-performance whereof other godly people do many times both approve and applaud him But now it is otherwise with the wicked if he can wash his hands with Pilate keep his fingers from picking and stealing and his tongue from evil speaking curb and keep in his inordinate lusts from budging and breaking forth in his outward practise he eares not how fowl his inwards are how irregular and enormous the motions of his minde be thinks though he never lay lawes upon those but suffer them to run riot at pleasure upon whatsoever vanities or villenies yet he shall speed well enough and perhaps step into heaven before the purest of them all Here 's a heart as full of pride as empty of goodnesse◠for he that lifteth up himself his minde is not upright in him o Hab. 2.4 Thirdly They are impenitent and so out of the state of salvation till they bethink themselves of a more thorough reformation p Luke 13.3 For repentance where it is sound begins at the heart It is not a cleansing onely of the outside of the platter but a changing of the inward thoughts affections and purposes according to that of the Prophet Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him c. q Esay 55.7 not else And that of Peter to Simon Magus Thy heart is not right in the sight of God repent therefore and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee r Act. 8.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postulat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that lastly of the Prophet to the people Oh Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved no heaven to be had you see where the heart is not washed how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ſ Jer. 4.14 No surer signe of a foul and wicked heart then the residence and raign of vain and vile thoughts Let no man therefore bear himself in hand or boast hereafter of the goodnesse of his heart if his thoughts be habitually and allowedly evil Oh but we have many good and holy thoughts in our hearts ob God and his name is much in our mindes and mouthes and we think frequently upon his word we hear and his works we see c. You have many good thoughts you say 't is well sol a reprobate also may have good motions in his minde and not be a buton the better for any of them Try your good thoughts therefore before you trust too much to them and 1. By the causes 2. By the effects For the causes first wee 'l suppose them for the matter good and religious but for their efficient cause first whence be they let me ask Are they inbre'd and native to your sanctified hearts or are they onely injected from without and meerly adventitions cast in by God who now affects thine heart by a good motion thy self no way concurring but being meerly passive in the whole business If so Nebuchadnezzar might have as much comfort and hope here-hence as you God put into his heart a good thought viz. to turn his course against Israel the people of Gods wrath and to revenge the quarel of his covenant upon an hypocritical nation Howbeit he meant not so saith the Prophet neither did his heart think so but it was in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few c t Isai 10.7 Secondly for the form and fashion of your better sort of thought are they set and solemn some times with choice of fit matter time and place Do ye sit in the door of your hearts on set purpose to entertain good motions as Abraham was wont in the door of his tenr to entertain strangers Or are they not onely occasional and accidental falling in by the by and besides your intention by reason of some sudden occurrence c. These holy men in the text did not onely think upon Gods name as a thing that fell into their thoughts by chance but sollicitously throughly studiously serously they set themselves to work in good earnest and in Gods fear to consider of his
all those Abby-lubbers are good for nothing but to devour grain like vermine those wine-bibbers and flesh-mongers as Salmon calleth them are no better then the execrements of humane society gelulim belly-gods and fit servants of those dungy-gods as idols are called Hab. 2.18 with Ezek. 4.17 18. And a scavenger whose living is to empty privies is far to be preferred before such an one as looking to other gods and making his gut his god lives but to fill privies For a flagon of wine or a meals-meat any god may soon have the hearts and services of such as have Poliphemus-like no supream deity but their belly Verse 2. So I bought her to me God is to be obeyed though it go never so much against the heart Epictet and the hair with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow God was a Heathen but an honest precept This he that would do must first deny himself and say with that Dutch Divine Veniat veniat verbum Dei c. Let a word of command come forth from God and we will submit thereto though we had six hundred lives to lose yea though we can see no reason for it Indeed in humane governments where reason is shut out there tyranny is thrust in But where God commandeth there to ask a reason is presumption to oppose reason is 〈◊〉 rebellion I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver That is fifteen shekels or shillings or thereabouts no great price it was that he gave for her whether for hire or dowry probably it was in order to marrying her and in reference to that law Deut. 21.11 Israel was once a precious people Gods peculiar treasure such as comprehended all his gettings The Jews have a saying that those seventy souls that went down with Jacob into Egypt were more worth then all the seventy Nations of the earth beside But now behold how cheap they are grown they are valued all of them at fifteen pieces of silver a goodly price Zach. 11.12 Matt. 27.9 If the tongue of the righteous be as choice silver yet the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10.20 There as in the Sea is that Leviathan the king of all the children of pride and there are creeping things innumerable crawling lusts and lawlesse passions but for any thing of worth it is not there to be had Hence as at the last destruction of Jerusalem thirty Jews were sold for one penny so here the whole body of the Nation are bought and sold for a small sum How weak is thine heart how light-cheap saith the Lord God to this light-huswife seeing thou dost all these things Ezek. 16.30 the work of an imperious whorish woman God and his people reckon of men by their righteousnesse He looked down from heaven to see who sought after God c. Psal 14.3 As for others he regards them no more then men do drosse draffe chaffe or such like refuse stuffe Psal 119.119 Psal 1.3 c. what ever great thoughts they take up of themselves and how ever the world rate them Antiochus Epiphanes that great king of Syria is called a vile person Dan. 11.21 And the adversary is this wicked Haman saith Esther that was his true title which he perhaps never heard till now And an homer of barley and an half homer of barley God buyes not this people though for never so little to starve them but alloweth them alimony though not so fine a food barley and not wheat See Revel 6.5 prisoners pittance course fare such as slaves and beasts are fed with as she had been like horse and mule Psal 32. and lest she should wax fat and kick she is held to strait allowance Whereby is signified the mean and low condition that the ten Tribes and afterwards all the Jews should be in till Christ came to marry them to himselfe First they should be valued but at half the price of a slave Secondly they should be coursly fed as beasts with barley or perhaps not so well as the Jews beasts for among them the mouth of the Ox treading out their corn might not be muzled But the Heathens were wont to put an Engin about their servants necks This engin was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it reached down to their hands that they might not so much as lick of the wheat-meal when they were siâ—ting it Now they were scattered among the Heathen and sold to the Nations for nought Psal 44.11 12. They that were wont to feed delicately were desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embraced dunghils Lam. 4.5 their flagons of wine were turned into tankards of water and their bellaria or junkets so the Septuagint render it and not flagons into brown-bread horse-bread that so those whom pride Ezek. 16.49 fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse had undone hardship and penury might reduce to duty God would seem for a time to have forgotten them that they might at length remember themselves he loves to chastise mens insolency with indigency as he did Hagars Gen. 21.15 and the Prodigals Luke 15. who for his swinish life was brought to swines-meat and thereby brought home to his father It is the way of God to humble those he intendeth good unto to prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of these outward comforts Though this be here a threatning yet there is a promise in it verse 3. that God will take off the smarting plaister so soon as it hath eaten out the proud flesh It is in very faithfulnesse that he afflicteth his people because he will be true to their souls and save them And hence it is that he so diets them and keeps them short that he may do them good in the latter end that he may change their bricks made in their bondage into Saphires and Agates See Exod. 24.10 with Isai 54 11. Verse 3. Thou shalt abide for me many dayes Even till the last dayes verse 5. or last year as Ezekiel hath it chap. 38.8 Thus they have abode or sat as a desolate widow so the Hebrew hath it 700. years before Christ and above 1600. years since in a most forlorn condition crying out in their daily prayers to God Veniat regnum trum bimherah bejamenu Let thy kingdom come speedily even in our dayes And again Aedificu templum tuum aedifica aedifica citò citò citò Lord build build build thy Temple quickly quickly quickly But Gods time is not yet come for they are not yet throughly humbled Were they but ripe he is ready when help is seasonable his fingers itch saith One to be doing as the mothers breast akes when it is time the childe had suck Exod. 12.40 41. At midnight were the first-born slain and Israel sent away because then exactly the 400. or 430. years of their captivity in Egypt were expired So Dan. 5.30 In that night was Belshazzar slain because then exactly the seventy years were ended God promiseth to take this
accepted and graciously answered But woe unto them when I depart from them saith God Hos 9 12. yea woe upon woe when Gods soul is once disioynted from them Jer. 6.8 anevill an onely evill behold is come An end is come the end is come it watcheth for thee behold it is come Ezek. 7.5.6 and why because God was withdrawing from them Hence all evils came rushing in as by a sluce In the ninth tenth and eleventh chapters of that Prophesy God maketh diverse removes And still as he goes out some judgement comes in First he removeth from the Cherubins in the Oracle to the threshold Chap 9.3 and upon that Remove see what followeth Verse 5 6 7. c. Secondly he removeth to the Cherubins on the right side of the house Chap. 10.1 and see what followes Vers 2. Thirdly to the East-gate of the house and the first entrance into the Temple Chap. 10.19 and then see what succeeds Chap. 11.8.9.10 Fourthly he removeth to mount Olivet quite out of the city Chap. 11.23 and when God was quite gone then follwed the fatall calamity in the ruine thereof As there is no light in the world but from the Sun no water but from the Sea so no sound comfort or happinesse to be had but with and in God Better have him angry with us then not have him at all with us The loss of God is a peece of hell in the suburbs whereof the Saints feel themselves when but a while deserted Verse 7. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord They have dealt deceitfully in the Covenant they are a perfidious cursed crew of them this I see well enough saith God though they may think to darken mine eye-sight with the smoke of their many sacrifices or to stop my mouth with their great presents See how he complaineth as in this Prophesie often so Jer. 3.20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband so have you dealt treacherously with me O house of Israel Now in such a case a man will not regard any ransom neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts Prov. 6.35 he will not be a pandar to his own bed unleass he be very base indeed Most certain it is that God will not endure any such doings but though he love his Spouse never so well yet if she play false with him and admit any other into the bridall-bed Jer. 12.7 he will forsake his house that hath been so dishonest he will leave his heritage that hath been so embased he will give the dearely beloved of his soul into the hand of her enemies who shall hate her more then ever they loved her as Amnon did Tamar and deale cruelly with her as Ezek. 16. is at large discoursed The wickednesse of this people was the greater for that they pretended religion as in the former verse to their base beastly practises Dessembled sanctity is double iniquity See how hainously God takes it Jer. 7.9 10. And when others deale treacherously and unworthily with you see whether you have not done as bad and worse against the Lord. Alphonsus king of Arragon in a speech to the Popes Embassadour professed that he did not so much wonder at his Courtiers ingratitude to him who had raised sundry of them from meane to great estates as at his own to God for they have begotten strange children bastards such as the Jewes call Mamzer as ye would say aliena labes a strange blot They call them also brambles such as was Abimelech who grew in the hedge-row of an harlot and scratcht and drew blood to purpose Judg. 9.14 That which is here charged upon the Isralites is that they had not onely taken to wife the daughters of a strange God or begotten bastards of harlots but that they had nuzzled up their children in idolatry and so made them sevenfold worse the children of the devill then before This was a very great aggravation of their treachery that they should impoison their posterity and propagate their wickednesse from one generation to another that there should be a line and a succession of it from their loins None are so ready to drink in false principles and corrupt practises as young ones Such parents as have a hand in undoing their children either by ill counsell or example are peremptores potius quà m parentes saith Bernard rather parricides then parents Ber. Ep. 111. They shall give an heavy account to God for their childrens miscarriages Let it therefore be the care of parents as to keep themselves pure so to see to their little ones that they be not corrupted Satan bears an implacable spite and hatred to them as the seed-plot of heaven and hath his emissaries abroad to marre them Such was Protagoras of whom Plato reporteth that he gloried of this that whereas he had lived sixty years in all fourty of them he had spent in corrupting of young people Plato in Menone Of Julian the Apostate it is reported that being of excellent parts and proof both in learning and religion whilest he was young he was afterwards corrupted by his two Heathenish Tutours Libanius and Jamblichus through the carelessenesse of Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia who should have seen better to it and that this was a main cause of his Apostacy now shall a moneth devour them with their portions Some read it thus Now shall the enemy devour them moneth after moneth Others put menses for menstrua and give this sence Like as this people make no bones to break their faith with God by spirituall fornication mingling as it were their seed with strange gods and forraine people so shall it come to them which happeneth to women worn with adulteries See Tremel Jun. Annat as Ezekiel speaketh that their monethly diseases procured by inordinate lust shall eat up and consume their bodies For confirmation they alledge but not so properly Jer. 2.24 I willingly concur with those that by a moneth understand a little short time How soon is a moneth run out And yet what havock will an enemy make in a moneths space as we have had wofull experience in these late stripping and killing times Them and their portions shall one moneth make an end of Death heweth its way thorow a wood of men in a minute of time from the mouth of a murdering-piece The sword contemneth the rod Ezek. 21.13 as if it should say What doth this silly rod do here Let me come I le quickly make work among them I le dung the land with their carcases c. with their portions the lots of their inheritance Wicked men also have their portions in this life Psal 17.14 they live in pleasure on the earth and are wanton Jam. 5.5 but their portion is no other but a moneth may devour it their pleasure no other but one drop of an evil conscience may damp and dissweeten it But if God be thy portion c. Verse 8. Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah and the trumpet
of the earth as swift as the Eagle flieth to which Text the Prophet here seemeth to allude as indeed all the Prophets do but comment upon Moses and draw out that Arras which was folded together by him before against the house of the Lord that is the house of Israel called Gods house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.5 and Gods land Hos 9.3.15 and their Common-wealth is by Iosephus called a Theocratic And although they were now become Apostates yet they gloried no lesse then before to be of the stock of Abraham and of the family of faith like as the Turks call themselves at this day Musulmans that is the true and right beleevers especially after they are circumcised which is not done till they be past ten yeers of age following the example of Ismael Grand Signior Serag p. 191. whom they imitate and honour as their Progenitour alledging that Abraham loved him and not Isaac and that it was Ismael whom Abraham would have sacrificed because they have transgressed my Covenant and trespassed Sin is the mother of misery and the great Makebate betwixt God and his creature It moves him when we ask bread and fish to feed us as verse 2. to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a serpent to bite us The sin of this people was the more hainous because they were covenanters and confederate with God It was his covenant that was in their flesh Gen. 17.13 and he had betrothed them to himself and betrusted them with his Oracles but they like men transgressed the covenant and dealt treacherously against him Chap. 6.7 See the Note there they performed not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3.21 they trespassed against his law As if it had not been holy and just and good Rom. 7. precious perfect and profitable grounded upon so much good reason that if God had not commanded it yet it had been best for us to have practised it Esay 48.17 I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit c O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandements c. q. d. It is for thy profit and not for mine own that I have given thee a law to live by But they have trespassed or praevaricated and this out of pride and malice as the word signifieth and as before he had oft convinced them of many particulars and more will do therefore are they justly punished Verse 2. Israel shall crie unto me It is their course and custome to do so they will needs do it though I take no delight in it Hypocrisie is impudent as chap. 5.6 and Ier. 3.4 5. No nay but it will despite God with seeming honour and present him with a ludibrious devotion Israel though revolted and degenerated into Iezreel chap. 1. shall crie yea cry aloud vociferabuntur cry till they are hoarse as criers do and unto me but not with their heart chap. 7.14 It is but clamor sine side fatuus an empty ring that God regards not For not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord c Mat. 7.21 Many leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come unto us Mic. 3.11 who yet shall hear Discedite Avaunt ye workers of iniquity I know you not Wo then to all profligate professors carnall Gospellers their prayers shall not profit them neither shall they be a button the better for their loud cries to the most High Pro. 1.28 and odious fawnings My God we know thee When their hearts are far from him Of such pretenders to him and his truth it is that the Apostle speaketh Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God which yet God denies Hos 4.1 5.4 but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate To come and call God Father the guide of our youth and then to fall to sinne this is to do as evil as we can We cannot easily do worse Jer. 3.4 5. To cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord and then to steal murther and commit adultery c. this is painted hypocrisie Ier. 7.4 9. when men shall take sanctuary and think to save themselves from danger by a form of godlinesse as the Jews fable that Og king of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark when they are perfect strangers to the power of it this is to hasten and heap up wrath Iob 36.13 Religion as it is the best armour so the worst cloak and will serve hypocrites as the disguise Ahab put on and perished Castalio maketh this last clause to be the speech of the blessed Trinity We know thee O Israel q. d. Though thou collogue and cry My God yet we know thine hypocrisie and the naughtinesse of thy heart But the former sence is better though the placing of the word Israel in the end of the verse seem to favour this for thus it runs in the Hebrew To me thy shall cry My God we know thee Israel Verse 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good Heb. The Good as first the good God who is good originall universall All-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and fitting to our soul He both is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and that both naturally abundantly freely and constantly Good thou art O Lord and ready to forgive saith David Psal 86.5 And the Good Lord be mircifull 2 Chron. 30. c. saith Hezekiah in his prayer for the people To speak properly there is none good but God Ase elonganit ' â—ipulis saith our Saviour Matt. 19.17 but Israel cast him or rather kickt him off procul à se rejecit as the word signifieth So do all grosse hypocrites they are rank Atheists practicall Atheists though professionall Christians Secondly they reject Christ as a Soveraigne though they could be content to have him as a Saviour they send messages after him saying We will not have this man to rule over us they will not submit to the lawes of his kingdom nor receive him in all his offices and efficacies they are Christlesse creatures as without God so without Christ in the world Thirdly hypocrites reject the good Spirit of God as David calleth him Psal 143.10 the fruit whereof is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5.9 When God striveth with them by his good Spirit as Neh. 9.20 they by yeelding to Satans suggestions grieve that holy Spirit and by grieving resist him and by resisting quench him and by quenching maliciously oppose him and offer despite unto him and so cast themselves into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.29 31. Lastly they cast off the good Word and true Worship of God those right judgements true lawes good statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 they put the promises from them and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 they hate instruction and cast Gods words behind them Psal 50.17 In a word bee hath left off to
