upon Revelations and fained Miracles think the same of Rantâ—rs Quakers and some Anabaptists prove Palea that is chaff hay and stubble that shall be surely burnt 1 Cor. 3.11 Some render the text Quid paleae cum tritico what hath chaff to do with the wheat as Hos 14.9 Joh. 2.4 Away with any such mixtures In the writings of some Sectaries Sunt bona mista malis sunt mala mista bonis The speech in the text seemeth to have been Proverbial and is not unlike that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. and those in humane Authors Quid sceptre plectro Suid. Qui specillo gladio quid lecytho strophio quid hyaenae cani quid bovi delphino quid cani balneo c. So what communion hath faith and unbelief zeal and passion c. And yet unbelief may be with faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Mar. 9.24 zeal with passion yea in young Christians heat and passion goeth sometimes for zeale and yet it is but chaff which when blown away the heap is little else but wheat that is saith zeal humility though we have lesse pride passion presumption But this by the way only Ver. 29. Is not my Word like a fire As it is like solid wheat wholesom food 1 Tim. 6.3 so it is no lesse liâ—e fire that most active Element called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is pure saith One and fire because it is fair It inlighteneth enliveneth warmeth purgeth assimilateth aspireth consumeth combustible matter congregat hâ—mogenea segregat heterogenia so doth the Word when accompanied by the Spirit who is of a fiery nature and of a fiery operation Isa 4.4 Mal. 3.2 Matth. 3.11 The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and thee are life Job 6.65 Did not our hearts burn within us whiles he talked with us by the way and opened unto us the holy Scriptures Luke 24.32 when the word comes home to the heart in the power of it the preacher was sent of God See Gal. 2.8 And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces i. e. The rockiest hearts and sturdiest stomacks are tamed terrified by the Word when God once takes them to do Iâ— is as his plough to break up their fallow ground and as his sword to run them through Jer. 4 Heb. 4. and to lay them for dead Rom. 7. And like as the hardest ice is broken with hot waters as well as with hammers so is the hardest heart with the Gospel as well as with the Law Ver 30. Behold I am against those Prophets Heb. Behold I against by an angry Aposiopesis That steal my Word every one from his neighbour That filth it either by hiding it from others as the Popish Doctors do from the common people or by wresting it to the defence of their false doctrines as Marcion the heretike whom therefore Tertullian fitly calleth Murem Ponticum the rat of Pontus for his gnawing and tawing of the Scriptures to bring them to his purpose Or by a fraudulent imitating of Gods true Prophets taking up their parables and making use of their expressions such as are Thus saith the Lord Grace be to you and peace c. Wasps also have their combs as well as Bees and Apes will be doing as they see men to do Or lastly by causing the people ro forget and lose the good that they had once learned of the true Prophets This we see daily done by the cunning fetches and flatteries of the Seducers of our times causing many to lose the things that they had wrought 2 Joh. 8. Ver. 31. That use their tongues Or abuse them rather to smoothing and soothing up people in their sins lenificant linguas id est blando sermone alliciunt plebem they flatter and collogue or tollunt linguam they sift up their tongues viz. by extolling themselves and speaking magnifically of their own doing As one hath observed of some Sectaries amongst us that they often call upon their hearers to mark Dulcorantium mollificantium False Prophets sooth sweeten men for it may be they shall hear that which they never heard before When the thing is either false or if true no more then is ordinarily taught by others and which they have stolen out of the writings of others And say He saith See on ver 30. Ver. 32. That cause my people to erre by their lyes and by their lightnesse By their lying discorses and light or lose courses So Zeph. 3.4 Judg. 9.4 If these false Prophets had been of a sober grave behaviour the people might have been with better excuse deluded by them as Aristotle noteth of Eudoxus and the same is true of Epicâ—rus himself as Tully telleth us that he prevailed much in disputing for pleasure because he was no voluptuous man himself But these in the text were no lesse leud then loud lyars Ver. 33. What is the burthen of the Lord Ironicum interrogandi genus thus they profanely asked by way of scoff or despite such as he will drive down their throats again plaguing them for their profane malignity Then shalt thou say What burthen q d. I 'le burden you to some purpose sith ye profanely count and call my Word a burthen you shall suddenly have your back-burthen of plagues and miseries for the contempt of it I will even forsake you And then Woe be unto you Hos 9.12 you shall be eased of these burthens and of me together and that you 'l find misery enough See chap. 12.7 Learn therefore to speak holily and honourably of Gods Word left thou hear this Word of his Thou shalt never enter into my rest Ver. 34. That shall say The burthen of the Lord Nempe per lâ—dibrium in contempt and derision See 2 Chron. 