51.34 yea Iehojakim himself though a King was no better used Ier. 22.18 and Moab that haughty nation Ier. 48.38 In which sence Moâ—b shall be my washpot saith David Psal 60.10 that is brought into most abject slavery as your scullions or scavengers they shall lie among the pots Psal 68.13 not onely to make pots for the king of Babylons use as those servile souls the base brood of their degenerated forefathers 1 Chron. 4.23 Matulam praebere but also to hold pots or empty pots and vessels of dishonour that they might know a difference betwixt Gods service which is all clean and fair work 2 Tim. 2.21 fit for a vessell of honour an elect vessell elect and precious sanctified and fit for the masters use and the service of their enemies base and beastly such as is beneath the excellency of an ingenuous man such as the Turks at this day put the Jews to and the Spaniards the poor Indians Verse 9. For they are gone up to Assyria a wilde asse alone by himself This was that that most moved the Lord to denounce and determine hard and heavy things against Israel they had suspicious thoughts of God as if he either could not or would not do for them and help them out as the Assyrian though an enemy would This prank of theirs God uttereth here with as great indignation and dislike as old Iacob did his sonne Reubâ—ns incest when he said He went up to my couch The Lord is as jealous of his glory as any man can be of his wife neither will he give it to another Esay 42.8 he admits not of any corrivall in heaven or earth as Potiphars wife was his own peculiar Now God is no way more glorified by us then when we put our trust in his love and faithfulnesse and expect from him safety here and salvation hereafter For in so doing we set him up for our king Iudg. 9.15 and put the crown royall upon his head Cant. 3.11 As in doing otherwise we turn his glory into shame loving vanity seeking after leasing Psal 4.2 Hence that angry expostulation Ier. 2.36 Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way How dost think to mend thy self by running to the creature as if there were no God in Israel thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast ashamed of Assyria Yea thou shalt go forth from him and thine hands upon thine head after the manner of mourners 2 Sam. 13.19 for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences and thou shalt not prosper in them a wilde asse alone by himself Foolish and fierce above measure untameable and untractable loving to be alone and so becomes a prey to the lion Lib. 8. cap. 40. as saith Siracides chap. 13. verse 21. Pliny speaketh much of the wilde asse and his properties and Interpreters on this Text bring many reasons why Israel is compared to him Israel is as stupid and as mad as the wilde asse saith Lyra. He is all for himself saith Iunius he casteth off Gods yoak saith Tremellius he is a contemptible creature saith Kimchi he walks where he lists as masterlesse saith the Chaldee hee seeketh water in the wildernesse but hardly findeth it so doth Israel help of the cruell enemies and hath it not saith Oecolampadius he taketh a great deal of pains for his belly saith Mercer he cannot be tamed and made serviceable saith Gesner He is left alone by God to be carried captive by the Assyrian saith Ribera The Scripture describeth the nature of this creature in many places Gen. 16.12 Iob 6.5 11.12 24.5 39.8 Psal 104.11 Esay 32.14 Ier. 2.23 14.6 Dan. 5.21 Ephraim hath hired lovers This is the second similitude taken from a most libidinous harlot See the like basenesse in Judah Ezek. 16.33 They were so mad upon their idols and creature-confidences that they were at no small charge for them they lavished money out of the bag and laid on Jer. 5.38 as if they should never see an end of their wealth They sent great gifts and summes of money to the Assyrians and Egyptians and leaned upon them as their champions they hired loves as the Hebrew here hath it But love as it cannot well be counterfeited a man may paint fire but he cannot paint heat so it cannot at all be hired or purchased Those that go about it shall finde loathing for love and be scorned of those mercenaries which are seldome either satisfied or sure Verse 10. Yea though they have hired among the nations The uncircumcised strangers to the promises and aliens from the common-wealth of Israel that they should so far distrust God and debase themselves as to seek help of such this went neer to the heart of God and was very grievous They brought up an evil report upon Gods house-keeping charged him with unfaithfulnesse to his people whom he now seemed to leave in the lurch to shift for themselves in their straits and hardened his enemies in their wicked but yet more prosperous condition Foelix scelus virtus vocatur Cic. de divin lib. 2. How would these Heathens hugge themselves in the conceit that Israel should do thus who was Gods portion Deut. 32.9 the dearly beloved of his soul Jer. 12.7 of whom it was anciently sund and commonly said among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.2 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and who is the sword of thine excellency and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high-places Deut. 33.29 Whosoever was free of the city of Rome might not accept of any freedome in another city for that they counted a dishonour to Rome And will not God take it in ill part from his covenanters to seek or make after correspondency with his enemies and safety by them The help of the wicked Ecclesiae sunt tandem perniciosa semper perfidiosa are the best perfidious and at length pernicious to the Church now will I gather them This the Chaldee and the Vulgar make to be a promise of bringing back their captivity when indeed it is a commination of carrying them into captivity I will gather them that is either the enemies against Israel or else Israel for the enemies ut eos acervatim perdam that I may lay them heaps upon heaps and gather them as dead corps slain in battle are gathered together for buriall Or I will gather them to the end that I may disperse them And they shall sorrow a little And but a little now for the burden of the king of princes for the taxes and tributes exacted from them by the king of Assyria whose Nobles were Princes 2 King 18.24 Esay 10. See 2 King 15.19 29. But all this is but a little it is but the beginning of sorrows it is but small drops fore-running the great storm or as a crack fore-running the
commandeth but the Gospel helpeth God by his spirit assisting and further accepting pence for pounds the will for the work the desire for the deed done c. and laying meate before us meate that the world knowes not of hidden Manna the convivium juge of a good conscience c. Vers 5. He shall not return unto the land of Egypt That is he needs not run to Egypt for help as King Hosea did nor to the Assyrian to whom they were tributaries from the time of Menahem for they wanted nothing and less should have wanted if they would have been ruled by me but they refused to return He was not to have returned to the land of Egypt or of the Assyrian who is his king so some read the text Others sense it thus When I threaten them with the Assyrian they think to shift and shelter themselves in Egypt but I shall keep them thence or find and ferret them out there God knowes how to cross wicked men of their will to spoyle their plots Egypt shall prove no better then a broken reed running into the hand of him that leaneth on it 2 King 18.21 The Egyptian was ever an enemy to Israel and though for his own ends he gave goodly words and seem reconciled yet such Reconciliations are but vulpinae amicitiae But were he never so fast a friend yet sin-guilty Israel shall not have their an Asylum nec stabile stabulum see Chap 9.3 with the Note because the desire of the wicked shall perish Psal 112.10 They take counsell together but it shall come to nought they speak the word but it shall not stand Esay 8.10 Confer Esay 30.1.2 and 31.1.2.3 Prov. 21.38 but the Assyrian shall be his king Will they nill they they shall be carried captive to Assyria and sith they will needs be crossing of God he will cross them much more he will walk contrary to those that walk contrary to him Lev. 26.21 and be as froward as they for the hearts of them Psal 18.26 They will not return to me saith the Lord they shall not therefore return to Egypt they will not submit to my scepter they shall therefore have the Assyrian for their King that proud cruel stout-hearted Prince Isay 10.5.7.12 who will tyrannise over their bodies and over their cattle at their pleasure so that they shall be in great distress Neh. 9.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they refused to return Heb. they disdained to do it scorned the motion slighted the messenger Sen in Agamem Plus est a viâ—s se revocaesse quà m vitia ipsa necivisse Amb. in Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By their sins they had run from God by repentance they should have returned unto him and then the amends had been well-nigh made for Quem poenitet peccasse paenè est innocens the penitent is in almost as good a case as the innocent Ambrose saith he is in a better But for these men to all other their sins to add obstinacie and impenitencie as Herod to all his former evils did the death of the Baptist this was to heap up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 The word here rendred refused is by the Seventy turned They would not That therefore thy returned not to God it was the fault of their will True it is they had no power to turn themselves but the cause of that inability too was in themselves They therefore neither could nor would return and both by their own fault and folly Vers 6. And the sword shall abide on his cities Heb. shall keep residence or rush upon his cities It can do no less it cannot return into the scabbard rest or be still till the Lord who put it into commission call back againe his commission Jer. 47.6.7 It is a dreadfull thing when the sword abideth on a people as in Germany that stage of warr Ireland still a land of divine ire c. England hath some Halcyons at present incredibili celeritate temporis brevitate à Pompeio confectum Aug de Civ Dei Mr. Burr praise be given to God and let every good man pray with David scatter thou the people that delight in warr Psal 68.30 The Piraâ—s warr was dispatcht by Pompey with incredible swiftness to his eternall commendation And we have cause to bless God saith a countryman of ours that God hath raised up instruments for us who have hazarded the shortening of their own lives for the shortning of the warr who have done their worke of late as if they had took it by the great c. And the same Author observeth that it is a sad thing for the sword to be in the field but for the sword to be in the cities it is much more sad and he instanceth in JerusaleÌ„ out of Josephus Jos de bell Jud l. 7. c. 7. where the number of the slaine was eleven hundred thousand We may further instance in that unhappy city of Magdeburg in Germany where so much cruelty was exercised first by Charles the fift much regrated by him at last in his retired life taking account of his actions since that in our memory by Mounsier Tilly who like a bloody villain put to the sword there twenty thousand persons at least of all ranks ages and sexes Mr. Clark life of K. of swed 23. that great city also he burned down utterly turning it into cinders excepting an hundred nine thirty houses c. The like immanity was exercised by the Popes champions upon the poor Protestants at Angrogue in France where they killed and burned without mercy but could never set fire upon the two temples there nor upon the Ministers house Act and Mone 880. which remained whole the houses round about being all consumed with fire and shall consume his branches and devour thèm His branches or his villages which are as branches of the greater cities The trees of America but especially of Brasile are so huge that it is reported of them Abbbots Geog. p. 271. that severall families have lived in several armes or branches of one tree to such a number as are in some petty village or parish here The greater cities are as the body or-root of a tree the villages as the branches The scripture oft calleth them mother and daughters as Heshborn and all her daughters That is villages Num. 21.25 as the Chalde there explaineth it See Ezech. 10.44.45.46.48.53 hence we read of a citieand mother in Isracl 2 Sam. 20.19 Branches also are called daughters of the trees they grow from Gen. 44.23 The word here rendred branches is by some rendred Barres by others Diviners or Liers as the word here used is interpreted Jer. 50.36 A sword is upon the liars or diviners and they shall dote potest Augur Augurem videre nou ridere saith Tully of such diviners that is Can they one looke upon another and not laugh considering how they gull people with their lies and fopperies The sword
for necessity and delight and this is so much inculcated and iterated that you may not slight it as a common occurrence but be deeply affected with it as a sore affliction Verba toties repetita viva sunt vera sunt sana sunt plana sunt Let no man think that this is a superfluous tautologie Aug. or an idle repetition of the same thing For in sacred scripture there is not a tittle in vain there is not an apex whereon there hangs not a mountain of fense as the Rabbines use to say By one and the same thing repeated memory is helped affection is excited and matters of moment are better minded Phil. 3.1 Besides Repetitio confirmatio est saith Ambrose De bone Mart. c. 12. The repeating of a matter implyeth 1 The infallible truth of it 2 The inexpressible excellency of it 3 The profitable use of it 4 The absolute necessity of it Aut faciendum aut patiendum Verse 13. Gird your selves and lament ye Priests Be you Prest and first in the practise of humiliation Be you an example of the believers in word in conversation c. 1 Tim. 4.12 a patern of piety Si vis ne flere c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horat. Judg. 9.18 If others shall lament you must begin to them and say as Abimelech did to his souldiers What ye have seen me do make hast and do likewise and as St. Paul doth to his Philippians Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do Philip. 4.9 and the God of peace shall be with you for the meat-offering and the drink-offering c. your maintenance is substracted and that which should more affect you the sacred service of God is intermitted and so the glory is departed the dayly sacrifice is neglected which the Jewes counted and called The abomination of desolation Phineas his wife was not without natural affection 1 Sam. 4.21 but her spiritual affections prevailed Therefore in the declaration of her sorrow that of her father in law and husband is but once named but twice it came in The glory is departed The glory is departed All comforts are but Ichabods to a good heart without the ordinances without the sincere milk of the word Gods new-born babes cannot be quitted Tom. 4. Oper. Lat. p. 424. I could not live in Paradise without the Word said Luther as with the Word I could easily live in hell it self Verse 14. Sanctify ye a fast Having humbled your selves preach repentance to others That 's the best sermon that 's digged out of a mans own brest Sanctify your selves first and then prepare your brothren saith losiah to the Priests of his time 2 Cron. 35.6 A religious fast for that the Prophet intends here by Sanctify rightly observed and referred to religious ends is both a testimony of true repentance and a furtherance thereunto for it cames the rebell flesh 1 Cor. 9. ult which else will wantonize and overtop the Spirit Deut. 32.15 And it giveth wings to our prayers which before groveld on the ground as it were Fasting inflameth prayer and prayer sanctifieth fasting sanctify therefore a fast call a solemn assembly Heb. a day of restraint separating your selves as Zech. 8.19 from all fleshly delights amercing and punishing your selues in that sort by an holy revenge as Psal 35.13 and afflicting your soules with voluntary sorrowes for your sins and miseries gather the Elders both those qui canis annis sunt tales who are full of dayes and so of sins and also those that are in place of authority whose offences have sored higher on the wings of Example and Scandal and all the inhabitants of the land For as all are sin-guilty so your unanimity and charity will further the service All should get together in this case and bring their buckets to quench a common fire the more publike and general the humiliation is the more pleasing and prevalent Judg. 20.26 2 Chron. 30.3 13. Ion. 3.5 7 8. into the house of the Lord your God which house was a type of Christ in whom God heareth His and had made many promises to prayers there put up in faith 1 King 8.37 38 39. 2 Chron. 6.28 29. of the Lord your God Yours still by vertue of the covenant be sure to keep faith in heart when we are at the greatest undâ—r And cry unto the Lord with the heart at least as Moses did at the red sea Moses egit vocis silentio ut magis audivetur when yet none heard him but the ear of heaven only and as Hannah did when she uttered no audible voyce and yet poured forth her soul to the Lord with such a strange and unwonted writing of her lips that Eli thought she had been drunk Verse 15 Alas for the day c. 1 Sam. 1.15 Gr. Alas Alas Alas the Vulgar Latine A A A which à Lupide makes much adoe about to little purpose for the day of the Lord that is The day of the greatest evils and miseries then ever hitherto they had suffered if repentance prevent not That they had suffered much already appeareth chap. 2.25 but those were but the bâ—ginnings of their sorrowes if they yet went on in their sins for as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come An Elegant Agnomination there is in the Original together with an allusion to that tremend title of God Shaddai The Jewes probably boasted much and bare themselves over-bold upon their interest in God almighty The Prophet therefore tel's them that Gods greatest power should be little to their profit whiles impenitent for that it should be put forth and exercised for their utter destruction Aben-Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a Conqueror Others a Destroyer which a Conqueror must needs be And hereto this text and that Esa 13.6 do allude when they say Shod shall come from Shaddai Destruction from the Almighty Here also we may learn when we are under affliction to ascend to the first cause thereof Am. 3.6 as David did in that three years famine 2 Sam. 21.1 See â—am 3.38 Verse 16 Is not the meat cut off before your eyes Heb. before your eyes and so it appeareth to be the Prophets speech and not a form prescribed by him to the people by adding the word saying to the end of the fourteenth verse Cry to the Lord saying Alas for the day c. And it is as if the Prophet should say Doe ye not yet see what case you are in Are ye so stupid and so stout or sturdy as not to stoop though starved almost should not Vexation give understanding Are not the fiercest creatures tamed with hard hunger Will not men in such case buy or beg food of their deadly enemies O brawny breasts O horny heart-strings yea joy and gladnesse from the house of our God All Gods services were to be performed with joy but now for want of corn and wine which cheareth God and man Iudg. 9.13 the dayly
Heb. corrupted his compassions forgot his brotherhood banished naturall affection out of his bosome and put off all humanity The Rabbines tell us that out of the profanenesse of his Spirit Esau put away his circumcision by drawing up againe the foreskin with a Chirurgeons instrument Whether this were so or not I have not to say but that he corrupted his compassions if any ever he had violated the law of nature and abolished the bowels of a brother the brotherly covenant this text assureth us even all the affections duties and respects of blood and nature by which he was bound His grandfather Abraham could say to his nephew Lot Let there be no difference between thee and me for we are brethren Gen. 13.8 This one consideration was retentive enough cooler sufficient to his choler it was even as the Angel that stayd his hand when the blow was comming Gen. 22. It should have been so with Edom good blood would not have belyed it self But he had lost his brotherly bowels and even put off manhood he had wiped out all stirrings of good nature as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside down as the scripture speaketh in another case 2 King 21.13 or as when a man emptieth wine out of a cup the sides are yet moist but when it is rinsed and wiped there remaines not the least tast or tincture and his anger did teare perpetually i. e. He in his anger did teare as a beast of prey Psal 14. and rage without intermission The enemies of the Church do so still such is their implacable hatred against God and his truth they eat up Gods people as they eat bread yea they tread down and teare in peeces as if there were none to deliver At the Town of Barre in France when it was taken by the Papists all kind of cruelty was used saith Mr. Fox children were cut up and the guts of some of them and hearts pulled out which in rage they tare and gnawed with their teeth The Italians likewise which served the king there did for hatred of religion break forth into such fury Act. and Mon. fol. 1951. that they did rip up a living child and took his liver being as yet red hot Erasm epist lib. 16. ad obtrectator and eat it as meat Erasmus tells of an Augustine friar who openly in the pulpit at Antwerp wished that Luther were there that he might bite out his throat with his teeh And Friar Brusierd in a conference with Bilney brake out into these angry words But that I beleeve and know that God and all his saints will take revengement everlasting on thee Act. and Mon. 914. I would surely with these nailes of mine be thy death Psal 74.19 Gen. 49.7 Pray therefore with David Deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove to these destroyers c. Cursed be their anger for it is fierce and their wrath for it is cruel and kept his wrath for ever Though himself was mortal yet his wrath might seem to be immortal as was Hanibals against the Romanes and our Edward the first against the Scots against whom being about to march he adjured his son and Nobles Dan. hist fol. 201. that that if he died in his journy into Scotland they should carry his corpes with them about Scotland and not suffer it to be enterred till they had absolutely subdued the countrey Anger may rush into a wise mans bosome but should not rest there Aug. ep 87. Eccle. 7.9 for it corrupteth the heart as vineger doth the vessel wherein it long continueth Of the Athenians it was said that their anger was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 everlasting but that was but small to their condemnation Thou shalt neither revenge nor remember ill turns Lev. 19.18 where servare is put for servare iram to keep Ar. Rhetor. l. 9. c. 1. for to keep ones anger to shew that there is nothing that a man is more ready to keep as beeing a vindictive creature Arestotle saith but absurdly that it is more manly to be revenged then to be reconciled and this the world calleth manhood but indeed it is doghood rather The manlier any man is the milder and more mercifull as David 2 Sam. 1.12 And Julius Caesar when he had Pompey's head presented to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6.7 wept and said Non mihi placet vindicta sed victoria I seek not revenge but victory And the Apostle purposely disgraceth revenge of injury by a word that signifieth disgrace losse of victory or impotency of mind Thunder haile tempest neither trouble nor hurt celestiall bodies no more doth anger great minds Edom was short-spirited soon kindled and not easily appeased his wrath kept no bounds as the word here used importeth his coales were coales of Juniper fierce and long lasting his fire not elementary but culinary nourished by low and unworthy considerations a fruit of the flesh and such as excludes out of heaven Gal. 5.20 21. It was not the passion but the habit of hatred which St. James calleth the devill Jam. 4.7 and St. Paul counselleth men not to give place to that devill and for that end not to let the Sun go down upon their wrath Ephe. 6.26 See Ezech 35.5 where Edom is charged with a perpetuall hatre and therefore threatened with blood and desolation as here Verse 12. But I will send a fire A fierce enemy ut supra The inhabitants of Teman and Bozra together with other the posterity of Esau were famous for power and policy Obad. 8.9 Ier. 49.7 Esa 34.6 But there is no wisdome might nor counsell against the Lord Prov. 21.30 31. He can make fooles and babies of the Churches enemies he can fire out their malice c. Verse 13. I will not turn away the punishment thereof Or I will not turn and reduce him to my self by repentance that I may shew him mercy as Lam. 5.22 Ier. 31.18 but harden his heart and hasten his destruction because they have ript up the women with child Immane facinus vicinis indignum saith Mercer A cruel fact and the worse because done by so neere neighbours and allyes thus to kill two at one blow and those also innocent and impotent and such as they ought to have spared by the law of nature and of nations and all this meerely out of covetousnesse and ambition That they might enlarge their border but first root out the little ones that else might hereafter claime and recover their fathers possessions So at the Sicilian vespers they ript up their own women that were with child by the French that no French blood might remaine amongst them See the Note on Hos 13.16 and learn to detest covetousnesse that root of all evill 1 Tim. 6.10 Better converse with a Canibal then with a truly covetous caytiffe and more curtesie you may expect Verse 14. But I will kindle a fire c. with mine own hands not only
make beleeve Where is the promise of his comming Let him make speed and hasten his work Esay 5.19 Jer. 17.15 that we may see it Let him increase his army and come down Judg. 9.29 Such jearing and daring spirits there are still abroad But do they provoke the Lord to anger are they stronger then he The great and terrible day of the Lord will come time enough to their cost they need not accelerate it Can they stand to his triall Job 26.14 or abide the thunder of his power to what end is it for you when God shall answer you as he did a far better man out of the whirlewind and say Job 38.2 3. 1 Pet. 4.18 Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Gird up now thy loynes like a man c. Where then shall the ungodly and the wicked appeare what hils will they call upon to fall on them when the elements shall fall upon them like scalding lead or burning bell-mettall and yet all this be but the beginning of their sorrowes Now therefore be not ye mockers lest your bands be made strong Esay 28.22 God can easily hamper you if he once take you in hand the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light No interchange of light an evill an onely evill without mixture of mercy Ezech. 7.5 a black and dismal day of one mischief upon another in a continued series Affliction shall not rise up the second time Nah. 1.9 but ye shall totally and finally be destroyed wrath shall come upon you to the utmost 2 Thes 2. This is illustrated in the next verse by an apt Similitude Verse 19. As if a man did sly from a lion c. And so by running from his death should run to it by seeking to shun the shelves should split against a rock Incidit in Scyllam c. Alsted Chronol pag. 480. as Nicodemus Frischline that famous Poet Orator and Philosopher endevouring to escape out of close prison by casting himself out at a window the rope broke and he perished by falling headlong upon a rock So fareth it with those that feare not God Aliud ex alio malum One mischief treadeth on the heeles of another as Iobs messengers The clouds returne after the raine Eccle. 12.2 as in April-weather one showre is unburthened another is brewed and deep calleth upon deep at the noise of the water-spouts Psal 42.7 Evill shall hunt the violent man to destroy him Psal 140.11 your sins shall find out out as a blood-hound Num. 32.23 as it did that Popish Priest in London who having escaped the fall of Black-friers Anno. 1623. where Drury had his braines knockt out of his head together with his sermon and taking water with a purpose to saile into Flanders was cast away together with some others under London-bridge Jac. Revius de vit Pontif. 312. the boat being overturned And as Philip the second King of Spaine who going from the Low-countries into Spaine by sea fell into a storme in which almost all the Fleet was wracked his housholdstuff of very great valve lost and himself hardly escaped Hist of Counc of Trent 417. He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranisme which he presently began to do But the hand of God was upon him in an extraordinary manner Caros Scribonde inflit Princ. cap. 20. for beside the invincible Armado here defeated to his great heart-break for his pretended patience was but as the fever called Epialis wherein men are cold without but hot as fire within he fell into that most lothsome lowsy disease called Phthiriasis whereof at length he dyed and a Beare met him A Beare robbed of her whelpes which she licketh into forme and loveth above measure is a very fierce and fell creature To meet her in such a rage is to meet death in the very face and yet that danger may be sooner shifted and shunned then the heavy wrath of God avoyded or averted without true and timely repentance there is no way to run from him but by running penitently to him as in a tempest at Sea it is very dangerous to strike to the shore the safest way is to have sea-room and to keep in the Maine still or went into the house To shelter himself from the Beare as every creature in danger runneth to its harbour Prov. 30.26 Psal 104.18 and leaned his hand on the walles As being breathlesse in running and glad to stay himself on what he can next lay hold on Man like the vine must have somewhat to leane on if it be but a broken reed or bulging wall Psal 62.3 he shifts and sharks in every by-corner for comfort as the Papists stung by the Friers sermons do by pardons and pennances Prov. 23.32 which are but palliate cures for a serpent bites them the guilt of sin abiding biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder Verse 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse c. q. d. How say ye now when thus beset with mischief on all hands such as ye can neither avoyd nor abide must ye not needes subscribe to the truth of what I said verse 18. and do here againe repeate that you may the better observe it with greater emphasis and earnestnesse you shall not have the least glimmering of comfort ease direction or good counsel To what end then should you desire this dreadfull day of the Lord Are you in hast to be undone Verse 21. I hate I despise your feast-dayes wherewith ye think to stop my mouth and to make me your debter saying as that Romane Emperour when his enemy came against him Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret we have not so served the Gods that they should serve us no better then to give the enemy the better of us The feast-dayes Antonin Philosoph refer Vulcat Gallic in Avidio Cassio Jer. 32.35 and solemne assemblies you so much bind upon are yours and not mine I never commanded them viz as you now use them neither came they ever into my mind So farr am I therefore from accepting your sacrifices as that I hate I despise I will not smell an elegant Asyndeton importing Gods utter distaste of what they did The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21.27 and assuring a sudden vengeance as in that quick and smart passage Go preach baptise He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 Will-worship and out-sidenesse in religion is very odious to the Almighty and stinks worse in his nostrils then any ill vapour from the vilest dunghill doth in ours or as those poisonous smels that ascended up once from the five cities of the plaine and brought down from him a counterpoyson of fire and brimstone Rome also that spirituall Sodom shall be destroyed in like sort with a terrible fire Rev. 17.16 and 18 8 9. for her
detestable will-worships superstitions and Idolatries which no other nitre can possibly purge Rev. 13.18 the whole number of the Beast whatsoever is numbred to belong unto him is but the number of a man humane inventions and will-wisdome men will have it so and this is the summ of all Popish religion When the wit of man will be over-pleasing God with better devises then his own will needes despite him with seeming honours it turnes to madnesse and ends in mischief Verse 22. Though ye offer me burnt offerings c. So long as ye stick in the bark please your selves in the externall performance rest in the work done think to expiate your sins by your duties and to sett off with God for your bad deedes by your good and to get a license thereby to live as you list though ye offer me burnt-offerings which were wholy burnt in sacrifice to God and so were ordinarily most acceptable I will not accept them Nor shall you be a button the better for them but the worse Esay 66.3 yea though ye added wine oyle and incense that there might be a savour of rest in it The very Heathens could say that Gods favour is not to be gained by multitude of sacrifices but by the integrity of those that offer them neither will I regard or look at the peace-offerings of your fat beasts whether sheep or oxen or another distinct creature bigger then an oxe called in the Arabick dialect gamus as Aben-Ezra affirmeth the French call it Buffle and we the Buffe or wild-Oxe All would not do God would neither see nor heare as it followeth Verse 23. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs No more pleasing to me then the grunting of an hog or the braying of an asse because hatelesse heartlesse for as every sound is not musick so neither is ever musicall sound melodious to God The voice which is made in the mouth is nothing so sweet to our eares as that which comes from the depth of the brest Sing with grace in your hearts is the best tune to all the Psalmes which are therefore called spirituall songs Col. 3.16 both because they are indited by the Spirit that are to be sung with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and because they being so sung do mak us more spirituall in the use of them whilest we sing Davids Psalmes with Davids heart for I will not heare the melody of thy viol Or of thine organe harp citterne Inte bag-pipe for so some render it with respect to the Etymologie of the word Nebel The Greek rendereth it Of the Psalteries what need we trouble our selves much about those things whereof we can neither have proof nor profit at least not profit enough to pay for the paines God will not heare either their voyce or instrument-musick because the heart was wanting Non vox sed votum non Musica chordula sed Cor. The deeper and hollower the belly of the lute or violl is the pleasanter is the sound the fleeter the more grating and harsh in our eares think the same of God and see how exceeding offensive to all his senses yea to his very soule hypocrisy is Esay 1.11 12 13. c. Verse 24. But let judgement run down Heb. roule down freely plentifully and plainely ut devolutus monte praecipiti torrens as the great billowes of the sea Livius Columella or as waves rowling over rocks so let judgement and equity be constantly and vigorously administred and executed and righteousnesse as a mighty streame that comes with a force and beares down all before it Fiat justitia ruat orbis Let justice be done what ever come of it The Sun might as soon be turned out of his course as Fabricius out of the track of Truth and Justice saith the Historian How much better might this have been said of Job Moses Phineas Nehemias c. famous in their generations for brandishing the sword of justice against the friends of Baal Balaam and Batchus for turning the wheel over all such roaring monsters such lewd and lawlesse Belialists as hardened with impunity dare oppose with crest and brest whosoever or whatsoever standeth in the way of their wicked lusts and practises Oh this was better then burnt-offerings without this this was that Actuall Magisteriall and Majesticall kind of devotion that pleased God farr better then an oxe that hath hornes and hoofes Verse 25. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices c. i. e. To me only and not to other Gods also did ye not begin betime to play the idolaters and do ye not fill up the measure of your fathers Mat. 23.32 They sojourned in Egypt and brought thence a golden calfe Jeroboam sojourned there and brought home two which were no sooner up but you were down upon your knees where still you continue at your mawmet-worship Is it not even so o house of Israel And was it not even so in the wildernesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where and when I bore with your evill manners about the time of forty yeares Act. 13.18 for full forty it was not but 38. onely and some few moneths and was provoked by you ten times Num. 14.22 when I had but newly brought you out of Egypt chap. 3.1 2. So that your Idolatry is hereditary and therefore the more ingrained and to be abhorred God alone is to be worshipped Exod. 20.2 3. 1 King 18.21 truely that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving Be the Gods of the heathen good-fellowes saith One the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another For indeed he is the One Deut. 6.4 and Onely God Psal 86.10 besides whom Psal 18.32 without whom 1 Sam. 2.2 and beyond whom 1 King 8.6 there is none other Deut. 4.39 nor any like him 2 Sam. 7.22 nor any with him Esay 44.24 he is the onely Lord and besides Him there is none other Joel 2.27 Verse 26. But ye have born the tabernacle of your Moloch That Idols were wont to be carried upon mens shoulders we may see Esay 46.7 Baruc. 6.3 and 2.5 That Moloch or Malcom was the abomination of the Ammonites who called him their king as the Israelites called the true God Es 44.6 and 33 22. See 1 King 11.5 that the Israelites should do thus in the wildernesse where they had Gods tabernacle erected carrying about them privily some portable chappels or pictures of these Idols as some hold they did Rom. 1.23 2 Thess 2.10 11. and Josephus seemes to say as much was monstrous wickednesse and the guise of men given up to a reprobate sense and Chiun your images that is your notable image the plurall for the singular as oft especially in names of dignity Hierom here for Chiun hath Rephan confer Act. 7.43 and the Commentatours thereon Aben-Ezra thinks that by Chiun is meant the planet Saturn called chivan in the Arabick And other Hebrews by the starr of your God that is the starr which is
so doth Pride disable the soule from doing duty and at last breaks forth into odious deeds abominable to God and Man There are that by Excellency or Glory here understand their glorious Temple and other priviledges wherein they so much gloried See Psal 47.5 But Mercer thinks it rather meant of the ten tribes then of the two whose crown of pride is elsewhere taxed Esay 28.1 Hos 7.10 The pride of Israel testifieth to his face it breaketh out in his forehead as a great master-pock therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein Heb. with the fulnesse thereof both persons and things are all forfeited and shall be seized by the enemy be the city of Samaria never so rich a Cargazon so full a Magazine of Men and meanes I will shut them up so the word signifieth after a strait siege into the enemies hand who shall make a spoyle of them Verse 9. And it shall come to passe if there remaine ten men c. that is many as Zech. 8.23 Levit. 26.26 because ten is the utmost of single number q. d. Though a considerable company escape the enemy yet pestilence or some other destruction shall put an end to them they shall dye See this fulfilled 2 King 17.5 In which common calamity what an happynesse had they that belonging to the election of grace could confidently say as Hab. 1 12. Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One Occidere potest non laedere We shall not dye or if we do death may kill us but cannot hurt us O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction The wicked are killed with death Rev. 2.23 undone by it Hos 2.15 to them it is no other but a trap-dore to hell as to the Saints it is as the valley of Achor a door of hope the very day-break of eternall brightnesse Verse 10. And a mans uncle shall take him up Him that is every one of the ten a fore-mentioned being now dead of the plague shall his uncle or dearest friend take up on his own shoulders for want of the ordinary mercenary officers called by the Latines Vespillones Libitinarii Pollinctores their best friends shall be forced to bury or burn their dead corpses So Seneca in Oedipo portat hunc aeger parens Supremum ad ignem mater hunc amens gerit Properatque ut alium regerat in eundem regum To bring out the bones out of the house for buriall as 1 Sam. 31.15 the flesh being first burnt Bones are a part of a mans body and therefore to be committed to the earth or laid up in a safe place as Iosephs were Exod. 13.19 Iosh 24.32 and with his the rest of the Patriarks doubtlesse Act. 7.16 This is one of the dues of the dead 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In honour of God who made mans body with admirable art Psal 139.5 and as it were by the book verse 14.15 16.2 Next because the dead body was sometime a Temple of the Holy Ghost and an instrument of many holy actions 1 Cor. 3.16 17. and 2 Cor. 6.16 3. because it shall be raised one day and conformed to Christs glorious body the Standard Philip. 2.21 We know saith the same Apostle that when Christ our life shall appeare we shall appeare with him in glory like as in the transfiguration that body of Moses which was hid in the valley of Moab appeared with Christ in the hill of Tabor and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house To him that burneth the dead as afore that assisteth a mans uncle to interr him The Jewes did not usually burn but bury yet sometimes they did Jer. 34. and 1 Kings 31. and at this time they were forced by the raging pestilence to do it as Hierome here noteth for the preventing of stench and further infection Is there yet any with thee sc left alive or hath death made a clean riddance Or thus Are there yet any more dead corpses which I may carry foorth for the buriall and he shall say No Or And he shall say An end a totall consumption they are all dead and gone A sad verdict then shall he say Hold thy tongue sc beare it patiently Has St. fret not murmure not 't is Gods doing Psal 39.9 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God Zeph. 1.7 for we may not make mention of the Name of the Lord This is vox desperantis the voice of despaire and despondensy and it is as if he had said it is bootlesse to pray for God is set to plague us and will not be pacified Surely there is no hope but we are all Free among the dead like the slaine that lie in the grave whom God remembreth no more Psal 88.5 neither helpeth it us to remember or mention him any more Men under sharp afflictions are apt to think that there is left them neither hope of better nor place of worse as the Church in the Lamentations Others sense it otherwise but to me this seemeth the likeliest Verse 11. For behold the Lord commandeth Calamities and they come the Chaldeans and they are at hand with their battel-axes but it is he that gives them their commission and biddeth them Fall on and he will smite the great house with breaches c i. e. aequo pulsat pede c. he will destroy rich and poor together pale death will knock at both their houses with an even foot as in time of plague earthquake or the like Epidemicall evill The grave is the Congregation house of all living Iob. 30.23 whereinto men chop oft before they think as a man that walks in the snow may into a marle-pit The mortall scyth is master of the royall scepter and it mowes down the lillies of the crown as well as the grass of the field Death is the onely king against whom there is no rising up as Augur phraseth the most absolute predominance Prov. 30.31 it levelleth Lords and Losels and layes all wast breaking down the greater houses and cleaving the lesser with an utter extermination of all Search you therefore search you O nation not desired before the decree come forth c. Zeph. 2.1 2. After-wit here helps not repentance though true may come too late in respect of temporall judgements as in Moses Deut. 1.37 and David 2 Sam. 12.10 Verse 12. Shallhorses runne upon the rock Is it possible they should do so and not first break their hoofs and then their necks will the rider therefore venture there were it not matchlesse madnesse in him will one plow there with oxen Sure he will conceive it too hard a tug and too vain a labour Hierom rendreth it Bubalis with wild-oxen which not accustomed to the yoke are like to make but wilde work where-ever they are plowed with Now as there is no good horse-racing upon a rock nor fit plowing there so neither
consalanei others amici that are seldome either satisfied or sure have laid a wound under thee The Hebrew word signifieth both a wound and a plaister they would secretly wound them lay a wound under them and yet seeme willing to bind up their wounds and heale them by applying a plaster such dawbing there is in the world Fide deffide Cavebis autem si pavebis there is none understanding in him that is in Edom. and this seemeth spoken by way of Apostrophe to the Israelites whose comfort is intended in this whole Prophesie It is as if it had been said Edom holds himself wise but will shew himself a very sot destitute of common sense such as taketh not notice that these are the wounds with which he was wounded in the house of his friends the witâ—al is either insensible of it or else well content with it till he hath bought his wit and begins to open his eyes but not till the paines of death are upon him as it is said of the Mole Verse 8. Shal I not in that day saith the Lord c. Edom was famous for wisdome as appeareth by Eliphaz the Temanite and other of Iobs friends who were Idumeans and Rabshakeh could say that counsel and strength are for waâ—r Esa 36.5 what a price did Agamemnon sat upon Nestor and Darins upon Zophirus Scipio did nothing without his Polybius and ascribed most of his victories to his advise Prov. 20.18 Every purpose is established by counsel and with good advice make warr saith Salomon Romani sedendo vincnnt passed for a proverbe of old The Romanes conquered by sitting in counsel and Cyreas got more cities by his wisdome then Pyrebus by his puissance But where no counsel is the people fall Prov 11.14 and this was Edoms case in that day that is at that time when their confederates betrayed them to their enemie and desolation was at next doore by God destroyed their wise men he either cut them off or infatuated them Deus quem destruit dementat When God intends to undo a man say the Dutch he first puts out his eyes and befools him Pliny saith of the Eagle that setting upon the Hart hee lights upon his hornes and there flutters up and down filling his eyes with dust born in her feathers that at last he may cast himself from a rock and become a prey God blindeth the understanding and expectorateth the wisdome of those whom he designeth to destruction Surely the Princes of Zoan are fools the wise counsellours of Pharaoh are become bruitish they have also seduced Egypt The Lord hath mingled a spirit of perversities in the middest thereof c. Esay 19.11 12 13 14. Verse 9. And thy mighty men O Teman thy Gyants thy Champions that durst look death in the face upon great adventures in the field these were now dismayed and dispirited their courage was quailed and even broken with fear as the word signifieth so that as Saul when the Devil had preached his funerall made haste and fell with the fulnesse of his stature all along on the earth as being sore afraid 1 Sam. 28.20 so shall it be with the mighties of Teman that is of Edom for Teman was nephew to Esau and sonne to Eliphaz Gen. 36. and of him some city or part of the countrey took its denomination The Chaldee and the Vulgar Latine take the word Teman appellatively and render it thus Thy mighty men shall perish from the South or those that dwell to the Southward of thy countrey and so are more remote from the Northern Chaldees yet they shall no sooner hear of their coming but they shall tremble and forget their prowesse to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter Heb. every man be he never so manly and magnanimous Of the mount of Esau of Idumea which was mountaneous and therefore fitly called Seir that is rough and rugged nay be cut off by slaughter so that they shall live by fame onely and hardly that Verse 10. For thy violence against thy brother Jacob For thine open violence Hence tachmas the vulture who liveth by rapine Levit. 11.10 thine iniquity rapine injury done by force and in publike view set upon the top of a rock that all might behold it Ezek. 24.7 against thy brother thine own mothers sonne Psal 50.20 This is no small aggravation of thy sinne that it is in germanum Iaeob thy nearest Allies Edom had other sinnes not a few but this was the chief and is therefore here and elsewhere chiefly alledged as the cause of their utter ruine Ezech. 25. and 35. Amos 1. Mal. 1. Nothing is more hatefull to God then unnaturalnesse A brother is born for adversity Prov. 17.17 his birth bindes him to it and hee must first offer violence to himself that is unkind to his distressed brother he must tear the dictates of nature out of his own heart And however at other times brethren may jarre and jangle yet at a strait and in a stresse good nature if there be any remains of it will work and good blood will not belie it self Israel was charged for this cause not to abhor an Edomite because he was his brother Deut. 23.7 and yet the Edomites used them as discourteously in their passage to Canaan as the Moabites and Ammonites did Num. 20.20 21. they were also their perpetuall enemies and of a devilish vindictive spirit toward them to the very last hence their ensuing doom shame shall cover thee for thy violence covering thee as a garment and for thy pride compassing thee as a chain Psal 73.6 The face of such as are ashamed is wont to be covered with blushing the blood flushing to the outward parts to relieve them and as it were to hide their shame Hence the Hebrews say that those that blush for shame are covered with shame Mic. 6.10 Psal 69.8 and 35.26 and 109.17 29. Iob 18.22 Those that shame the counsel of the poor because the Lord is his refuge Psal 14.6 shall themselves be covered with confusion here and be raised up at last day to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 And thou shalt be cut off for ever Aeteruùm ex ima decisus stirpe peribis Esay prophcieth the same irreparable ruine to Edom chap. 34.10 and so doth Ezechiel chap. 35.9 That which Ieremy speaketh of seventy years continuance only of their serving the king of Babel chap. 25.11 it is not meant of an end of their captivity but of the Babylonish Monarchy Verse 11. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side Over-anent curiously cying and maliciously promoting by thy virulent tongue and violent hands the downfall of Israel Nemo curiosus quin malevolus saith an Ancient These Edomites fed their eyes with their brethrens miseries as with a pleasant spectacle At first perhaps they were onely lookers on but afterwards they stood against them in battel when they saw them worsted and took part with their enemies See