36.16 Ver. 35. Thus shall ye say God sets them a form who otherwise knew not how to lisp out a syllable of sober language Loquamur verba Scripturae saith Peter Ramus utamur sermone Spiritus Sancti Let us inure our selves to Scripture-Expressions Ver. 36. For every mans word shall be his burthen That jear of his aforementioned shall lye heavy upon him and cost him dear for under the weight he shall sink and be crusht in pieces Ver. 37. Thus shalt thou say to the Prophet See on ver 35. Ver. 38. But sith ye say The burthen of the Lord Sith ye accuse me as unmerciful my Word as a ponderous burthen and my Messengers as telling you nothing but terrible things and bloody businesses which therefore you are resolved to slight and neglect Ver. 39. Therefore behold I even I will utterly forget you I nunc ergo lude pasquillis putidis dicteriis saith One. Go thy waies now thou that thinkest it a goodly thing to gibe and jear at Gods Ministers and their messages Consider of this dreadful denunciation and thereby conceive aright of the hainousnesse of thy sin for God doth not use to kill flies upon mens foreheads
bee soon cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb Vers 29. Hee that troubleth his own house Either by prodigality or excessive parsimony Prodigi singulis auribus bina aut terna dependent patrimonia saith Seneca wee have known great Rents soon turned into great Ruffes and Lands into Laces For parsimony and cruelty see the Note on Chap. 15.27 Shall inherit the wind That is shall bring all to nothing as hee did that having wasted his estate vainly vaunted that hee had left himself nothing praeter coelum coenum Livius His substance shall flye up like smoak into the air and nothing bee left to maintain him on earth And when all his goods are gone his liberty must go after for this fool shall bee servant to the wise in heart if not his life as that notorious unthrift Apicius who having eaten up his estate and finding by his account that hee had no more than two hundred thousand Crowns remaining Dio. thought himself poor and took down a glass of poyson Vers 30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life i. e. The commodities and comforts that one may every way receive from a righteous person for est aliquid quod à viro bono etiam tacente discas Seneca saith Seneca somewhat a man may learn from a good man even when hee sayes nothing are more than can bee imagined Plutarch reporteth that the Babylonians make three hundred and threescore several commodities of the Palm-tree and do therefore greatly honour it Should not wee much more honour the multivarious gifts of God in his righteous ones for our good For whether it bee Paul or Apollo or Cephas All is ours 1 Cor. 3. And hee that winneth souls And useth singular art and industry therein as Fowlers do to take birds for so the Hebrew word imports or Fisher-men fishes Hee is wise and wiseth others as Daniel hath it Chap. 12.3 hee is just and justifieth others hee shall save a soul from death Jam. 5.20 Hee shall shine as a star in heaven And this is instanced as one special fruit of that tree of life mentioned in the former Hemistich This is a noble fruit indeed sith one soul is more worth than a world as hee hath told us who only went to the price of it Matth. 16.26 Vers 31. The righteous shall bee recompensed i. e. Chastened afflicted judged of the Lord that they may not bee condemned with the world for their sufferings are not penal but medicinal or probational and they have it here in the earth which is their house of Correction not in Hell Much more the wicked Nahum 1.9 Non surget hic afflictio these shall bee totally and finally consumed at once See the Note on 1 Pet. 4.17 18. See also my Love-tokens pag. 69. c. CHAP. XII Vers 1. Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge HEre is shewed that Adversity is the best University saith an Interpreter Schola crucis schola lucis Corrections of instruction are the way of life Vexatio dat intellectum Men commonly beat and bruise their links before they light them to make them burn the brighter God first humbles whom hee means to illuminate as Gideon took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them hee taught the men of Succoth Judg. 8.16 See my Treatise on Rev. 3.19 pag. 152. c. Mr. Ascham was a good school-master to Queen Elizabeth but affliction was a better as one well observeth That verse was much in her mouth Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Virgil. But hee that hateth reproof Whether it bee by the rebukes of men or the Rod of God hee is brutish tardus est hee is fallen below the stirrop of reason hee is a beast in mans shape nothing is more irrational than irreligion That sapless fellow Nabal would hear nothing there was no talking to him no dealing with him but as Horse and Mule that have no understanding Psal 32.9 Basil complains of the Western Churches that they were grown so proud Epist ad Evagr ut quid verum sit neque sciant neque sustineant discere that they neither knew what was truth nor would bee taught better Such are near to ruine and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 See the Note there Vers 2. A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord Or Hath what hee will of God id quod vult a domino impetrat quia ejus voluntas est ipsissima Dei voluntas nec aliud vult Thus Mercer out of Rabbi Levi. Thus it is written of Luther that by his prayers hee could prevail with God at his pleasure When great gifts were offered him hee refused them with this brave speech Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari à Deo I solemnly protested to God that I would not bee put off with these low things And on a time praying for the recovery of a godly useful man among other passages hee let fall this transcendent rapture of a daring Faith Fiat mea voluntas Let my will bee done and then falls off sweetly Mea voluntas Domine quia tua My will Lord because thy will Here was a good man here was a blessed man according to that Rule Beatus est qui habet quicquid vult nihil male vult Blessed is hee that hath what hee will and wills nothing but what hee should But a man of wicked devices Such as no good man is hee doth not plot or plow mischief hee doth not cater and make provision for the flesh Rom. 13. there is no way of wickedness found in him the peace is not broken betwixt God and him because his mind never yeelds to sin Rom. 7.25 Psal 139 hee walks not after the flesh but after the spirit therefore no condemnation Rom. 8.1 If an evil thought haunt his heart as eftsoons it befals it is the device of the man hee is not the man of such devices The wicked on the contrary is wholly made up of sinful thoughts and purposes and is in the midst of them therefore God will call him to an heavy reckoning Jer. 6.19 Rev. 2.23 Vers 3. A man shall not bee established by wickedness For hee laies his foundation upon fire-work and brimstone is scattered upon his house top if the fire of God from Heaven but flash upon it it will bee all on a light flame immediately Hee walks all day upon a mine of gun-powder and hath God with his armies ready to run upon the thickest bosses of his buckler and to hurle him to Hell How can this man bee sure of any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cain built Cities but could not rest in them Ahab begat seventy sons but not one successor in the Kingdome Phocas having built a mighty wall heard from Heaven Though thy walls were as high as Heaven sin is under it and will subvert it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin hath no settledness But the root of the righteous
world to his own glory For also there is that neither day nor night seeth c. i. e. Perdius pernox by day and by night I busied my self in this search so that a little sleep served my turn all the while Nullus mihi per otium exiit dies partem etiam noctium studiis vendico saith Seneca I studied day and night and followed it with all possible eagernesse Thuanus tells of a Country-man of his whom he called Franciscus Vieta Fontenejus a very learned man that hee was so set upon his study that for three daies together sometimes hee would sit close at it sine cibo somno nisi quem cubito innixus nec se loco movens capiebat without meat or sleep more than what for meer necessity of nature hee took leaning upon his Elbow Solomon seems by this text to have been as sharp set for the finding out the way of Divine Administration and the true reason of Divine dispensations But hee got little further than to see that it far exceeded all humane capacity and apprehension Majores majora noverunt Deus det vobis plus sapere quam dico saith a Father when hee said what hee could to some one of Gods works of wonder i. e. They who are more learned know and God grant you may understand more than I say Vers 17. That a man cannot finde out the work No not the wisest that is the very best Empirick in this kinde cannot Let him labour never so much to finde it hee shall but bee tossed in a Labyrinth or as a wayfaring man