then what the Scripture reporteth of them The Chaldees cut off abundance of them together with the Moabites Ammonites and other neighbour nations After that Iudas Macchabeus and his nephew Hircanus slew a great sort of them and then lastly the Romans and other Princes rooted them utterly out See Ioseph Lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 10. 1 Maccab. 5.65 2 Mac. 10.16 32. Verse 17. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance God will turne againe their captivity as the streames in the South He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to send them home he restored unto them both Religion and Liberty he did all that could be done for them by sending his Son amongst them in the fulnesse of time made of a woman c. made also unto all his people wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Jesus hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Neither is there any other Name whereby heaven is to be had but onely by the Name of Jesus and there shall be holinesse Holinesse to the Lord as Zach. 14.20 See the Notes there All the Lords people shall be an holy nation 1 Pet. 2.9 Every inhabitant of the city of God shall be partaker of holinesse both imputed and imparted that for justification being inherent in Christ imputed to us this for sanctification imparted by Christ inherent in us and the house of Jacob shall possesse ' their possessions They returning from Babylon shall not onely recover their own possessions out of the hands of the Edomites Samaritans and Syrians by vertue of an Edict from king Darius but they shall also possesse the Edomites themselves and their territories when converted to the faith of Christ they shall bring their wealth unto the Church and as it is faid of Tyrus Esay 23.18 feed and clothe therewith the Saints of God Verse 18. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire c. The house of Jacob are the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin the house of Joseph are the ten tribes of Israel whereof Ephraim was the head The sence is this those two tribes together with such of the ten as joyned themselves to them either before or after the captivity shall invade Idumea burn it and subdue it as fire doth stubble fully drie This was done by Hircanus and Judas Macchabeus who compelled the Edomites to bee circumcised and so wholly possessed those parts Joseph 13. Ant. 17. that there were not any reliques of them remaining no not so much as one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint render it or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read them any to carry corn after the camp or fire before it according to the custome of the Greeks and Easterlings which torch-bearer might as little bee violated as an Embassadour but here hee should bee cut off with the rest and not so much as a messenger left to relate the overthrow The Edomites were so utterly rooted out by Hircanus Alex. ab Alex. l. 5. c. 3. that they thenceforth ceased to bee Edomites and became Jews Those of them that were converted by the preaching of the Gospel ceased to be either Edomites or Jewes and became Christians The Apostles burning with the zeal of Gods glory and love to mens souls devoured and wasted the infidelity idols and vices of the Gentiles where-ever they came preaching Hence Chrysostom saith Peter was a man made all of fire walking among stubble Paul was insatiabilis Dei cuâ—tor an insatiable servant of Christ And to the like purpose it was that to one that desired to know what kind of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dream a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Such an one is Basil And old Latimer when he was demanded the reason why so little powerfull preaching answered Deest ignis the spark of the spirit is wanting Howbeit this Prophecy as it began to be fulfilled at first by the Apostles and the Apostolicall persons that came after them so it is daily and shall be continually to the worlds end fulfilled by the faithfull preachers of Gods holy word who are clothed with a spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4 4. and out of whose mouth proceedeth fire Rev. 11.5 to purge the gold and to consume the stubble Verse 19. And they of the South shall possesse the mount of Esau Those of the South that is the tribe of Judah For Iudaea was divided into five parts Josh 15. whereof one was Southward toward the coast of Edom ver 21. Another was in the vale or plain near unto the Philistines ver 33. Here then Obadiah sheweth that the Jews shall not onely recover their ancient inheritances but also much enlarge the same whereby he signifieth that the Church of Christ shall grow so very great that Jewry shall be too narrow for them see Zach. 10.10 the ancient bounders shall not receive them See Num. 24.17 Esay 11.14 The Gospel was soon spread not onely to the neighbour nations but to all the ends of the earth the Edomites Philistines c. are onely mentioned as being better known and more adverse to the Jews then other nations were and they of the plain the Philistines i.e. those five Lordships Gath Gaza Ascalon Ekron and Azotus all which countrey called Sarona Acts 9. Augustus gave to Herod the Ascalonite and after his death to his sons dividing it into Tetrarchies Luke 3.1 and they shall possesse the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria All which Hircanus subdued and destroyed their Temple built in mount Garizim and Benjamin shall possesse Gilead that is shall propagate and extend his habitation beyond Iordan and in respect of his exceeding great multitude shall be compelled to hold and possesse Gilead all the countrey betwixt Iordan and mount Libanus Thus Hierom with the Hebrew Scholiasts and many others who do also note that under these earthly felicities heavenly are described and that all this is chiefly accomplished under Christ when as the faithfull are made heirs and lords of all things by Him who is their Head See Ezek. 37.16 c. Verse 20. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel c. i.e. the multitude of the Jews carried captive to Babylon returning at length into their own countrey shall possesse all the places of the Canaanites all the Maritine cities all the tract of ground as farre as Sarepta which is betwixt Tyre and Zidon therefore called Sarepta of Zidon 1 King 17.19 Here dwelt the Canaanites whom Asher could not expell Judg. 1.31 32. See Mat. 15.22 and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad that is either in some citie of Assyria or in the utmost bounds of the Babylonish dominion as some interpret the word Sepharad by taking it asunder or as farre as Apharad so the Septuagint that is Euphrates The Hebrew Doctors as by Canaanites here they understand the Dutch and by Zarephath France so by Sepharad they will needs
mean while so should we glad to hover and cover under the shadow of the Almighty by the grace of faith quae te pullastrum Christum gallinum facit which makes Christ the hen and thee the chicken saith Luther till he might see what would become of the city whether God would not ratifie his word by raining down hell from heaven upon it as once he did upon sinfull Sodom or overwhelme it with the river Tigris as once he did some part of it saith Diodorus Siculus Diod. lib. 2. so that twenty furlongs of the town-wall were thrown down by it And the Prophet Nahum threateneth that with an over-flowing flood God would make an end of the place thereof chap. 1.8 Verse 6. And the Lord God prepared a gourd sc after that his booth was dried up and the leaves withered God by his providence and not without a miracle because without seed and so suddenly furnished Ionah with this gourd or ivy-bush or white vine or the plant called Palma Christi or Pentadactylon because it resembleth a mans hand with five fingers something it was but what is not certainely known Kimchi thus describeth it Est herba longis altis frondibus umbrosa It is an herb or plant that yeeldeth good shade with its long and large leaves And many yeares before him one Rabba son of Hanna said that it growes by the waters side is commonly set for shade-sake before tavern doores and that oyle is made of the seeds of it and made it to come up over Ionah Not only to refresh him who having been so lately in the whales-belly was haply more tender-skinned then before and not so well able to endure the heate of the Sun but also to make way to that reproof he afterwards gave him ver 10. Hoc enim exierno signo saith Mercer for by this outward signe God sporting with him as it were clearly convinceth him of his impatiency admonisheth him of his duty this He thinketh was not done till the forty dayes wore over to deliver him from his grief from his head-ach caused by the heat of the Sun which yet he cursed not as the scorched Atlantes are said to doe Or to exhilarate and refresh his spirits after his self-vexing for the hasty man never wants woe and the envious person because he cannot come at another mans heart feedeth upon his own Esa 5.7 Now though God chide him for his fault yet as a father he tendereth his infirmity and taketh care that the spirit faile not before him and the soule that he had made And it is as if he should say Ionah goeth on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and will heale him I will leade him also and restore comforts unto him Esay 57.16 17 18 As it is a rule in Physick still to maintaine nature so Ionah was exceeding glad Heb. rejoyced with great joy that is supra modum he was excessive in all his passions which speakes him a weake man Some think he rejoyced the more in the gourd as conceiving that God thereby voted with him and for him This was also Leahs errour when rejoycing in that whereof she should have repented rather she said Gen. 30.18 God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband and she hath borne me a fist son So much mistaken are the best sometimes and so bladder-like is mans soule that filled with earthly vanityes though but wind and gone with a wind it growes great and swels in pride and folly but if prickt with the least pin of piercing grief it shriveleth to nothing Verse 7. But God prepared a worm All occurrences are to be ascribed not to Nature Fate or Fortune but to God who as he is Great in great things so is he not little in the least Maximus in magnis nec parvus in minimis He prepared first the gourd and then the worm and then the wind He was the great doer in all He so attempereth all that his people shall have their times and their turns of joy and sorrow These two are tyed together said the Heathen with chaines of Adamant hence also Ageronia's altar in the temple of Volupia Flut. See the circle God usually goes in with his Psal 30.5 6 7. c. to teach them that all outward comforts are but as grass or flower of the field which he can soone blast or corrode by some worme of his providing Moneo te iterumque iterumque monebo saith Lactantius I warn thee therefore will do it againe againe that thou look not upon those earthly delights as either great or true to those that trust them De opisicio Da. ad Dem. but as things that are not onely deceitfull because doubtfull but also deadly because delicious There is a worm lies couchant in every gourd to smite it a teredo to wast it besides the worm of conscience bred in that froath and filth for a perpetuall torment and it smot the gourd that it withered Plants have also their wounds diseases and death Lib. 17. cap. 14. saith Pliny The gourd being gnawed at the root and robbed of its moistness withered Sic transit gloria mundi But the righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree tree not like this palm-crist Psal 92.12 Now the palm-tree though it have many waights at the top and many snakes or wormes at the root yet it still sayes Alciat Emb. Nec premor nec perimor I am neither born down nor dried up but as Noahs olive drown'd kept its verdure and as Moses bush fired but not consumed so fareth it with the righteous persecuted but not forsaken c. 2 Cor. 4.8 9. and at death a crown of life awaites him Quanta perennis erit an immarcescible crown Sr. Thom. Bodlye 's posy an inheritance undefiled and that withereth not Pet. 1.4 that suffereth no Marasmus but is reserved fresh and green for you in heaven like the palm-tree which Pliny saith never loseth his leafe nor fruit or like that Persian tree whereof Theophrastus saith that at the same time it doth bud blossome and beare fruit Verse 8. God prepared a vehement East-wind The windes then blow not where they list at randome I mean and without rule but are both raised and layed againe by God at his pleasure He prepared and sent out of his treasures Jer. 10.13 this violent East-wind ◠Heb silent R. Selomoh so called either because it silenceth all other winds with its vehemency or because when it blowes men are made silent or deaf with its dinn so that their tale cannot be heard There are that by silent here understand a still low gentle East-wind that cooled not the heate of the avre inflamed by the Sun but rather added to it and set it on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeks interpret it and this suites well with that which followeth and the Sun beat upon the head of
of a gracious deliverance in due time See the Note on ver 9. It is no lesse a fault to despise the chastening of the Lord then to faint when thou art rebuked Heb. 12.5 The hypocrite in heart heapeth up wrath saith Elihu and why he crieth not when God bindeth him Iob. 3â— 11 The wicked saith Hannah are silent in darknesse and shall therefore lie down in sorrow This is not patience but pertinacy 1 Sam. 2.9 Esay 50.10 the strength of stones and flesh of brasse Iob 6.12 It is not vasour but apathie stupidity and indolency much complained of in scripture and threatened with a succession of sorrowes Lev. 26.18 28. seven more and seven more and seven to that Three times in that chapter God raiseth his note of threatening and he raiseth it by sevens and those are discords in musick Such sayings will be heavy songs and their execution heavy pangs worse then those of a woman in travel for now shalt thou go forth out of the city This Now fell not out of an hundred yeares after Foule weather seldome rotteth in the ayre Time weareth not out Gods threatenings Nullum tempus occurrit Regi nedum Deo Time can be no prejudice to the Ancient of dayes sooner or later his word shall be accomplished When the sins of the Amorites are full they shall be sure of their payment The bottle of wickednesse when once filled with those bitter waters will sink to the bottom and thou shalt dwell in the field Sub dio having no canopie over thee but the azured skie so little account is made of poore captives If they may have the open ayre to breath in though they lie without dores ' it s better then a stinking dungeon or to be shut up close under hatches among the excrements of nature as Barbarussa Christian prisoners taken in Greece were Turk hist 750. so that all the way as he went home with them to Constantinople every houre almost some of them were cast dead over-board and thou shalt go even to Babylon there to dwell among plants and hedges making flower-pots for a forreine prince There they dwelt with the King for his work 1 Chron. 4.23 there shalt thou be delivered there the Lord shall redeem thee This There is as Emphaticall as that Yet so oft repeated Zech. 1.17 See the Note there It seemed improbable to many and to some impossible that ever they should return out of Babylon But God effected it to the great astonishment of his poore people who were like them that dream Psal 126.1 and could scarce beleeve their own eyes God loves to deliver those that are forsaken of their hopes Ad nos ergo transferamus promissionemistam saith Gualther upon the text Let us apply this promise to our selves and as oft as we are pincht with poverty or tormented with diseases or cast out into banishment or are in any great danger by water or land or under terrours of conscience let us think we heare God thus speaking to us There shalt thou be delivered there I will redeem thee c. Verse 11. Now also many nations are gathered c. that is they shall be once gathered when the Babylonians who are Lords of the world shall muster many nations against thee Would any man take the Churches picture saith Luther then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wildernesse compassed about with hungry lions wolves bores and beares and with all manner of cruel and hurtfull beasts Loc. com de persee ver Eccles and in the middest of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute for this is her condition in the world that say Let her be defiled sc with blood and slaughter Or Let her be condemned as an hypocrite Let her be stoned as an adulteresse so the Trent translation Thus they pretend as Rabshakeh did that they were sent by God against an hypocriticall nation that had broken their faith with God and men The like craft and cruelty was used in the Parisian massacre and Gunpowder-plot God and man said they in that blind letter that brought all to light have agreed to punish the wickednesse of this age Those that would kill a dog give out that he was mad first saith the French Proverb Whom no man looketh after Jer. 30.17 and let our eyes look upon Zion Let us feed our eyes with such a delightfull spectacle and say as that cruel Charles the 9. of France did when he saw the streetes strawed with the bodies of the massacred Protestants and the rivers dyed with their blood O pulchrum spectaculum O brave sight Or as the Q. Mother of Scotland when she beheld the dead carcasses of her Lutheran subjects said that she never saw a goodlier peece of Arraz in all her dayes See the accomplishment of this prophecy in the Lamentations Psalm 137. and in the book of Nehemiah Verse 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord Nothing like their thoughts Es 55.8 Confer Es 10.7 8. Zach. 11.15 16. c. His thoughts are fatherly whiles theirs are butcherly the Physitian in setting leeches to his patient seekes his good he aymes not at filling the leeches gorges neither will he set more on him then will make for his health God by his wisdome and according to his eternall counsell which the wicked understand not ordereth and draweth the blind and bruit motions of the worst creatures to his own honour and his churches good D. Reyn. as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleasure or the marriner the blowing of the wind to his voyage or the Artist the heate of the fire to his work or the Physitian the blood-thirstinesse of the leech to a cure Surely saith the Psalmist speaking of Senacheribs cruelty in the siege of Jerusalem the wrath of man shall praise thee eventually though not intentionally the remainder of wrath shalt thou restraine Psal 76.10 Let the enemies think and project as they please Ier. 29.11 2 Thes 1.6 7. let them rage and resolve upon your utter ruine I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest c. For thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel In returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength Esay 30.15 And I will strengthen the house of Iudah and I will save the house of Ioseph and I will bring them again to place them for I have mercy upon them and they shall be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and I will heare them Zech. 10.6 Surely as it was said of old Neither shall Rome fall while Scipio standeth neither shall Scipio live when Rome falleth so may it more truely be affirmed of Christ that he and
Jews themselves are taxed Esay 2.6 that they were Soothsayers like the Philistines and told that God had therefore forsaken them or sent them away into captivity See more against this sort of sinne and sinners Esay 44.24 25 26. and 47.12 13 14. Jer. 10.2 2. Dan. 2.1 2 3 c. But especially Deut. 18.10 11. where we have these five Arguments as One well observeth against Astrologicall and other unlawfull predictions First that all such are abomination to the Lord verse 2. Secondly that for such Arts the Canaanites were driven out verse 12. Thirdly that unlesse men cast away the use of the said Arts they cannot be perfect that is upright and sincere with God verse 13. Fourthly that godly men must differ from Canaanites and Heathens in the abandoning such arts verse 14. Lastly that instead of such wayes of prediction the Lord raiseth up Christ the great Prophet to foretell unto them what is meet for them to foreknow verse 15. with Act. 3.23 To seek to know more is condemned for curiosity and rashnesse by Christ himself in his own disciples Act. 1.7 it derogateth from the glory of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge it is to go a whoring from Christ Lev. 20.6 and is therefore in this Text fitly yoked with idolatry It is here also reckoned among those things that must be cut off if Christs kingdom shall be set up amongst us So that if there were no other text of Scripture against that wickednesse but this alone it were sufficient Verse 13. Thy graven images also will I cut off Sorcery and Idolatry are fitly coupled here and elsewhere for they commonly go together as in the Pope and his Clergy See Rev. 9.21 and 21.8 as also in the Canaanites Philistines and other Heathens True it is that the Temples at Rome were without images for 170 years after it was built that the Lacedemonians would not endure pictures or images lest by them they should be distracted that the Turks and Jews both at this day do abhorre Christian Religion for the abominable idolatry they see among Papists For since the captivity of Babylon the graven images and statues have been so cut off from the Jews that they would never be drawn to worship the work of their hands They have a saying amongst them to this day Moses Gerand That no punishment befalleth them wherein there is not an ounce of that golden calf they once made in the wildernesse Having paid therefore for their learning they abhorre idols Rom. 2.22 and count it sacriledge as Plutarch did to worship by images The Papists should do so likewise and not say as their Vasquez unable to answer our arguments doth that the second Commandement belonged to the Jews onely or bring such proofs for their idolatry that the images themselves if they were sensible would blush to hear repeated Verse 14. And I will pluck up thy groves c. wherein thou placest a part of thy happinesse as the Hebrew word importeth and hast an over-high opinion of them because anciently frequented by the Fathers before the Law But it should have been considered that it was but a will-worship at best yea that God had flatly forbidden the planting of groves Deut. 16.21 as things in use among Pagans for honour either of some God or some great mans ghost which was thought to dwell there Nulli certa domus lucis habitamus opacis Virg. Aeneid The worshippers of Priapus that shame when they had ended their sacrifice stept into a grove hard by the altar and there like bruit heasts promiscuously satisfied their lusts thereby as they conceived best pleasing their god So will I destroy thy cities Or thine enemies and this will be the end or fruit of that forementioned reformation Mr. Fox observeth that in K. Edw. the sixts time the English put to flight their enemies in Muscleborough field Acts Mon. in the self-same day and hour wherein the Reformation enjoyned by Parliament was put in execution at London by burning of idolatrous images Verse 15. And I will execute vengeance in anger upon those that refuse to bee reformed that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lords Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.8 Such as were the Jews enemies the primitive persecutours the stubborne Papists some of whom have professed that they would rather take part with the Turks then with the Lutherans as some rigid Lutherans again have protested openly that they would return to the Papacy rather then to admit ever of that Sacramentary and Predestinary pestilence as they call it of the Calvinists But what a sad story is that related by Mr. Burroughs who had it from a worthy Minister of those parts Burr on Hos 1. p. 465. that at Hamborough was not long since held a consultation by some learned Lutherans concerning the cause and cure of Germanies calamities and where it was concluded that Germany suffered so much in these late warres because their images in Churches were not adorned enough which therefore they would presently procure done Had they consulted this Text they might soon have seen their mistake and bethought them of better But Lord when thine hand is lifted up Esay 26.11 they will not see howbeit they shall see and be ashamed for their envy toward thy people yea their ears shall be opened and their instruction sealed Job 33.16 that they may be accounted worthy to escape that vengeance that shall be executed in anger and fury upon the Heathen that have not heard the joyfull sound but as so many sea-monsters have with a deaf ear passed by the doctrine of salvation the Gospel of peace CHAP. VI. Verse 1. HEar ye now what the Lord saith Exordium breve est sed planè patheticum saith Gualther This is a short but pithy and patheticall preface wherein he wooes their attention Audite quaeso Hear I pray you Ministers are spokesmen for Christ and must therefore give good words and yet remembring on whose errand they come it is required that they be found faithfull 1 Cor. 4.2 Arise contend thou Surge age O Micah Debate thou Gods cause against this rebellious and ingratefull people as it were in judgement calling all even the insensible creatures to be judges See the like Deut. 32.1 Esay 1.2 Mic. 1.2 for these two Prophets have many things common and be sensible that some sit as senselesse before a Preacher still as the seats they sit on pillars they lean to dead bodies they tread upon so that we have need as One did once in my hearing to call to the walls and windows to hear the word of the Lord. This heavy ear is noted for a singular judgement Mat. 13.13 14. Esay 30.8 9. The Philosopher was angry with his Boeotians telling them that they had not their name for nought sith their ears were Ox-ears and that they were dull creatures and uncapable of counsel Demosthenes also for like cause called upon his