in a desert Granger If a man cannot define any thing because the forms of things are unknown if hee know not the creatures themselves ab imo ad summum from the lowest to the highest neither shall hee know the reasons and manner of them As a man may look on a Trade and never see the mystery of it hee may look on artificial things pictures watches c. and yet not see the Art whereby they are made As a man may look on the letter and never understand the sense So it is here and wee must content our selves with a learned ignorance Si nos non intelligimus quid quare fiat Aug. in Psal 148. debeamus hoc providentiae quod non fiat sine causa If wee understand not why any thing is done let us owe this duty to Providence to bee assured that it is not done without cause CHAP. IX Vers 1. For all this I considered in mine heart HEE that will rightly consider of any thing had need to consider of many things all that do concern it all that do give light unto it had need to bee looked into or else wee fall too short Sis ideo in partes circumspectissimus omnes Even to declare all this Or To clear up all this to my self Symmachus rendred it Ut ventilarem haec universa that I might sift and search out all these things by much tossing and turning of the thoughts Truth lies low and close and must with much industry bee drawn into the open light That the righteous and the wise These are terms convertible The worlds wisards shall one day cry out Nos insensati Wee fools counted their lives madness c. And their works Or Their services actions imployments all which together with themselves are in the hand of God who knows them by name and exerciseth a singular providence over them so that they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation The enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him Psal 89.22 What a sweet providence was it that when all the Males of Israel appeared thrice in the year before the Lord at Jerusalem none of their neighbour-Nations though professed enemies to Israel should so much as desire their Land Exod. 34.24 And again that after the slaughter of Gedaliah so pleasant a Country left utterly destitute of inhabitants and compassed about with such warlike Nations as the Ammonites Moabites Edomites Philistims c. was not invaded nor replanted by forreiners for seventy years space but the room kept empty till the return of the Naturals No man knows either love or hatred c. That is the thing hee either loves or hates say some Interpreters by reason of the fickleness of his easily alterable affections How soon was Amnons heart estranged from his Thamar and Ahashuerosh from his Minion Haman the Jews from John Baptist the Galatians from Paul c But I rather approve of those that refer this love and hatred unto God understanding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a divine manner and make the meaning to bee that by the things of this life which come alike to all as the next verse hath it no man can make judgement of Gods love or hatred towards him The sun of prosperity shines as well upon brambles of the wilderness as fruit-trees of the Orchard the snow and hail of adversity lights upon the best gardens as well as upon the wilde waste Ahab's and Josia's ends concur in the very circumstances Saul and Jonathan though different in their deportments yet in their deaths they were not divided 2 Sam. 1.23 How far wide then is the Church of Rome that borrows her marks from the market plenty or cheapness c. And what an odde kinde of reasoning was that of her Champions with Marsh the Martyr whom they would have perswaded to leave his opinions Acts and Mon. fol. 1411. because all the bringers up and favourers of that Religion as the Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolk for instance had evil luck and were either put to death or in prison and in danger of life Again the favourers of the Religion then used had wondrous good luck and prosperity in all things c. Vers 2. All things come alike to all See the Note on vers 1. Health Wealth Honours c. are cast upon good men and bad men promiscuously God makes a scatter of them as it were good men gather them bad men scramble for them Nihil est nisi mica panis The whole Turkish Empire saith Luther is nothing else but a crust cast by Heavens great House-keeper to his Doggs And hee that sweareth as hee that feareth an oath No surer sign of a prophane person than common and customary swearing Neither any so good an evidence of a gracious heart as not onely to forbear it for so one may do by education and civil conversation but to fear an oath out of an awful regard to the divine Majesty Plato and other Heathens shall rise up and condemn our common swearers for they when they would swear said no more but Ex animi sententia Suidas or if they would swear by their Jupiter out of the meer dread and reverence of his name they forbare to mention him Clinias the Pythagorean out of this regard would rather undergo a mulct of three talents Acts and
and abilities to do good dum solis contemplationis studiis inardescunt Past. Cur. p. 1. c. 5. parere utilitati proximorum praedicatione refugiuâ— while they burn in the studies of contemplation onely do shun to seek by preaching to profit their neighbours Solomon was none of these Yea hee gave good heed Or hee made them to take good heed Ausâ—ultare fecit Pag. Ar. Mon. tan hee called upon them ever and anon as our Saviour did upon his hearers Let him that hath an ear to hear hear Or as the Deacons in Chrysostoms and Basils time used to call upon the people in these words Oremus attendamus Let us pray let us give heed And sought out By diligent scrutiny and hard study beating his brains as the foul bears the shell to get out the fish with great vehemency The staves were alway in the Ark to shew saith Gregory that Preachers should alwaies meditate in their hearts upon the sacred Scriptures that if need require they may without delay take up the Ark teach the people And set in order many Proverbs Marshalled them in a fit method and set others a work for to do the like Dan. 68. For Regis ad exemplum c. Our Henry the first sirnamed Beauclerk had in his youth some taste of learning And this put many of his subjects into the fashion of the Book so that divers learned men flourished in his time as Ethan Heman Chaâ—col Agur and other Paroemiographers did in Solomons Luther Vers 10. The Preacher sought c. Hee sought and sought by pains and prayer Hee knew the rule Bene orasse est bene studuisse To have prayed well is to have studied well By prayer and tears St. John gat the Book opened Rev. 5.4 Luther got much of his insight into Gods matters by the same means To finde out acceptable words Verba desiderata so Cajetan renders it Verba delectabilia so Tremellius Verba expetibilia so Vatablus Delectable and desireable words dainty expressions that might both please and profit tickle the ear Intoâ—abat fulgurabat Cicero Plutarch and withall take the heart Such a Master of speech was Paul Act. 14.12 who thundred and lightened in his discourses like another Pericles Such a one was Apollos that eloquent Preacher mighty in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like another Phocion a weighty Speaker such were many of the Greek and Latine Fathers Ambrose for one whom when Augustine heard preach Veniebant saith hee in animum meum simul cum verbis quae deligebam etiam res quas negligebam there came into my mind together with the words which I chiefly looked after the matter which till then I made no reckoning of Et res verba Philippus Melanchthon could dress his doctrine in dainty tearms and so slide insensibly into the hearts of his hearers Egit vir eloquens ut intelligenter ut obedienter audiretur De doct Christ l. 4. c. 14. as Augustine hath it This eloquent man took pains that hee might bee heard with understanding with obedience The like might bee said of Calvin famous for the purity of his style and the holiness of his matter Zanch. Miscell Ep. dedic Viret in whose Sermons singularem eloquentiam in commovendis affectibus efficacitatem admirabar saith Zanchy I greatly admired at his singular eloquence and skill to work upon the affections by his elaborate discourses And that which was written was upright A corde ad cor void of all insincerity and falshood Prov. 8.8 Seducers come for the most part with pithanology by good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16.18 But our Preachers words are of another alloy not more delicious and toothsome than sound and wholesome 2 Tim. 3.16 proceeding from a right heart and tending to make men upright transforming them into the same image and transfusing them into the Divine nature Vers 11. The words of the wise are like goads To rouse up mens drousie and drossie spirits to drive them as the Eagle doth her young ones with her talons out of the nest of carnal security to awaken them out of the snare of the Devil who hath cast many into such a dead lethargy such a dedolent disposition that like Dionysius the Heracleot they can hardly feel sharpest goads or needles thrust into their fat hearts fat as grease Psal 119.17 St. Peter so preached that his hearers were prickt at heart Act. 2.37 St. Stephen so galled his adversaries that they were cut to the heart Act. 7.54 And before them both how â—â—rely and boldly dealt John Baptist and our Saviour Christ with those enemies of all Righteousness the Pharisees qui toties puncti ac repuncti nunquam tamen ad resipiscentiam compuncti as one saith of them who like those Bears in Pliny or Asses of Tuscany that have fed on hemlock were so stupified that