noise for that time forgat the heavenly hymnes c. The word here rendred terribly shaken is rather Chaldee then Hebrew as spoken of the Chaldees comming against Niniveh Verse 4. The charrets shall rage in the streets shall run so fast as if they were mad that drove them they shall justle one against another Coxabunt they shall smite side to side through hast and heate of fighting they shall seem like torches Heb their aspect is as of torches fire sparkleth out of their eyes that are in them they look upon the Assyrians as if they would look through them they shall run like the lightenings Heb. they shall break through as the lightenings that is with incredible swistnesse as lightening in an instant commeth out of the East and shineth even to the West Mat. 24.27 Luc. 10.18 Verse 5. He shall recount his worthies Or Gallants Magnificoes These Asarhaddon the king of Niniveh seeing himself straighted shall muster up and mind of their duties bidding them now or never play the men sith the empire was at stake they shall stumble in their walk thorough fearefulnesse and faint-heartednesse according to that of the Psalmist The stout-hearted are spoyled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep Psal 76.5 6. God struck a terrour into the Ninivites upon the first comming of the Chaldees See Deut. 11.25 Therefore there is no great credit to be given to Diodorus Siculus who saith Cap. 7. Lib. 3. that the Chaldees were thrice overcome in fight by the Assyrians when as they came in armes to besiege Niniveh they shall make hast to the wall thereof The Chaldees shall taking advantage of the Ninivites feare that cowardly passion that disarmeth and disableth a man for his own defence Or the Assyrians shall hasten to the wall as fast as their fainting and failing legs will carry them to try what they can do to keep out the enemy So the Emperour of Constantinople certainly advertised of the Turks purpose for the generall assault shortly to be given Turk Hist fol. 345. after that he had many times with teares requested to have borrowed mony of his covetous subjects to have been employed for defence of their city he first commended himself and them to the Almighty by generall fasting and prayer and afterwards appointed every captaine and commander to some certaine place of the wall for defence thereof c. but all in vaine as here at Niniveh and the defence shall be prepared Heb. the covering or coverer Testudo militaris Some military engine or moveable defence Verse 6. The gates of the rivers shall be opened Notwithstanding all fore-mentioned indeavours to save the city the water-gates or those that stood neare the river Tigris flew open either by meanes of that inundation above-mentioned or by the enemies irruption or the trechery of some that were within and the pallace shall be dissolved Or melted haply by that inundation howsoever by hostile impression whether we understand it of the Palace Royall or the Idol-temple or both the word will beare either for it was not unusual for Princes to have their houses neare to the temples as the kings of Judah had Ier. 22.14 The Trojans had their Palladium in the Tower the Romans their Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in the Capitoll Constantine the great built the Lateran Church in his Laterane palace William Rufus his Westminster-hall neare the Minster Verse 7 And Huzza shall be led away captive The Queen so called because the stood firm and was best underlaid of any other as was thought Some render it quae firma stabat ducta est in exilium She that was wont to stand at the kings right hand as Psal 45. which is a place both of dignity and of safety As Christ is at Gods right hand Psal 110.1 so the Church is at his Psal 45.10 and he hath led captivity captive Eph. 4.8 spoiled Principalities and powers made an open shew of them triumphing over them in himself Col. 2.15 This is the saints happinesse they are out of gun-shot more then Conquerours even Triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 she shall be brought up whither she would not to take horse or coach to go into captivity as Q. Zenobia was brought in triumph to Rome in golden fetters by Aurelianus the Emperour and her maides shall lead her Her maides of honour The Gynecium or Seraglio shall fall into the hands of rude souldiers and by them be hurried away into a far country Neither is it without desert for omne malum ferè ex Gynaecio Women are many times meanes of much mischief and for their miscarriages men fall by the sword and the mighty in the warr the gates also of the city lamene and mourn Esay 3.11.25 26. even for the Ladyes gallantry whereof we have here an inventory What a deale of trouble bred Jezabel in Israel Athaliah in Judah those 2. late turbulent Queen-Mothers in Scotland and France of which later and her Cardinall Lorraine One made this stinging distich Non audet Stygius Pluto tentare quod audet Effraenis Monachus plenaque fraud◠anus as with the voice of doves Mourning secretly to themselves and groaning inwardly In more in columbarum mussitantium Esay 38.14 59.11 as not suffered to bark at those that carry them captive as Hecuba Queen of Troy did and is therefore fabled to be turned into a bitch or to fill the air with complaints of their hard fortunes as they call it or to ease their grief by loud lamentations but forced to smother it and take it all to themselves which is no small aggravation of it For Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor Ovid. Their tongues and their tears are womens best weapons Et hic ferè lasciviae luxus libidinis sinis est saith Gualther here Lo such for most part is the end of lasciviousnesse luxury and lust Let women be warned tabring upon their breasts Not singing and playing on instruments after their Ladies as once but moaning and groaning and knocking their breasts for the greatnesse of their grief and heavinesse whereof this is an excellent and eloquent description Verse 8. But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water Like a fish-pool of water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore happy The word here used for a pool or pond signifieth also a blessing The Pope was wont to say of England that it was puteus inexhaustus his pit that could not be drawn dry Such a pit or pool was Nineveh Populous wealthy potent c. Esay 8.7 the Magazine of the whole East a rich Cargazon Turk hist 843. and not unlike the Island Cyprus anciently called Macaria that is blessed for the plenty prosperity and pleasure there abounding This invited the Romans to subdue it as the pearls usually cast out at the flood and gathered at the ebbe
whom his father Domitius prophecied that of himself and his wife Agrippina both notoriously naught no good man could be born Mali corvi malum ovum Dio in Nerone Of an ill breed ne catulus â—idem relinquendus said the Romans when they slew one of their tyrants together with his young sonne It was Maximinus if I mistake not where the lion even the old lion walked The couragious or hearty lion named of Leo an heart walked and stalked with his whelps and none made them afraid Labi but now his heart melteth his knees knock together for fear and faintnesse as verse 10. his city Nineveh that was not onely spoliarium latronum Calv. but spelunca leonum is now no where it shall live by fame onely time shall triumph over it God will stain the pride of all glory and bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Esay 23.9 So Clara fuit-Sparte magnae viguêre Mycenae Ovid. Metant lib. 15. Vile solum Sparte est altae cecidere Mycenae Oedipodioniae quid sunt nisi nomina Thebae c. Verse 12. The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps i. e. that which might have been enough and spare but that they were unsatiable So covetous they were and ravenous that their Posie might have been Totus non sufficit orbis their desire of more was enlarged as hell greedy lions they were that could never have enough Esay 56.11 As a ship may be over-laden with gold and silver even unto sinking and yet have compasse and sides enough to hold ten times more so the cormorants and covetous caitives of this world though they have enough to sink them yet never have they enough to satisfie them and strangled for his lionesses i. e. for his wives and concubines by whom they were commanded being captivarum suarum captivi as Plutarch saith of the Persian kings slaves to their she-slaves whom they enriched and adorned with the spoils of the subdued nations Cicero in his fifth Action against Verres saith that the kings of Persia and Syria think the same of Assyria as they had many wives so they would bestow upon them whole cities for their maintenance Antiochus king of Syria gave two fair cities to his Concubine 2 Maccab. 4.30 Antony gave all Egypt to Cleopatra Henry 2. of France gave to Diana Valentina all the confiscation of goods made in the kingdom for cause of Heresie Anno 1554. which caused the burning of many good people Vtinam hodie non essent leanae saith Calvin here It were to be wished there were not now adayes lionesses Hist of Councel of Trent 387. that can of themselves strangle and devour but we see that there are some women that exceed all men in impudency and cruelty The Queen-mother he meant in all likelyhood as Beza did her cruell sonne Charles 9. Authour of the Massacre in that Verse of his made upon the that new starre in Cassiopeia 1572. Tu verò Herodes sanguinolente time Camd. Elizab. and filled his holes with prey and his denne with ravine His palaces with treasure his coffers with cash raked together by evil arts and oppressive practises What else was the whole Assyrian Empire but a great theevery Alexander the Great was told to his teeth that he was the greatest thief in the world And was not Julâ—â—â— Caesar such another who said that for a kingdomes sake right might be vioâ—â—â—â— and who robbed his countrey of her liberty for the satisfying of his unlawfull desire of ruledome But for whom all this surely for those that never thanked them for any thing but fought for their spoil Verse 13. Behold I am against thee Ecce me contraâ—te Behold I Hoc ecce non excitat modo sed perterrefacit who am of my self a whole Army of men Van and Rcare both Esay 52.12 I am against thee saith the Lord of Hostss who have all creatures at command if need were as Auxiliaries and can arm your own forces against you sheath your own swords in your own bowels Wo be to rhose that have God against them The Tigurine rendreth it En me tibi hostem c. Deus serierum and I will burn her charets in the smoke That is saith Danaeus I will burn all their munition and furniture for warre with a most bitter and soft fire that they may be the more grieved and the more tormented thereby Others by smoke understand the suddennesse of the judgement q. d. No sooner shall my wrath begin to kindle Calvin but I will consume them prime impetu so soon as ever the flame beginneth to break forth or rather before By charets may be also meant those that were carried in them The Hebrew glosse here is By smoke that is by a fire whose smoke is seen afarre off See Judg. 20.40 Such shall be the fire of the last day as A Lapide here noteth out of Hierom when all the lions and lions whelps that is all tyrants and oppressours shall be burnt together with all their charrets pompes and messengers ac imprimis corum dux princeps Antichristus and especially Antichrist their Captain and Chieftain He and his Jesuites shall doubtlesse then be cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Revel 19.20 Let A Lapide note that and the sword shall devour thy young lions Thou shalt bring forth children to the murtherer and those that have taken the sword though never so young shall perish by the sword Mat. 26.52 As a Nettle stings betime an Urchin is rough whiles young and a Crab soon goes backward so sanguinary dispositions will soon discover themselves And I will cut off thy prey from the earth Thou shalt be no further terrible and troublesome to the nations whom thou hast vexed and spoiled Of Baldwin that Apostate One saith that when he died desiit simul maledicere vivere he ceased at once to live and to rail And of our Henry 2. the Chronicler writeth that in a great distemperature against his rebellious sonnes he departed the world which so often himself had distempered Nineveh the great huntresse was now under that wo Esa 33.1 and the voice of thy messengers thy Heralds by whom thou hast proclaimed war or made unreasonable demands or laid hard lawes upon other nations or exacted grievous tributes or published thy new victories to keep people in awe or lastly blasphemed my great Name as Rabshakeh one of thy messengers will do 2 King 18.19 These shall all be silenced an end shall be put to them and thee CHAP. III. Verse 1. WOe to the bloody city Nineveh that delighteth in warre which One well calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the slaughter-house of mankinde and Hell of this present world Esay 95. the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warre signifieth mush blood Besides that many murthers were committed in her and connived at if not countenanced by a pretence of justice Such a sanguinary city
Bragadochios Verse 9. Therefore as I live This is Gods oath so As true as I live Num. 14.21 with Psal 95.10 therefore they are to blame that use it in their common talk Surely Moab shal be as Sodom c. Whereas they think that I either hear not their revilings or regard them not I shall make Moab and Ammon smart and smoak for them even the breeding of nettles and salt pits They shall not indeed be consumed with fire from heaven but their land shall lie waste for a long season Nettles grow in barren places and are good for nothing unlesse it be the buds at first coming Pliny writeth Hist Nat. l. 31. c. 7. that where salt is digg'd little good else groweth See Judg. 9.45 Psal 107.34 for a perpetuall desolation Certain it is that those nations carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar were never restored but that in after-times a mixt multitude of vagrants out of many nations met there taking upon them the old title of Arabians and living by rapine and robbery Out of these came Mahomet founder of the Turkish Empire and Superstition who overturned the Christian Churches there planted by the Apostles as was here fore-prophecied The residne of my people shall spoil them c. See verse 7. Confer Gal. 1.17 and soon over-run all the East and South as Popery did all the West and North at the same time Verse 10. This shall they have for their pride Moabites were as much noted for their pride as now the Spaniards are and are therefore here devoted to destruction Pride goeth before a fall c. A bulging wall stands not long a joynt luxated and swelled till that be down cannot be set God resisteth the proud 1 Pet. 5.5 he bringeth those ungodly down to the ground Psal 147.6 because they have reproached c. And all this out of the pride of their hearts which breaketh out as a master-pock in their carriage so that the pride of Moab testifieth to his face and it shall be to him an abomination of desolation Verse 11. The Lord will be terrible unto them For he shall march forth in battle-array against proud persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.5 and stain the pride of all their glory he will pull them down from their pinacle of self-exaltation and make them know themselves to be but men Attilas king of the Hunnes proudly gave out that the starres fell before him the earth trembled at his presence and that hee would bee the scourge of all nations But what became of him He died suddenly by a flux of blood P. Jovius breaking out at his mouth and choking him on his wedding-day at night It were easie to instance further in Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Antiochus Herod the king of Tyre Psal 76.12 c. With God is terrible Majesty Job 37.22 he is terrible to the kings of the earth whiles he cutteth off their spirits Heb. he slippeth them off as one should slip off a flower betwixt ones fingers or a bunch of grapes off the vine so soon is the businesse done For he will famish all the gods of the earth He will cast them into an atrophy into a consumption This was fulfilled partly when Nebuc◠adnezzar destroyed the Nations Dan. 4. and proclaimed the true God to be the onely God but principally when Christ came in the flesh and sent out his Apostles to decry those Heathen deities and to preach the everlasting Gospel saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him c and worship him that made heaven earth sea and fountains of waters Rev. 14.7 Now it was that Satan fell like lightening from heaven the oracles were silenced the Heathen Emperours amazed at the prevailing power of the Gospel in despite of them the very names of most of the gods of the earth were abolished the Temple of Apollo at Delphos fired from heaven and at that very time when Julians embassadours were there to enquire what should be the issue of the Persian warr Thus the Heathen superstition fell flat to the ground their gods were famished for want of worshippers and sacrifices c. And the same we hope and wait for to befall the Antichristian rout and religion That Idol is grown very leane and hath lost a collop as we say Bellarmine is very sensible Lib. 3. de Pont. Rom. cap. 21. and bewailes the businesse that ever since we began to count and call the Pope Antichrist he hath suffered no small decayes and losses in the christian churches He hath indeed and more and more shall do till he be left as leane as a rake and all his plumes pulled his credit crackt his honour laid in the dust and men shall worship him Heb. bow down to him He is thy Lord and bow thou down unto him Psal 45.11 Body and soule both must stoop to God Zanchy and both at once 2 Cor. 6.20 Swenck feldians Stinkfeldians Luther called them from their ill savour take away all externall service so do the Nicodemites Hypocrites draw nigh to God with their lipps only when their hearts are elsewhere their bodies are in sacellis their hearts in sacculis as Ezek. 33.31 But the true Israelites give God both inward and outward worship he doth ponere dextram in pectore as Persius phraseth it being shod with the preparation of the Gospel he treads it not awry neither too much outward as the formalist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor too much inward as the Swenckfeldian He looks upon our late worship-scorners our high-attainers as the last brood of Beelzebub and reckons that to cast off ordinances is to cast away the remedy 2 Chron. 36.15 16. Prov. 29.1 every one from his place Not at Jerusalem only as once Ioh. 4.21 but in all places pure hands and hearts shall be lift up without wrath without doubting 1 Tim. 2.8 both in church and chamber any place whatsoever shall be a sufficient oratory so that God be worshipped in spirit and in truth and the publike not neglected even all the Isles of the Heathen that is all countries though not encompassed with the sea for the Jews called all lands Islands which they could not come at but by water That God shall be worshipped in the foure corners of the earth see the Note on Deut. 6.4 It was the last speech of dying Chrysostom Glory be to God from all creatures Let the Jesuites at the end of their books subscribe Laus Deo beatae Virgini Let this be the badge of the Beast let us cry To God alone be glory all the world ever Verse 12. Ye Ethiopians also ye shall be slaine by my sword which is long enough to reach you though far remote The Poets faine that Jupiter was wont to be feasted by the Ethiopians but that shall not save them from Gods sore and great strong sword Nebuchadnezzar to whom God had given Ethiopia and Egypt and Saba as a ransome for his people
〈◊〉 Sept. or else from porters who set their several shoulders to the same burden The Saints may the better doe so because they have the Spirit to lift with them and over anent them as the Apostles word importeth Rom. 8.26 Let them therefore endeavour by all good means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 that they may say as holy Miconius did of himselfe and his colleagues at Gotha in Thuringia Cucurrimus certavimus laboravimus pugnavimus vicimiv viximus semper conjunctissimi We ever ran together strove laboured fought vanquished and did altogether in much peace and concord This is Christian-like indeed See Act. 1.14 and 2.1.46 and 4.32 animo animaque inter se miscebansur saith Tertullian they were all of one heart and of one minde The very Heathens acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together and love one another so as Christians did To see their travels saith Master Fox concerning the Saints here in times of persecution their earnest seeking burning zeal readings watchings sweet assemblies love concord godly living faithfull marrying with the faithfull c. Act. Mon. 750. may make us now in these our dayes of free profession but lamentable divisions to blush for shame They served the lord with one shoulder we shoulder one another they kept unity with purity without schisme much lesse heresy glorifying the God and Father of ovr Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and with one mouth Rom. 15.6 with a pure lip as it is here we are quot homines tot sententiae so many men so many mindes How many religions are there now amongst us saith one Old heresies new vampt Our Saviour Christ saith if the Son of man come shall he find faith c Yes sure he may find many faiths so many men so many faiths Pudet opprobria nobis c. It is not peace but party that some men mind saith another 1 Cor. 14.23 their chief studies are studium partium studium novarum rerum part-taking and novelling But what saith the Apostle If ye speak with several tongues will not he that comes in think ye are mad so when the world hears of so many dissonant opinions will they not think wee are runne wild Is it not a shame to us that the Turks should say we may sooner look that the fingers on our hands should be all of one length then that the Christians should be all of one judgement why should any Julian jeare us for our divisions why should any Campian hit us in the teeth with our many sects and schismes Pardon may be got for our other sinnes by faith in Christs blood Ad fratres in Suevia Lutheran discordiam neque si sanguinem fundamus expiabimus saith Oecolampadius to the Lutherans of his time our scandalous discords God will judge Verse 10. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia Heb. of Chush that is of Arabia Chusaea which lay betwixt Judea and Egypt Confer Esay 18.1 7. Some understand it of Ethiopia which is beyond the river Nilus and hath two very great rivers See this in part fulfilled by that Ethiopian Eunuch Act. 8. Euseb lib. 1. cap. 1. Alvarez hist Aethiopic neither may we think that he was alone in that countrey Matthias the Apostle is said to have preached the Gospel to the Ethiopians The large region of Nubia there had from the Apostles time as 't is thought professed the Christian faith till about 200 years since it forsook the same The kingdome of Habassia held by Presbyter John See Breerw Enquiries 156.197.159.174 are yet Christians differing from us in a few ceremonies onely See the Note on Chap. 2.12 My supplyants My praying people that ply the throne of grace and multiply strong suits pouring out a flood of words in humble supplication as the Hebrew signifieth continuing instant in prayer as knowing that their safety here and salvat on hereafter is of me alone Even the daughter of my dispersed Jews and Gentiles elect of both sorts Joh. 11.52 scattered here and there as the salt of the earth upon the face thereof to keep it from putrifying Danaeus thinketh that there is mention made of the daughter of the dispersed affectionately namely both to describe the earnestnesse of the Saints in serving God for women quicquid volunt valdè volunt and that this so goodly and and joyfull a spectacle or sight of women worshipping and servng God and of Virgins especially might stirre up and move affections It is easy to observe that the New Testament affordeth more store of good women then the old who can make masculine prayers mingled with tears And as Musick upon the waters sounds further and more harmoniously then upon the land so doe prayers well watered Shall bring mine offering Heb. my meat-offering or rather my wheat-offering their hodies and souls Rom. 12.1 that best of facrifices for a reasonable service Minchath◠a solemn present such that the Chaldee paraphrast might expresse He translateth it thus They shall bring as presents unto me the banished of my people who were carried captive and shall return by my mercies Some think that here is foretold the return of the Jewes to their own land toward the end of the world to set up the spirituall worship of God there the famous Church that shall be among them full of sanctity and ridde of all wicked ones verse 11 12 13. the joy and gladnesse that shall possesse their soules verse 14. through Gods removing of all cause of fear from them verse 15. the encouragement they shall receive from others verse 16. and which is the cause of all this the apparent arguments of Gods great love and favour vers 17. the quality of those that shall be received to be citizens of this New Jerusalem verse 18. the utter rooting out of all their enemies verse 19 the fame and dignity that this Church of the Iews shall be of among all nations vers 19 ◠Thus they quà m rectè iudicium sit penes Lectorens Verse 11. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed There is an holy shame for sinne such as was that of Ezra chap. 9.6 of the penitent Publican Luk. 18.13 and of those good souls in Ezekiel who blushing and bleeding loathed themselves for their abominations To be ashamed on this sort is no shame Ezek. 16. but a signe of that godly sorrow that worketh repentance never to be repented of and not to know shame to be frontlesse and impudent is the note of a naughty man Verse 5. But that which God promiseth here is that he will cover their sinnes not impute them Psal 32.1.2 and that he will by his grace preserve them from scandalous and reproachfull practises that might render them ignominious and despicable see Psal 19.39 shiring upon them himselfe and giving them honour in the hearts of others as he did Solomon Them that rejoyce in the