no sharp words would work upon them or take impression in their hearts so brawny were their breasts so horny their heart-strings And as nails Such as Shepheards fastened their tents to the ground with Jael drove one of these tent-nails thorow Sisera's Temples Judg. 4. and laid his body as it were a listening what was become of the soul Now as nails driven into pales do fasten them to their rails so the godly and grave sentences of Teachers those Masters of Assemblies do peirce into mens hearts to unite them unto God by Faith and one to another in love Our exhortations truly should bee strong and well pointed not onely to wound as arrows but to stick by the people as forked arrows that they may prove as those of Joash the arrows of the Lords deliverance And surely it were to be wished in these unsetled and giddy times especially that people would suffer such words of exhortation as like goads might prick them on to pious practice and like nails might fix their wilde conceits that they might bee stedfast and unmoveable stablished in the truth and not whiffled about with every wind of Doctrine But wee can look for no better so long as they have so mean an esteem of the Ministers those Masters of the Assemblies whose Office it is to congregate the people and to preside in the Congregations which are given from one Shepheard 1 Pet. 2.25 the Arch-Shepheard of his Sheep Jesus Christ who in the daies of his solemn inauguration into his Kingdome gave these gifts unto men viz. some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers c. Ephes 4.11 What a mouth of blasphemy then opens that Schismatical Pamphleter The Compas Samarit that makes this precious gift of Christ to his Spouse this sacred and tremend function of the Ministery to bee as meer an Imposture as very a mystery of iniquity as arrant a juggle as the Papacy it self Vers 12. And further by these my son bee admonished By these divine directions and documents contained in this short Book
exercised and encreased at the Lords Table that heavenly Love-feast Ubi cruci haeremus Cyprian sanguinem sugimus inter ipsa Redemptoris nostri vulnera figimus linguam whereat wee climb the cross as it were suck Christs blood suck hony out of the Rock Deut. 32.13 feed heartily and hungerly upon his flesh as Eagles do upon the slain Matth. 24 38. This Luther calls crapulam sanctum a gracious gourmandise Luther whiles wee lean upon his bosome and feed without fear sending forth our sweet odours our pillars of incense by lifting up many an humble joyful and thankful heart to him living by his Laws and being a savour of life to others But what shall wee think of those that stink above ground poison the very air they breathe upon defile the visible Heavens which must therefore bee purged by the fire of the last day and by their rotten communication and unclean conversation spread their infections and send the Plague to their neighbours as those Ashdodites Gittites and Ekronites did 1 Sam. 5. Vers 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my Well-beloved c. The Bride proceeds to return all the glory to her Bridegroom of all that good that hee had praised her for before by a second similitude here and by a third in the next verse for in this argument shee thinks shee can never say sufficient It is the manner of Maids to wear Nosegaies of sweet flowers in their bosomes and to make no small account of them Myrrhe is marvellous sweet and savoury Psal 45.8 Prov. 7.17 See Plin. lib. 12. cap. 15 16. but nothing so sweet as the Lord Christ is to those that have spiritual senses Whom therefore the Spouse here placeth between her breasts that there-hence the sweet savour may ascend into her Nostrils Again Myrrhe hath a bitter root Mark 15.23 Christ seems bitter at first because of afflictions but if wee suffer with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Matth. 2 wee shall also reign together with him Thirdly Myrrhe was very precious Hence the Wise-men offered it to Christ at his birth Christ is of that esteem with his people elect and precious 1 Pet. 2.6 That as wise Merchants they make a thorow-sale of all to purchase him Matth. 