flesh be the spirit never so willing so ill-disposed is our most noble and immortal part the soule to supernall and supernaturall employments Meditation and prayer are the creatures of the holy Ghost Iude 20. and that we may not run out into extravagancies or put up yawning petitions we must watch and pray Mat. 26.41 yea watch while we are praying meditating c. against corruption within the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 and temptations without whether from the world the things whereof are so neer us and so naturall to us or from the devill who is ever busiest with the best as flies are with sweet-meats and with the best part of their best performances as in the end of their prayers when the heart should close up it self with most comfort Verse 2. What seest thou The sight was already in sight but the Prophet had not seen it or noted it if the Angel had not stirr'd him up to it If the Lord give us not sight as well as light if he inlighten not both Organ and Object too if he shine not into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of himself in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor 4.5 seeing we shall see but not perceive with Hagar we shall not be able to discern the fountain that is just before us I have looked Carefully viewed the sight It is expected ut acti agamus that having a talent of grace we trade with it that our will which at first conversion was meerly passive should be afterward active that we which once were darknesse but now are light in the Lord should walk as children of light Eph. 5.9 behold a candlestick that is the Church as Rev. 1.20 all of Gold pure gold as the Candlestick in the Tabernacle Exod. 25.31 which is therefore called the pure Candlestick Lev. 24.4 Exod. 31.8 noting out the Churches purity in doctrine and manners Chrysostome that golden Preacher testifieth of some Saints in his time that they were puriores coelo purer then the visible heaven Her Nazarites were purer then the driven snow whiter them milk ruddier then rubies their polishing was of Saphire c. Lam. 4.7 with a bowle Heb. gullah an oyle-glass or oyle-cruse a hollow round vessel quod pariter Latinè rectè gulam appellas saith a Lapide which you may not unfitly call a gullet or throat for as the throat receiveth the food and transmitteth it to the stomach so did this vessel receive the oyle to be transmitted to the lamps It figured Christ in whom it pleased the Father that all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.19 for the Churches use Ioh. 1.16 and 3.34 and his seven lamps thereon signifying the manifold graces and diversity of gifts in the Church by the same spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 12.4 6. For of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace Iob. 1.16 and seven pipes to the seven lamps Heb. seven and seven that is seven I say seven by the figure Anadiplosis saith Sanctius This is a better glosse then that of those that say the Hebrew text is corrupted as having two sevens for one These seven pipes you must imagine to be in the bottome of the bowle to distribute the oyle to each lamp the grace of Jesus Christ to each Christian that he may shine as a lamp or luminary in the world Phil. 2.15.16 holding forth the word of life as the hand doth the torch or the watch-tower the light and so the haven to weather-beaten Mariners Verse 3. And two Olive-trees by it The two chief branches whereof through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves ver 12. that is the spirit of grace infuseth all precious graces much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried in the fire into the Church Hence grace is called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 yea Spirit 25. Danaeus his Note here is though from these two olive trees there was continuall oyle powred into that burning candlestick that it should never dry up or be put out yet are not these olives said to be pressed by any man which notwithstanding amongst us must needs after an ordinary manner be done that the oyle may flow or run from them Neither is this oyle said to flow nor with toyle and labour to be carried from one part or place into another that there may be alwayes oyle for the candlestick but there stand these olive trees growing and dropping down oyle into the Bowle and this of themselves without the help or service of any men or oyle-mills Mr. Pemble to shew saith Another Interpreter that Gods grace only is sufficient for his Church to repaire and maintaine the same without all other meanes against all opposition of man and this is the Scope of this vision Verse 4. What are these my Lord Or Sir which English word comes from Cyrus the Persian word for a Lord or great Prince as H. Stephanus will have it Others fetch it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authority or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord and so the word Adoni in the text is usually rendred Others think our word Sir comes from the French Sieur whence Monsieur my Lord as the word Lord from the old Saxon Laford which commeth of Laef to sustaine like as the Hebrew Adonai from Eden a foundation or pillar that sustaineth the whole building It is written sometimes with Camets or long A in the end and then it is proper to God as having the vowels of Jehovah and is given to him 134. times in the old Testament Sometimes it is written with Bathach or short A and then it is applied to the creatures as here to the Angell Hinc Hispanorum Don saith Drusius what are these The Prophet had been before warned by the Angell to behold and heed the vision This he had done and yet was to seek of the sense and meaning of it as a man may look on a trade and never see the mystery of it or look on the hand-diall and never understand the curious clock-work within None can understand the mysterie of Christ but such as have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.7 11 16. such as are spiritually rationall and rationally spirituall such as are taught of God and conducted by his spirit into all truth Ioh. 16.13 No understanding of Gods riddles but by plowing with his heifer as I may say This the Prophet here knew and therefore applies himself to the Angell for information so did Daniel chap. 8.15 see chap. 9.22 Verse 5. Knowest thou not what these be Thus preparation is made to the ensuing interpretation of the vision by this dialogue that we might give better heed to that manifold wisdome of God made known to and by the Church Eph. 3.10 wherein the very Angels themselves are great students and daily proficients Docent proficiendo docendo proficiunt The best of men know not so much as they might have known Are
of 240000. Dio in Tra. thousand and as they still do Christians where they can without danger of being discovered whom also they curse in their daily prayers with a Maledic Domine Nazaraeis and by whom they are every where so contemned and hated that they are exiled out of the world cast out of many countries and where they are suffered as in Turkey they are at every Easter in danger of death For Biddulph telleth us that if they stirr out of doors between Maundy-Thursday at noon and Easter-eve at night the Christians among whom they dwell will stone them because at that time they crucified our Saviour derided and buffeted him for I set all men every one against his neighbour And I set emisi or commisi not permisi or dimisi as the Vulgar hath it I set on or sent out not I let or suffered all men Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroke in the Churches afflictions whosoever be the instrument Herehin his all-disposing Providence is not only permissive but active Esay 45.7 I make peace and create evill that is warr and contention which is called evill by a specialty as including all evills Omega nostrorum Mars est Mars Alpha malorum But is there evill in a city and I have not done it Am. 3.6 for a punishment sent an evill spirit of division and discord between Abimelech and the men of Shechem Iudg. 9.23 not by instilling any evill motions into their minds but in a way of just revenge for their treachery and cruelty to Gideons family This God doth 1. by letting loose Satan upon them that great kindle-coale and make-bate of the world to raise jealousies heart-burnings and discontents between them 2. By giving them up to the lusts and corruptions of their own wicked hearts 3. By giving occasions of enraging them more and more one against another And here the wickednesse of these factions and fallings out is wholy from their lusts that warr in their members Iam. 4.1 and not at all of God though his providence do concurr like as the stench of the dung hill riseth not from the Sun though the Sun-shine upon it be the occasion of it every one against his neighbour A sad case that common misery should not breed unity amongst them that necessity had not made them lay down their private enmities that being vexed so by the common adversary they should yet vex and interteare one another Blowes enough were not dealt by the Samaritans Ammonites and other Malignants but their own must add to the violence Still Satan is thus busy and Christians are thus malicious that they must needs fall out by the way home and give bloody-noses too sometimes St. Iames calls upon such to resist the devil that is their unruly passions of rage and revenge Iam. 4.1 â— wherewith the devill empestereth and embroileth their spirits and like your cockmasters sets one to kill another that at night he may feed upon both Verse 11. But now I will not be unto the residue c. Now that the Temple is well-nigh perfected and so the cause of my displeasure removed the matter you see is already well amended and shall be yet better for there is a series a concatenation of Gods mercies like the links in a chaine every former drawes on a future if we break not the chaine by our unthankfullnesse Psal 11â— 16 The right hand of the Lord shall change all this saith Hope when it is at worst Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur As when t is in better case it saith Return to thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee It is well for the present and yet it will be better hereafter Fury is not in God or if at any time it seem to be Psal 103.9 yet he will not alwaies chide neither will he keep his anger for ever It is with God in some sort as it was with David whose soule longed to go forth unto Absalom 2 Sam. 13.39 for he was comforted concerning Amnon seeing he was dead Let the Lord but see the rainbow of repentance appearing in our hearts and he will presently be pacified well he may wash us but he will never drown us Verse 12. For the seed shall be prosperous Or full and perfect as the Chaldee hath it it shall be fruitfull and yeeld a plentifull crop such as shall every way answer the desire of the husbandman Instead of your late scarcity whereof See Hag. 1.9 with the Notes you shall abound with plenty of all things Act. 14.17 feeding of the fat and drinking of the sweet and having your heart filled with food and gladnesse more particularly the vine shall give her fruit so that ye shall swim in wine and the ground shall give her encrease her full burden of the best so that your floors shall swell and your tables sweat with sweetest varieties and the heavens shall give their dew that womb of the morning wherein the fruits are conceived and I will cause the remnant of this people to possesse all these things whereas people are apt to attribute too much to meanes and second causes of plenty and prosperity God assumes the honour of all to himself Raine and fruitfull seasons are his gift Act. 14.17 And Hos 2.22 he resolveth the genealogie of corn and wine into himself I will heare the heaven and the heaven shall heare the earth c. And both here and elsewhere he giveth us to know that the reward of religion is abundance of outward blessings which yet are not alwayes entailed to godlinesse whatever Iesuites tell us of the Churches prosperity and plenty fetching her mark from the market to the end that it may be admired for it self and not for these transitory trappings Verse 13. As ye were a curse among the heathen The people of Gods wrath and of his curse Esay 34.5 ahhorred and accursed by all nations Ier. 24.9 lastly a proverb and a pattern for any fearfull imprecation Ezek. 14.8 as those that had the bloody wailes of Gods visible vengeance on their backs and Cain-like had his manifest mark upon their persons and proceedings The Turks at this day so hate the Jews for crucifying Christ that they use to say in detestation of thing I would I might dâ—e a â—ew then Let me be a Jew if I cozen thee c. Such a taunt and a curse this wretched people are still As they curse Christ and his followers continually every day so it comes into their bowels like water and like oyl into their bones Psal 10â— 18 O house of Judah and house of Israel i. e. Besides the two tribes of Judah and Benâ—amin diverse of the ten tribes that revolted for religion sake unto Judah were carried captive with them and afterwards returned out of captivity also in their company To them therefore as well as to the house of Judah is made the promise Twelve thousand of these ten tribes
because the colt whereon Christ rode ran after two asses coupled together in one yoke whereof one was his damm Mat. 21.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1.2 See the Note there These asses used to the yoke Hesiod calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wretched or enduring great toyle and labour That Christ should ride upon the foale of such a hard labouring asse a yong wild colt not yet ready tamed and trained to the saddle as it shewes his humility so also his power over the creature Clarescente gloriâ inter humilem simplicitatem and his peaceablenesse too as Kimchi thinkes from that in the next verse that the Israelites under Christs government should have no need of horses and charrets All this description of Christs person and kingdome we know was punctually fulfilled in our Saviour according to Mat. 21. Mar. 11. Luke 19. Ioh. 12. foure sufficient witnesses The old Rabbines and with them R. Galatin lib. 8. cap. 9. Solomon though a sworn enemy to Christians take the text of the promised Messias his solemne entrance into Ierusalem Of Jesus the crucified son of Mary they will not yeeld because they stumble at his poverty and expect pomp But if they had consulted their own Prophets they would have found that Messiah was foretold as despicable Esay 53.2 Poor as here crucified Dan. 9.26 Num. 21.9 among malefactours Esay 53.9 nailed Psal 22.16 pierced Zech. 12.10 mocked Psal 69.7 And that their very rejection of him for his meanenesse and meeknesse proveth him to be Christ Psal 118.22 Act. 4.11 It is reported of Agesilaus that comming to help the king of Egypt in his distresse he was despised by the Egyptians because of the plainenesse of his person and the homelinesse of his attire for they thought that they should see the king of Sparta such an one as the king of Persia was bravely habited and pompously attended Semblably the Iewes expect a Christ like to one of the mighty Monarches of the earth and they are strongly possest with the fond conceit of an earthly kingdome Hence when they saw Mahomet arising in such power they were straight ready to cry him up for teir Massias The rich hath many friends saith Solomon but the poor is hated or slighted even of his own noighbour Prov. 14.20 Christ came to his own but his own received him not When it was sometime disputed among the Romanes in the Councell using to deify great men whether Christ having done many wonderfull works should be received into the number of the gods the Historian saith that they would not therefore receive him because he preached poverty and made choice of poor men to follow him whom the world careth not for Verse 10. And I will cut off the charret c. This the same in effect with that of Esay chap. 9.7 Of the encrease of Christs government and peace there shall be no end and chap. 2.4 they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their speares into pruning-hookes nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learne warr any more Christ was born in the raigne of Augustus Caesar then when having vanquished Lepidus Antonius and the rest of his enemies both at home and abroad he set open gates of Janus in token of an universall peace and raigned as Lord and Monarch of the Roman world De invent râ—r lib. 4.1 Polydor Virgill out of Orosius tells us that the self-same day wherein Christ was born Augustus Caesar made proclamation that no man should thenceforth give him the title of Lord manifesto praesagio majoris dominatus qui tum in terris ortus est saith he not without a manifest presage of a greater Lord then himself then born into the world greater 1. both for the peaceablenesse of his government as here no use of weapons or warllike engines The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual 2 Cor. 10.4 Christ shall bring both to Jewes and Gentiles the Gospel of peace and the peace of the Gospel he shall speake peace unto the Heathen peace of countrey and peace of Conscience too and 2. for the extent of his government It should be as large as the world a Catholike kingdome his dominion shall be from Sea to Sea From the red Sea the Mediterranean Sea or the Sea of Palestina for these two seas were the bound of the land of Canaan Num. 23.31 for the Jews scarce knew any other sea but these two And the Prophet here alludeth to the times of Solomons reigne aâ— appeares by Psal 72.8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth that is from Euphrates to the utmost bounds of the holy land which by a common custome of speech are put for the utmost quarters of the world Verse 11. As for thee also O daughter of Sion O my Church not O Christ the king of the church as the Grreek and Latine fathers and after them the Popish commâ—â—tarours will needs have it the better to establish their Chimera of Limbus Patrum Christ here by an Aposâ—â—pâ—sis an ordinary figure or keeping back something unspoken through earnestnesse of affection bespeaks his people in this sort Eâ—iam tis As for thee also I will surely impart unto thee the benefits of that my kingdome as I have already begun to do in delivering you out of that 〈◊〉 that â—irty dungeon of the Babylonish thraldome by the blood of thy covenant by the blood of Christ figured by the blood that was sprinkled upon the people Exod. 24.8 Psal 74.20 Heb. 13.20 and by vertue of the Covenant confirmed thereby I have sent forth thy prisoners I have enlarged thy captives out of the pit wherein is no water but mud only Gen. 37.24 Ier. 38.6 as in Iosephs pit and Ieremies dungeon The Saints have temporall deliverances also by vertue of the covenant and if any of Christs subjects fall into desperate distresses and deadly dangers yet they are prisoners of hope and may look for deliverance by the blood of the covenant Verse 12. Turn ye to the strong hold i. e. to Christ the rock of ages Isa 26.4 the hope of Israel Ier. 17.13 the expectation of all the ends of the earth Luke 2.25 38. Or to the Promise that strong tower whereunto the righteous run and are safe that are Christi munitissima as Cyrill here saith strong hold of Christ Thou art my shield saith David I truth in thy word Psal 119.114 And againe Remember thy word to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust Verse 49. When yong Ioash was sought for to the shambles by his murderous grandmother Athaliah he was hid in the house of the Lord for six yeers But whence was this safety Even from the faithfull promise of God 2 Chron. 23.3 Behold the kings son must raigne as the Lord had said of the sons of David that he should never want a man to raigne after him Hence Psal 91.4 his faithfulnesse
expanse as a curtain or as a molten looking-glasse Job 37.18 Job 26.7 2. From the wisdome of God in laying the foundation of the earth and hanging it by Geometry as we say in the midst of heaven like Archimedes his pigeon equally poized with its own weight Terra pilae similis nullo fulcimine nixa Ovid. Fast l. 5 Aere subjecto tam grave pendet onus 3. From the goodnesse of God who formeth the spirit of man within him who hath made us these souls Esay 57.16 which he doth daily create and infuse into mens bodies yea and that alone without any help of their parents hence hee is called the Father of spirits Heb. 12.9 and the spirit of a dying man is said to return to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 This last text convinced Augustine who held sometime with Origen that the soul as well as the body was begotten by the parents farre more then the peremptory rashnesse of Vincentius Victor who censured boldly the Fathers unresolvednesse Chemnitius when hee doubted concerning the originall of a rationall soul and vaunted that he would prove by demonstration that souls are created de novo by God Aristotle Natures chief Secretary was much puzled about this point of the soul which indeed cannot fully bee conceived of nor defined by man Onely this we can say that the soul as it comes from God so it is like him viz. One immateriall immortall understanding Spirit distinguisht into three Powers which all make up one Spirit Verse 2. Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling Or slumber or poyson A Metaphor taken from a cup of generous wine but empoysoned so that those that drink of it do presently tremble grow giddy sleepy sick as heart can hold Poyson in wine works more furiously Thou hast made us to drink the wine of giddinesse saith the Church Psal 60.3 In the hand of the Lord is a cup and the wine is red it is full mixed c. The Prophet here seems to allude to Jer. 25.15 Esay 29.8 Jer. 31.7 Ovid saith of the river Gallus that whoso drinketh of it runneth mad immediatly Hierom telleth of a Lake neer Naples whereinto if a dog be thrown he presently dieth The like is reported by Josephus of the Lake Asphaltites Jerusalem shall be a murthering morsell to those that swallow it His meat in his bowels is turned it is the gall of aspes within him Hee hath swallowed down her spoil and he shall vomit it up again Job 20.14 15 God shall rake it out of his belly He shall have as little joy of his tid-bits of his sweet draughts as Jonathan had of his honey whereof he had no sooner tasted but his head was forfeited Pliny speaketh of a kind of honey that poysoneth because it is sucked out of poysonous flowers Our Chronicler telleth us Speed 1210. that at Alvelana three miles from Lisbon many of our English souldiers under the Earl of Essex perished by eating of honey purposely left in the houses and spiced with poyson The enemies of the Church make a dangerous adventure they are even ambitious of destruction they run to meet their bane as did those Philistines at Mizpeh 1 Sam. 7. And had they but so much wit as Pilats wife in a dream they would take heed of having any thing to do with those just men of eating up Gods people as they eat bread Psal 14.4 of bowsing in the bowles of the Sanctuary with Baltasar who fell thereupon into a trembling Dan. 5.6 so that his loyns were loosed and his knees knockt one against another when they shall be in the siege And so about to do their last and worst against the Church The people of Rome was saepe praelio victus nunquam bello saith Florus they lost many battles but were never overcome in a set warre at the last at the long-runne as they say they crushed all their enemies so doth the Church See Psal 129. thorowout and the story of the Maccabees Verse 3. I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone Such a stone as that wherewith the woman brake Abimelech his brainpan at the tower of Thebez Judg. 9.53 He had slain all his brethren upon one stone verse 5. he receives therefore his deaths-wound by a stone and that by the hand of a woman which was his greatest grief The like death befell Pyrrhus king of Epirotes slain at the siege of Argos with a tyle thrown by a woman from the wall So was Earl Simon Mountfort that bloody persecutour of the Albigenses in Irance A woman discharged an engine at him Cades Justif of the Church from the walls of Tholouse and by a stone parted his head from his shoulders The virgin daughter of Zion shall do as much as all this comes to for her besiegers though all the people of the earth be gathered together against her For why she hath a strong champion that in maintaining her quarrell will dash them to pieces and grind them to powder Luke 20.18 They are no more able to stand before him then a glasse-bottle before a cannon-shot Hence her confidence her laughing and shaking her head by way of derision at her stoutest enemies Esay 37.22 She knows that all that burden themselves with her shall be cut in pieces Hamans wife could tell so much If Mordecai said she be of the seed of the Jews Esih 5.13 before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him but shalt surely fall before him A Jew may-fall before a Fersian and get up and prevail But if a Persian or whosoever of the Gentiles begin to sall before a Jew he can neither stay nor rise There is an invisible hand of omnipotency that strikes in for his own and confounds their opposites That little stone cut out without hands Christs humane nature is called a tabernacle not made with hands not of this building Heb. 9.11 that is not by an ordinary course of generation smiteth the four mighty Monarchies and crumbleth them to crattle Dan. 2.34 Hierom upon this text and after him other Interpreters both Ancient and Modern tell us that the Holy Ghost here alludeth to a certain exercise or game used much among the Jews namely to take up a great round stone for the triall of a mans strength lifting it up from the ground sometimes to the knees sometimes to their navels sometimes to their breasts and sometimes as high as their heads or above their heads At which sport many times they did grievously hurt themselves or at least scarify and make cuts in their flesh See Levit. 21.5 where the same word is used The Churches enemies shall strive and try who shall do her most hurt but the stoutest of them all shall be fooled and foiled in the end The irrepairable ruine of Rome is graphically described and even set forth to the eye Rev. 18.21 by a notable gradation An Angel a mighty Angel taketh a stone a great stone
which he not onely casteth but thrusteth into the bottom of the sea whence it cannot be boyed up This Angel might well be Luther with his Book de captivitate Babylonica confer Jer. 51.63 whom God strangely preserved from the rage of Rome and Hell like as he did from that deadly danger by the fall of a stone whereof Mr. Fox writeth thus Acts Mon. Upon a time saith He when Luther was sitting in a certain place upon a stool studying a great stone there was in the Vault over his head where he sate which being staid miraculously so long as he was sitting assoon as hee was up immediately fell upon the place where he sat able to have crusht him in pieces if it had light upon him But no malice of man or devil could antedate his end a minute whilest his Master had work for him to do as the two witnesses could not bee killed till their businesse was dispatched Rev. 11.7 Verse 4. Turk Hist I will smite every horse with astonishment Great is the strength of the horse and the rage of his rider Jehu marched furiously Bajazet the great Turk of his fierce and furious riding was surnamed Gilderun or Lightening But God can make the Egyptians to appear men and not Gods and their horses flesh and not spirit When the Lord shall but stretch out his hand and that 's no hard matter of motion both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall all faile together Esay 31.3 See Psal 76.5 6. Psal 33.17 An horse is a vain thing for safety though a warlike creature full of terrour but safety or victory is of the Lord Pro. 21.31 In nothing be terrified saith the Apostle Philip. 1.28 The Greek word is a metaphor from horses when they tremble and are sore affrighted as it fell out in the Philistines army when the Angels made a bustle among the mulbery-trees 2 Sam. 5.24 in the Syrians army when the Angels likewise made an hurry-noise in the ayre of charrets of horses and of a great host 2 King 7.6 in the army of Sennacherib when at Gods sole rebuke both the charret and horse were cast into a dead sleep Psal 76.6 Lastly in the German wars against Zisca and the Hussites in Bohemia where God smot every horse with astonishment and his rider with madnesse Parei Meduè hist Profan pag. 785. such a panick terrour seized upon the enemies of the truth though they came in with three potent armies at once that they sled before ever they looked the enemy in the face How this Prophesie was litterally fulfilled to the Maccabees see 2 Mac. 10.30 and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah who before seemed to wink or to be asleep Now will I awake saith the Lord Now will I arise Isa 33.10 now will I lift up my self for the relief and rescue of my poor people and that because they called them outcasts saying This is Zion whom no man looketh after Ier. 30.17 Verse 5. And the Governours of Judah The Dukes of Chiefetaines meaning the Maccabes who ware not any kingly crown but were only Governours Rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commanders in chief such as went before others like as in the Alphabet Aleph is the first letter So Omega nostrorum Mors est Mars Alpha malorum Saith the Poet wittily shall say in their hearts i. e. shall say heartily from the root of the heart and not from the roof of the mouth only Profession of the truth and prayer for so some make this verse to be are not a labour of the lips but a travel of the heart The voice which is made in the mouth is nothing so sweet as that which comes from the depth of the brest As in instrument-musick the deeper and hollower the belly of the Lute or Violl is the pleasanter is the sound the sleeter the more grating and haâ—sh in our eares the inhabitants of Iorusalem shall be my strength Though now there be few found in it yet it shall be much repeopled and fortified so that under God it shall be a fortresse to the whole countrey and the Governour shall so take it to be Or thus there is strength to me and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem in the Lord of Hosts their God Every governour shall say so for his own particular And this seemes to me to be the better reading The Maccabes did so as appeared by their posy whereof before their prayers and their singular successe as appeares by their history and by Josephus Deo confisi nunquà m confusi They that trust in God shall never be confounded Our father 's trusted in thee and they were delivered O trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Look not down on the rushing and roaring streames lest ye grow giddy but look up to the heavens from whence comes your help and fasten by faith on Gods power and promises Faith unseined breeds hope unfaileable such as never miscarrieth O trust in him at all times ye people c. Psal 62. for with God is wisdome and strength Iob. 12.13 Plutarch saith of the Scythians that they have neither wine nor musick but they have Gods Say that the Saints have neither power nor pollicy as their enemies yet they have all in God who is more then all Verse 6. In that day will I make the governours c. This is the third similitude whereof the scripture is full according to that I will open my mouth in parables c. These are of excellent use to adorn and explain and yet they are evermore inferiour to the matter in hand They are borrowed from things well known and easy to be conceived as here from an harth of fire among wood Now we can all tell how great a matter or wood a little fire kindleth Iam. 3.5 As when Nero for his pleasures sake set Rome on fire among other stately buildings that were quickly burnt down the Circus or race-yard was one being about half a mile in length of an ovall form with rowes of seats one above another capable of at least an hundred and fifty thousand spectatours without uncivil shoulderings As the fire burneth a wood and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storme saith the Church Psal 83.14 15. Thus they pray'd and thus it is here promised and was accordingly performed in those first warrs of the Maccabees as appeareth in the first book of their story Antiq. lib. 12. and in Josephus Diodate and others understand this text of the Apostles and Evangelists who should fill the world with wars and dissentions by preaching the Gospell Luke 12.49 whereby the enemies should be ruinated Hieron Remig. Albert. A Lapide and the church reestablished Obad. 18. thorough the spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4.4 To which purpose Chrysostome saith
and for his heritage Isracl whom they have scattered and parted their land Ioel. 3.2 Further they say that mount Olivet shall then be shaken with a very great earthquake so that it shall cleave in the middest and leave a very great valley it shall enlarge the valley of Iehosaphat that it may be able to receive those that are there to be judged by Christ Thus Lessius Sa à Costa à Lapide who also citeth for his purpose Clemens Romanus lib. 7. Constit Ap. cap. 33. speaking thus Mons ipse Oliveti gloriae venientis cedet in quaetuor partes dissectus longissimè diffugiel ut tribunali judicis theatrum totius orbis assistat i. e. Mount Olivet shall give place to the glory of Christ when he commeth and being clest into foure parts it shall flie far afonder to the end that the theatre of the whole world may stand before the tribunall of the Judge Thus He. and surely the following verses 6 7 8 c. seem to favour this interpretation and to have relation to the last Day But in Prophesies not yet fulfilled as this may be one it is better and more sure to expect and stay for the explication by the event then to give it without any certain ground Verse 5. And ye shall slee to the valley of the mount ains Or ye shall flee the valley of the mountains sc of mount Olivet made by God verse 4. by whom the Romanes were set awork to garrison Mount Olivet against the Jews and Joseph lib. 6. cap 13. by digging down a great part of it to fill up the brook Cedron or the town-ditch and to bring a wall wherewith they compassed about the whole city thorow the middest of this mount whereby the city was greatly pressed and much annoyed This Mountain ye shall flee as many of you as are Azal that is separated confer Exod. 24.11 Esay 4â— 4 and repair to Pella a place of rest provided for you Not without some perturbation of spirit though causelesse as in common calamities it falleth out and the like shall befall the very Elect also at the last day till they have recollected themselves till they remember that now their redemption draweth nigh And ye shall flec sc with utmost hast and fright j death being that terrible of terribles as the Philosopher calleth it Natures slaughterman Hells Purveyour c. like as ye fled from before the earthquake which might be as sad and as suddain as that at Pleures in Rhetia Anno 1618. Aug. 25. Alst Chronol the whole town was overcovered with with a mountaine which with its most swift motion oppressed 1500. people in the dayes of Vzzaah king of Juda Whether this earthquake fell out just at that instant time when Vzzaah offered incense and was therefore smitten with leprosie as the lewish Doctors affirm i have not to say But of the horror of it besides Am. 1.1 Joscphus relateth that a mountain towards the West cleft in sunder and removed from its proper place the space of four furlongs or half a mile and farther it had proceeded had not a great mountain towards the East stayed its course Camden reporteth the like hereunto to have fallen out in Heresord hire Anno 1571. Cal. Martij 12. about six of the clock in the evening a great hill lifted up it selfe with a huge noise and ascending into an higer place carryed along with it trees Camd. Britan. flocks of cattle sheep-coates walked about from Saturday night till Monday noon overturned a certain Chappell that stood in its way c. This kind of earthquake Philosophers call Brasmatia and the Lord my God shall come q. d. Let scoffers doubt and deride saying where is the promise of his coming My God will effect with his hand what he hath spoken with his mouth he will he will Habac. 2.3 There is an Emphasis in the word My q.d. The God whose I am yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly his as Aristotle saith of a servant and another in the following Apostrophe and all the saints with thee The Prophet in an holy indignation at his hearers obstinacy and untractablenesse turns him thus to God like as doth old Jacob Gen. 49.18 and our blessed Saviour tyred out with the peoples perversenesse Mat. 11.25 26. See the Note on both places Verse 6. And it shall come to passe in that day that is saith Diod uc after the destruction of Antichrist shall the son of God come in who shall bring the Church into its glory where without any vicissitude or variation of day and night of calamity and prosperity of knowledge and ignorance it shall enjoy eternall light by the sight of God Isai 16.19 20. Rev. 21.23 and 22.5 Thus he Betwixt this fall of Antichrist and the Consummation of all some place the full and finall restauration of the Iews and make this a description of that glorious Church they shall then erect There shall be no darknesse but perpetuall light It shall not be saith our Prophet here sometime clear sometimes mistie variable and uncertain weather now fair now foule but one day not of day and night for in the evening when night is wont to come it shall be light as if he should say it shall be alwaies day and no night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a nightlesse day a morning without cloudes a clear shining after raine as David in another case 2 Sam. 22.4 Heresâ—ath dâ— re rust and asâ—vith the Hyperborians the whole halfe year is said to be but one continuate day so that they sowe and reape in a day Verse 7. Which shall be known to the Lord And that should suffice us without further curious enquiries Calvin de re nobis toti mundo abscondita concerning the set times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 The Muscovites use to say in a darke point in a difficult question God and our great Duke know all this Heyl. Geor And in other talk all we enjoy health and life all from our great Duke therefore let us leave all to him hould not we much more to God Time hath already confuted those learned men who from Dan. 12.11 pitched their calculation for the Jewes restauration upon the year 1650. Those that shall live a few years longer shall see what will become of their confidence who have undertaken to prove out of Daniel and the Revelation Clavis Apocalypt p. 134.136 that the Prophetical numbers come to an end with the year of our Lord 1655. because then the seventh Trumpet shall sound and then the six thousand years from the Creation of the world do expire as they compute Verse 8. Living waters shall go out from Jerusalem i.e. Abundance of spirituall graces frequently in scripture compared to waters for their cooling cleansing quicke ning property Isai 44.3 Ezek 36.25 and 47.1 John 7.38 .. And of these waters without all doubt our baptism ordeined of
valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens subdued kingdomes fought the Lords battles Heb. 11.32 34. They saw by faith what is on the other side of the shore of this mortality and that put mettle into them The valour of the Gauls was admired by the Romans it proceeded from that instruction they had from their Druides The life of the K of Sweden by M. Clark of the immortality of the soul The Swedes upon the same ground shewed incredible courage in the late German warres running into apparent danger like flies into the candle saith One as if they had not seen it Faith fears no colours What brave spirits hath God raised up amongst us alate fighting as it were in blood to the knees for Religion and liberty resolved either to vanquish or die as the Black Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with that Lacedemonian either to live with the Gospel or to die for it And how valiant the restored Jews shall once be upon their enemies the Turks who now hold their countrey till their iniquities be full who can tell Sure it is that Israel after their victory over Gog shall spoil those that spoiled them and rob those that robbed them saith the Lord God Ezek. 39.10 And then perhaps it is that the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together as a prize or booty gold and silver and apparell in great abundance Look how Abraham stripped the four kings of their plunder Gen. 14.16 Gideon the Midianites Iudg 8. David the Amalekites 1 Sam. 30.18 Iehosaphat the Ammonites they were three dayes in gathering the spoil it was so much 2 Chron. 20.25 so it may fall out one day with their posterity The Jew Doctours as they have a saying that whatsoever befell unto the Fathers is a figne unto the children so of Abrahams victory over the four kings they write that it befell unto him to teach that four kingdomes those kingdomes spoken of in Daniel should stand up to rule over the world and that in the end his children should rule over them and they should all fall by their hand R. Menachem on Gen. 14. and they should bring again all their captives and all their substance Verse 15. And so shall be the plague of the horse of the mule of the camel All the beasts of service made use of by the enemy shall consume in like sort as their masters First for a punishment to their owners who must needs suffer losse thereby Hence Saul was so sedulous in seeking the lost asses Secondly to shew how God is displeased with and will severely punish all that are instrumentall to the Churches calamities or serviceable to their sinne The serpent is cursed cut shorter by the feet and made to wriggle upon his belly yea confined to the dust for his diet So God curseth and abhorreth all instruments of idolatry Esay 30.22 Num. 31.22 23. Deut. 7.25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire the very visible heavens because defiled with mans sinne are to be purged by the fire of the last day Verse 16. Every one that is left of all the nations i.e. that hath escaped the plague verse 12. and is beaten into a better mind as those Hunnes that vanquished by the Christians concluded that Christ was the true God and became his subjects God had promised before to subvert the Churches enemies but here to convert them which is farre better And it shall appear to be so as conversion cannot be hid you cannot turn a bell but it will make a sound and report its own motion See Gal. 1.23 for they shall even go up sc to the Temple which stood upon mount Moriah to worship the king the Lord of Hosts Esay 16 1◠to send a lamb or an homage peny to the Lord of the whole earth and to keep the feast of Tabernacles In a due manner which had not been rightly done a marvellous thing all along during the reigne of David Solomon and all those succeeding Reformers till about these times as appears Neb. 8.16 17 19. The sence of this text is that the converted Gentiles shall joyn with the Jews in the sincere service of God according to his will and not according to their own brains and fancies that they shall worship him with the same rites in the same places and assemblies which they do that Jehovah may be one and his name one amongst them as verse 9. that there may be no more Jew and Gentile Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but Christ may be all and in all Col. 3.11 That those two sticks being joyned into one Ezek. 37.16 all Israel may be saved Rom. 11.26 and raised as from the dead verse 15. the Gentiles also may have their part in the same resurrection All this is here set forth in such termes and under such types as were then most in request as of going up to the Temple keeping the feast of Tabernacles c. All which expressions are parabolicall symbolicall and enigmaticall framed to the capacity of the Jews much addicted to these legall rites and shadows then in use but now done away Col. 2.17 Heb. 10.1 whatever the Jews conclude from this text for their continuance under Messias his kingdome Christians have their feasts or holy-dayes too 1 Cor. 5.8 yea their feast of Tabernacles in a mystieall sence 1 Pet. 2.11 Heb. 11.1 9. Verse 17. Even upon them shall be no rain i. e. Nullam misericordiam assequentur saith Theodoret They shall get no good at Gods hand Judaea was sumen totius orbis as One saith a very fat and fertile countrey but yet so as that her fruitfulnesse depended much upon seasonable showres the former and latter rain and the Prophet seemeth here to allude to that of Moses Deut. 11.10 c If God did not hear the heaven and the heaven the earth the earth could not hear the corn wine and oil nor those hear Jezreel Hos 2.19 Judaea was not like that countrey in Pliny ubi siccitas dat lutum imbres pulverem where drought made dirt rain made dust but if the heaven were iron over them the earth would soon be brasse under them and not yeeld her increase See Psal 65.9 Esay 30.23 and then where would they be quickly sith Animantis cujusque vita in fuga est life would be lost if not maintained by daily food Rain is in Scripture put 1. Properly for water coming out of the clouds Deut. 11.11 Prov. 16.15 nourishing the herbs and trees 2. Metaphorically for Christ his Gospel and his graces wherewith the souls of men are made fruitfull in good works Esay 45.8 Deut. 32.2 Hos 6.3 The want of rain is on the contrary made here and Rev. 11.5 a signe of a curse It waiteth not for the sonnes of men Mic. 5.7 but it accomplisheth what God appointeth Esay 55.10 11. Why it falleth here and now we know not and wonder Vers 18. And if the