13. Lastly Myrrhe is of a preserving nature and was therefore made use of at funerals see John 19.39 In like sort Christ as hee doth by his Spirits heat exsiccate or dry up the superfluity of our degenerate nature whereby body and soul is preserved to eternal life so after our bodies are turned to dust hee still preserves a substance which hee will raise again at the last day Hence the Saints are said to sleep in Jesus to bee dead in Christ who shall raise our vile bodies and make them like unto his own glorious body in beauty brightness grace favour agility ability Phil. 3.21 and other Angelical excellencies Hee shall lye all night betwixt my breasts This is Christs proper place My son give mee thine heart Christ should dwell in the heart by Faith Ephes 3.17 But too too often hee is shut out and adultery found between the breasts as Hos 2.2 there they carried the signs of their Idolatry as Papists now do their crucifixes to testifie that the Idol had their hearts But what saith Mr. Bradford Martyr in a certain letter As the wife will keep her bed onely for her husband although in other things shee is content to have fellowship with others as to speak sit eat drink go c. So our Consciences which are Christs wives must needs keep the bed that is Gods sweet promises a lonely for our selves and our husband to meet together to embrace and laugh together and to bee joyful together If sin the Law the Devil Act. Mor. 1503. or any thing would creep into the bed and lye there then complain to thy husband Christ and forthwith thou shalt see him play Phineahs part c. And again in another Letter Think on the sweet mercies and goodness of God in Christ Here here is the resting-place here is the Spouses bed creep into it and in your arms of Faith imbrace him Ib. 1â—9 Bewail your weakness your unworthiness your diffidence and you shall see hee will turn to you What said I you shall see Nay I should have said you shall feel hee will turn to you c. Vers 14. My beloved is unto mee as a cluster of Camphire My Beloved and unto Mee This particular application is the very quintessence and pith of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the property of true Faith to individuate Christ to appropriate him to her self as if hee were wholly and solely hers Shee adjudgeth him in special to her self with My Beloved my Strength and my Redeemer my Lord and my God This when Thomas did Now thou beleevest said our Saviour John 20.29 Were it not for this word of Possession Mine the Devil might say the Creed to as good purpose as any of us Hee beleeves there is a God and a Christ but that which torments him is hee can say My to never an article of Faith Wicked men likewise may Credere Deum Deo sed non in Deum they may hear with joy and have a taste yea and apply the promises but they do it presumptuously and sacrilegiously because they accept not of Christ upon Christs tearms take not whole Christ in all his Offices and Efficacies would have him as a Saviour but not as a Soveraign they make not a total resignation of themselves to Christ as Paul did Gaâ— 2.19 20. As a cluster of Camphire Or As the Cypress-berry within his white flower sweet Plin. lib. 12. cap. 14. pleasant and very fragrant They thaâ— talk here of the Island Cyprus are as far from the sense as that Island is from Engedi which was a place in the Land of Canaan in the tribe of Judah near unto the Dead Sea Hither fled David one time when Saul pursued him And here Jehosaphat had that notable victory over his enemies by the power of prayer 2 Chron. 20. This was a fruitful soil for Gardens and Vineyards Ezek. 47.10 Now the Cypress-tree as also other Aromatical-trees grow best in Vineyards And the Church forgetting her self as it were and transported with love to Christ heaps up thus one similitude upon another Amor Christi est ecstaticus neque juris se sinit esse sui R. Solomon Jarchi doth out of their Agada note Rev. 22.2 that this Cophir in the text is a tree that bringeth fruit four or five times yearly Christ is that tree of life that yeelds fruit every month being more fruitful than the Lemmon-tree Sol. cap. 45. or the Egyptian Fig-tree that bears seven times a year as Solinus reporteth Our English Bibles call it Camphire which being smelled unto doth naturally keep under or weaken carnal lust saith one Now if that should bee here intended how fitly is it here
justness of their cause their obedience to God c. This Hereticks can never make good Well they may pretend that they suffer for righteousness sake and stile themselves as the Swenck feldians did The confessours of the glory of Christ Well they may cry out as that Heretick Dioscorus did in the Council of Chalcedon I am cast out with the Fathers I defend the doctrine of the Fathers I transgress them not in any point Well they may seem to bee ambitious of wearing a Tiburn-tippeâ— as Campian and cry out with Gentilis the Antitrinitarian Se pro gloria Altissimi Dei pati that hee suffered death for the glory of the most High God Hee that hateth dissembleth with his lips saith Solomon of such subtle Foxes and layeth up deceit within him When hee speaketh fair beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov. 26.24 25. Hereticks are notably cunning and no less cruel as the Arians and Donaetists were of old the Papists Matth. 