not of the head the wife must not usurp authority over her husband nor yet of the foot she may not be trampled upon or disregarded as an underling A bone not of any anterior part she is not â—raelaâ—a preferred before the man neither yet of any hinder-part she is not postposita set behind the man but a bone of the side of the middle of the indifferent part to shew that she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant A bone she is from under the arm to put man in mind of protection and defence to the woman A bone not far from his heart to put him in mind of dilection and love to the woman Neither can the rib challenge any more of her then the earth can do of him And as he was ignorant when himself was made so he knew as little when his second-self was made out of him both that the comfort might be greater then was expected as also that he might not upbraid his wife with any great dependance or obligation he neither willing the work nor suffering any pain to have it done Shine she must with the beams of her husband Share she must with him in his masterly government of the family as Sarah did with Abraham by Gods allowance Gen. 16. and as the Roman Ladies were wont to say to their husbands Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia where you are Lord I am Lady That over-lordly carriage of husbands towards their wives and that usage of them as drudges is condemned by the Heathen Philosophers in the very Barbarians themselves as a great ataxy and disorder in the family and the wife of thy covenant And is it nothing to be covenant-breaker with a wife especially where God also is ingaged as above said Foedus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab eadem radice perform your trust make good the troth you have plighted Otherwise if the fruits of the flesh grow out of the trees of your hearts surely Ser. of Rep. p. 70. surely saith Master Bradford Martyr the devil is at inne with you you are his birds whom when he hath well fed he will broach you and eat you chaw you and champ you world without end in eternall wo and misery Verse 15. And did not he make one Another forcible argument against Polygamy and adultery See our Saviours explanation of it Mat. 19.4 5 6. with the Notes there The onely wise God made but one woman for one man at the first creation and ordained that those two should be one flesh two in one flesh not three or four or as many wives as a man is able to maintain as among the Turks who as a just hand of God upon them are grievously vexed with jealousie not suffering their women to go to Church nor so much as look out at their own windows Bâ—unt 106. Or if they go abroad upon any occasion they must go muffled all but the eyes Sardus tells us that the old Brittains would ten or twelve of them take one woman to wife Belike women were rare commodities with them As likewise men were in Judaea when seven women took hold of one man saying We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparrel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach Esay 4.1 That is we will maintain our selves and thee onely be thou an husband to us and let us have children by thee yet had he the residue of the spirit Or breath so that he could as easily have made more and breathed into their faces the breath of life And although it is not said of the woman that God breathed into her the breath of life as of Adam whence Tertullian concludes that she had both body and soul too from Adam yet Austin rightly gathereth that their souls were both alike imbreathed by God 10. Lib sup Genes Otherwise the scripture would not have been silent in it no more then it is in the new manner of the creation of her body Thence also it is that Adam saith not This is soul of my soul but bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Gen. 2.23 Souls are not propagated by the Parents but created of God and joined to the body by an occult operation Augustine following Origen held the contrary for a long time At length he began to doubt and after a while changed his opinion Hierom stoutly defending the contrary against him Aristotle also understood the truth hereof and concluded that the soul was divine and came from above and. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 2. c. 9. de gen anim though of nothing yet is it made a matter more excellent then the matter of the heavens in nature not inferiour to the Angels An abridgement it is of the invisible world as the body is of the visible And why may we not say that the soul as it came from God being divinae particula aurae so it is like him One immateriall immortall understanding spirit distinguisht into three powers which all make up one Spirit In this respect it is said Gen. 9.6 that in the image of God made he man There is a double image of God in the soul One in the substance of it this is never lost and of this that text is to be understood The other is the supernaturall grace which is an image of the knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse of God and this is utterly lost and must be recovered This the ancient Heathens hammered at when they fained that the soul once had wings but those being broken it fell head long into the body where when it hath recovered it's wings it flies up to heaven again That was very good counsell given by a godly man to his friend not to busie his brains so much in enquiring how the soul entred into the body as how it may depart comfortably out of the body And seeing the soul is more excellent then the body saith another grave Divine like as Jacob laid his right hand upon the younger but his left upon the elder so our best care and the strength of our thoughts should be for the soul younger as much as it is then the body they should be but left-hand thoughts for the body and wherefore one that he might seek a godly seed Heb. a seed of God not a bastardly brood a spurious issue a Mamzer as the Hebrews call such that is labes aliena a strange blot a seed of the adulterer and the whore Esay 57.3 but such as God appointeth and approveth such as may be holy with a federall holinesse at least if not sanctified from the womb as some have been and are lastly 1 Cor. 7.14 such as in and by whom the Church and religion may be propagated and not idolatry spread and increased therefore take heed to your spirit that is to your wife which is the residue of your spirit keep and cherish her so Remigius and Lyra interpret it
at Johns coming Zach. 11.8 The Pharisees were held the best of those three si ad legem respexeris saith Tremellius if you look to the law and Saint Paul who was once a Pharisee of the Pharisees calleth them the most strictest Sect of the Jewish religion Act. 26.5 like those district ssimi Monachi among the Papists and yet there were seven sorts of Pharisees Talm. tract Suta cap. 3. as we find in their Talmud Hence much alienation of affection amongst them and great animosities father hating sonne and sonne father for truths sake as Mat. 10.35 So powerfull should John be in his Ministery that although the leprosie were gotten into their heads and were therofore held incurable Lev. 13.44 yet he should tuen the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luke 1.17 All head-strong and bâ—utiâ—h affections should be calmed and corrected as Isa 21.6 7 8. and the peaceable v. isdome from above inâ—tilled lam Eph. 4.3 3.17 so that they shall indeavâ—ur to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace And albeit some jarrs may fall out a betwixt Paul and Barnabas yet Gods people can soon pecce again and reunite Job Worver in Polymath Vt 〈◊〉 percussus non laeditur into no dividitur quidâ—m sed resundit â—esâ— spissior redit c. As the ayre divided by a stone or stroke soon closeth and thickencth the more Certainly there is no such onenesse and entirenesse any where as among the saints their love is spirituall Cant. 6.9 The very Heathenâ— acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together and love one another so as Christians did Tacitus observeth of the Jews that there was misericordia in promptu apud suos but contra omâ—â—s alios hostile odium mercy enough for their own countreymen amongst them but hostile hatred against all others they use to say that there is no Gentile but deserves to have his head bruised c. But John Baptist by hiâ— preaching made Jewish Pharisees and Roman soubliers according to the phrase that Josephus useth of him to convent and knit together in baptisâ—ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiâ—dib 18. cap 7. 〈◊〉 I conte and sinite the earth with a curse that is lest coming I smite c. For there is no doubt to be made of his coming and as little of his smiting if men amend not These words menace as many as resisted Iohns ministry with utteâ— destruction whether it be done against the whole nation or against a mâ—â— only Iob 34.29 The Romans came and took amay both their place and their Nation not for leâ—â—ng Christ alone as they feared Iob. 11.48 but for laying wicked hands upon him and putting to death the Lorn or life Act. 2.23 Iohn also preached damnation to them Mat 3. and so did our Saviour Aâ—at 23. where by eight dreadfull woes as by so many links of an adamantine chain he drawes chose irreformable hypoerites down to hell their place and thâ—n lâ—aves them to be reserved unto judgement S. Jerome waâ— called 〈…〉 the Churchthunderbolt Mr. Perkins was a most caâ—â—st preacher and would prâ—n unce the word Damne with such an Emphasis M. Fullers Holy State 90. as lest a 〈…〉 in his Auditouts eares a good while after And when Catechist of Christ-coâ—â—eage 〈◊〉 pâ—unding the commandernents he applyed them so home that he made his hearers hearts sall down and their hairs to stand opright almost And surely this 〈◊〉 the way to work upon hard-harted sinners whence the Apostle bids Tâ—ns rebuke with all autâ—oâ—ty and then turning him to the people as Carvin sâ—â—â—th it chang th â—â—em not to despise him for so doing Tit. 1.15 The Apeille knew well that men are for most part of delicate eares and can 〈◊〉 abide plain dealing Ahab hates Micâ—iah and hath him in prison ever since that creadsull denunciation of displeasore and death for dismissing Benhadad for he was probably that disguised Pâ—ophet for which he was ever since sast in prisâ—n deep in disgrace But truth must be spoken how ever it be â—â—ken and those that will not be pricked at heart as Act. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. â—ut take up bucklers to ward oss the blow must have the sword of the spirit sheathed in their bowels and bâ—thed in their blood for mall this we are a sweet savour unto God 2 Cor. 2.15 yea though a savour of death unto death The barren earth must be smitten with cuâ—sing and they that minde earthly things Terra autem sunt qui terrona sapiunt saiâ—â— A sbon have damnation for their end De civ Deil. 20. c. 29. so that St. Paul cannot speak of them 〈◊〉 teares of compâ—ssion Philip. 3.18 19. Oh that it might expresse from them teares of compunction Oh that they would be forewarned to slee from the wrath to come Oh that they would think upon eternity and by breaking â—fâ— their sins disarme Gods indignation justly conceived against them He therefore threateneth that he may not smite he proceed not to punish till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger sacit An unâ—â—ly patient makes a cruell Physician O that we could all resolve to deal by our sins as Levis King of Fiance did by the Popes Bulls whereby he required the fruits of vacancies of all Cathedrall Churches of France Speed 496. about the year 1152. he cast them into the fire saying he had rather the Popes Bulls should restin the fire then his own soul should fiy in heil For a perclose of all take an observation of Amamas and before him of Baxtorfes that in many Hebrew Bibles the last verse save one of this Propesy as also of Ecclesiastes Isaiah and Lamentations is repeated again in the end thereof though without pricks lest any thing should be thought added to Gods word Factum hoc ex Scriharum decreto c. This the scribes thought fit to do either for the dignity of those repeated verses that the Reader might again ruminate and remind them or else as some will have it because all those bookes end in threatenings and sad speeches And therefore lest the Sun of Righteousnesse should seem to set in a cloud or not to shine upon the departing passenger they thought sit to leave the verse before to be last as being sweet and full of comfort that the Reader might Sampson-like goe his way feeding on that hony-comb Laus Deo in aeternum The Righteous mans Recompence OR A TRUE CHRISTIAN CHARACTERIZED AND ENCOURAGED Out of MALACHI 3.16 17 18. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord harkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name CHAP. I. The Text opened and analyzed THAT which was anciently spoken of Iohn Baptust who was
sacrifice ceased and all good hearts were thereby sadded See vers 9 with the Note Verse 17 The seed is rotten under their clods It lieth buried or drowned with excessive rain and moisture corrupting the seed soon after it was sown and that which was not so marred was afterwards when it came to be corn dried up with excessive heat The corn is withered So that the garners were desolated the barnes broken down for want of stuffing and for that there was no use of them sith they sowed but reaped not Mic. 6.15 The husbandman was called to mourning Amos 5.16 for a three-fold calamity that lay upon his tillage First Immoderate rain in or about seeding Secondly Locusts and other vermine at spring Thirdly extreme drought after all verse 19 20. Thus God followeth sinners with one plague in the neck of another as he did Pharaoh that sturdy rebell till he have made his foes his footstools To multiply sin is to multiply sorrow Psal 16.4 to heap up wickednesse is to heap up wrath Rom 2.5 I will heap mischiefs upon them Si quoties peccent homines sua fulmina mittat Jupiter exiguo tempora inermis erâ—â— Ovid. saith God I will spend mine arrows upon them Deut. 32.23 which yet cannot be all spent up as the Poet feared of his Jupiter that if he should punish men for every offence his store of thunder-bolts would be soon spent and exhausted Verse 18. How do the beasts groun The wilde beasts groan in their kinde The herds of cattell home and tame beasts as oxen c. are perplexed as not knowing what to do 't is the same word with that Esth 3.15 God had hid his face withdrawn his hand and they were troubled he taketh away their breath for lack of pasture they die and return to their dust as David telleth us in his Physicks Psal 104.29 Epiphaxius his Physiologer reporteth of the bird called Charadius that being brought where a sick man lieth if he look upon the sick with a fixed and unremoved eye there is hopes of recovery but if he look another way the disease is deadly Sure it is that if God look in mercy upon man and beast they are cared and catered for Psal 36.7 and 104.27 and 145.15 16 c. and the contrary yea the flocks of sheep c. which yet can bite upon the bare live with a little and get pasture where the bigger creatures cannot come Verse 19. O Lord to thee will I cry I will though others will not I have called upon others to cry mightily unto thee and to meet thee by repentance but they ranquam monstra marina as so many Sea-monsters passe by my words with a deaff ear they refuse to return thy hand is lifted up in threatning and will fall down in punishing but they will not see Esay 26.11 they will not search they will not have their eyes like the windowes in Solomons Temple broad inward the eyes of their mindes are as ill set for this matter as the eyes of their bodies they see not what 's within But whatever they do 1 King 6.4 my soul shall weep in secret for their pride and mine eyes shall weep sore c. Jer. 13.17 for their insensiblenesse of their misery For the fire hath devoured the pastures that is the immoderate scorching heat of the season See Psal 83.14 Jer. 17.6 Or the blasting winde as Lyra expounds it or the locusts as Drusius or God who is a consuming fire by any or all these instruments of his wrath as Tarnouius And the flame hath burnt all the arees of the field This was dreadfull but yet nothing to that conflagratio mundi spoken of by St. Peter 2 Epist 3.12 when the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements melt with fervent heat on the heads of the wicked who shall give a terrible account with the world all on alight fire about their ears Verse 20. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee Glocitant a term taken from Deer they cry as they can they cry by implication imploring thine help each for himself See Psal 149.9 Job 39.3 Psal 104.27 And should men be silent For the rivers of the waters are dried up This maketh the Hart bray after the water-brooks yea shed tears as hunters say the Hart will when hot and hard-bestead for water Hereto David seems to allude Psal 42.5 My tears have been my meat c. And the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wildernesse This had been said before verse 19. The reason of such repetitions see above in the Notes on verses 11 12. Neither let this last exaggeration of the common calamity by that which befell the bruit beasts seem superfluous For whereas the security and obstinacy of most men is such that they take little notice of present pressures but promise themselves peace and safety whatsoever God by his servants shall say to the contrary it is but needfull surely that their danger should be inculcated and their calamity set out and set on with utmost importunity and vehemency CHAP. II. Verse 1. BLow ye the trumpet in Zion Idem aliis verbis repetit saith Mercer here The Prophet repeateth the same as in the former Chapter onely in other words more at large and after another manner pressing the people further to the practise of repentance by many sweet promises of the blessings of this and a better life Our Prophet may seem to bee of the same mind with Tertullian who said that he was nulli rei natus nisi poenitentiae born for no other end but to repent and to call upon others so to do Tot autem verbis figuris ntitur saith Luther he useth so many words figures because he had to do with a people that were harder then rocks Jer. 5.3 as also because there is an absolute necessity of repentance Aut poenitendum aut pereundum as our Saviour tells his Disciples twice in a breath Luke 13.2 5. The Prophet had urged them hereunto from the evils they felt or feared chap. 1. Pain and penitency are words of one derivation God plagueth men that he may make them cry Peccavi not Perij onely I am undone as Cain but peccavi I have done very foolishly as David The seventeen first verses of this Chapter are Hortatory the rest Consolatory The day of the Lord cometh therefore Repent This is the summe of the exhortation It cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod and that instantly Give warning therefore God loveth to foresignifie saith the Heathen Historian and to premonish before he punish He dealt so with Cain to whom he read the first lecture of Repentance Gen. 4. as he had done of Faith to his father Adam in the Chapter before He dealt so with the old world with the Sodomites Ninevites c. Sound an alarm in my holy Mountain Ring the bels backwards as amongst us they do the house is on fire the enemy is at hand Let all
the inhabitants of the land tremble and take course to prevent or mitigate the ensuing mischief to cut the cart-ropes of sin that pull down wrath upon the land for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand An end is come is come is come as Ezekiel hath it chap. 7.6 7. I will overturn overturn overturn as the same Prophet hath it elsewhere Ezek. 21.27 and 10. Should we then make mirth as it is in the same Chapter should we sleep upon a mast-pole dance upon a weather-cock go hallowing and hooping to the place of execution Verse 2. A day of darknesse and of gloominesse Lest they should imagine it to be some light matter that hath been and is still threatned he sets forth to the life the bitternesse of that day so lowring and lightlesse that it can hardly be called a day a dark and dolefull doomesday it will be to the impenitent infaustus infelix dismall and dreadfull What better can be expected by those Tenebriones that delight in the deeds of darknesse and are acted by those Rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes 6.12 the Devils whom they follow as they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 till they fall into outer darknesse even that darknesse beyond a darknesse as the dungeon is beyond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or below the prison where they shall never see the light againe till they see all the world on a light fire Let those Lucifugae look to it that love darknesse better then light for besides what they meet with here they shall one day have their bellies full of it in that dungeon of darknesse Exod. 19.15 A day of clouds and of thick darknesse Caused by that huge army of Locusts c. coming in great swarms Postera vix summos spargebar lumina montes Orta dies Virg. Lux subit primo feriente cacumina sole Ovid. and darkning the air as the morning spread upon the mountains i. e. longe lateque far and neer all the countrey over and that in an instant even as the Morning spreadeth abroad upon a sudden over the tops of hills though they be a great way off Hereby is imported that the calamitie here threatned is such as they can neither avert nor avoid Irretensibilis est saith Luther A great people and a strong So the Locusts are called See Chap. 1.4 5 6. not without some respect to the Chaldeans that should afterwards carry them captive as Hierom here glosseth there hath not been ever the like sc in the land of Judea nor of the like continuance See chap. 1.2 3. even to the yeers of many generations Heb. of an age and an age so Deut. 32.7 Joel 3.20 This assureth us of the greatnesse of this peoples sin sith they were so signally punished for God doth not use to kill flies with beetles as they say Verse 3. A fire devoureth before them and behinde them a flame burneth Such waste these vermine shall make like as it is said of the great Turk that where-ever he sets his foot there never growes grasse again he doth so eat up the countreys where he comes with his huge armies And the late Lord Brook Pag. 47. in his discourse of Episcopacy noteth that that unhappy proverbe amongst us was not for nought The Bishops foot hath troden here In Biscay a Province of Spain they admit no Bishops to come amongst them and when Ferdinand the Catholike K. came in progresse hither accompanied amongst others by the Bishop of Pampelune Heyl. Geog. pag. 55. the people arose in armes drove back the Bishop and gathering all the dust on the which they thought he had troden flung it into the Sea What fires they kindled here in Queen Maries dayes devouring six or seven hundred at least of Gods faithfull witnesses in five yeers space And what work they made in our remembrance thorowout the three Kingdoms to the imbroyling of all and their own utter ruine I need not relate That renowned Authour afore-cited had told them time enought L. Brooks discourse of Episcop 39. but that they were destined to destruction that if they forbare to touch the supreme Authority of the Land which they affected it was but as once Mercury spared Jupiters thunderbolts which he durst not steal lest they should roar too loud or at least burn his fingers The land is as the garden of Eden i. e. of all kinde of pleasures and delights Eden inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Gen. 2.8 and 13.10 Strabo speaks spitefully of the land of Canaan as if it were a dry stony and barren countrey not worth the seeking after Rabshaketh shews more ingenuity then this Strabus pravus Strabo as one therefore calleth him 2 King 18.32 Tacitus commends it for a fertile soil so doth Pliny but above all the holy Scripture setteth it forth to be Sumen totius orbis Heidfeld a land flowing with milk and honey c. Exod. 3.15 Deut. 32.13 and behind them a desolate wildernesse Not such a wildernesse as yeelded pastures and habitations for shepherds chap. 1.19 20. but utterly desolate and therefore unhabitable as under the Torrid Zone No place can be so pleasant but sinne can lay it waste A fruitfull land turneth the Lord into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107.34 There is no foot-step left at this day of that gallant Garden planted by God himself or if any cecidit rosa sit spina the place remains in the upper part of Chaldea but not the pleasantnesse of the place The like we may say of Sodom of Jerusalem of Greece of Asia the lesse of Germany Ireland c. England hath hitherto subsisted meerly by a miracle of Gods mercy and by a prop of his extraordinary patience The Lord continue it to the glory of his Name and the good of his poor people Fiat fiat Verse 4. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses and as horsemen i. e. the Locusts and other Insects come on amain they march with much nimblenesse and swiftnesse An horse is a warlike creature full of terrour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pausan so swift in service that the Persians dedicated him to their god the Sun as the swiftest creature to the swiftest god See Job 41.20 Prov. 21.31 In Persia they do all almost on horseback they buy sell confer but especially fight on horseback to this day So they did of old and so did the Chaldeans from whom they took the Monarchy These were horsemen and not as horsemen this place therefore is properly and principally to be understood of the locusts Confer Rev. 9.7 Verse 5. Like the noise of charets on the the tops of mountains Not onely on the tops of standing-corn as other Locusts which therehence also have their name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as the hurry of charrets in stony places Rev. 9.9 For in that book of the Revelation the Pen-man