8. Socinians and others of the same bran at this day These Foxes have holes they cunningly creep or shoot themselves into houses by their pithanology and counterfeit humility they lead captive silly women and by them 2 Tim. 3.6 their husbands they take them prisoners as the word signifies and then make prize of them 2 Pet. 2.3 they bring them into bondage and devour them as St. Paul saith of those deceitful workers the Foxes of his time 2 Cor. 11.13 20. they fraudulently foist in false doctrines 2 Pet. 2.1 Heresies of perdition and so corrupt the Vineyard as the Master of the Vineyard complains Jer. 12.10 shipwrack the Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 subvert whole houses Tit. 1.11 and are therefore to bee taken or clubd down as Pests and common mischiefs to mankind to the younger sort especially those tender Grapes which they chiefly covet and catch at And here in hunting of these cruel crafties that counsel would bee taken that Saul gave the Ziphites concerning an innocent man that deserved it not Go I pray you prepare yee and know 1 Sam. 23.22 23 and see his place where his haunt is and who hath seen him there for it is told mee that hee dealeth very subtilly See therefore and take knowledge of all the lurking places where hee hideth himself c. Vers 16. My Beloved is mine and I am his Hitherto the Church hath related Christs words to her self and others Now shee shuts up the whole discourse with praise of Christ here and prayer to him vers 17. In praising him shee preacheth her own blessedness in that spiritual Union that mystical marriage that is betwixt them My Beloved is mine c. q. d. I am sure hee is mine and I can boldly speak it Many lay claim to him which have no share in him they deeply affirm of him but have no manner of right to him their faith is but fancy their confidence presumption they are like that mad-man of Athens that claimed every rich ship that came to shore when as hee had no part in any or Haman who hearing that the King would honour a man concluded but falsely that himself was the man Like Idolatrous Micah they conceit that God will bless them for the Levites sake Judg. 17.13 which was no such matter And like Sisera they dream of a Kingdome when as Jaels nail is nearer their Temples than a Crown The condition of such self-soothers and self-seekers is nothing different from his that dreaming upon a steep place of some great happiness befallen him starts suddenly for joy and falling down with the start breaks his neck at the bottom The true beleever is upon a far better ground his faith is unfeigned his hope is unfailable Hee knows whom hee hath trusted hee knows and beleeves the love that God hath to him 1 John 4.16 hee hath gotten a full gripe of Christ and is sure that neither death nor life c. shall separate him from Christ Hee hath comprehended him or rather is comprehended of him Phil. 3.12 Christ hath laid hold on him by his Spirit and hee hath laid hold on Christ by Faith the property whereof is to put on close to Christ and Christ to him yea to unite us to Christ so that hee that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 as truly one as those members are one body which have the same soul or as man and wife are one flesh as they two are one matrimonial flesh so Christ and his people are one mystical Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 Well therefore may the Church here glorifie Christ and glory in her own happiness by him saying My Beloved is mine and I am sure of it and cannot bee deceived for I am his all that I am is his I have made a total resignation of my whole self unto him and have put him in full possession of all I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee Gal. 2.20 Christ is All-sufficient to mee and I am altogether his His is as a Covenant of mercy mine of obedience Wherein I do as it were by Indenture with highest estimations most vigorous affections and utmost indeavours bestow my self upon him and I accept of whole Christ in all his offices and efficacies Hee feedeth among the Lillies Before shee was to seek and goes to Christ to bee resolved where hee fed Chap. 1.7 Now after more intimate communion with him shee is able to resolve herself and others where hee feeds his flock viz. among the Lillies that is in sweet and soft pastures Psal 23.2 in those Mountains of spices Cant. 8.14 those bounties of holiness the glorious Ordinances wherein Christ feeds his people and feasts them daily and daintily pleasantly and plentifully with the best of the best fat things full of marrow Wine on the Lees well refined Isa 25.6 to the gladding of their hearts and greatning of their Faith so that they grow up as the Lillies Hos 14.5 as the Calves of the stall as the willows by the water-courses Isa 44.4 And as Lillies are not more beautiful than fertile Una radice quinquagenos saepe emittente bulbos Plin. yea the dropping of the Lilly will cause and beget more Lillies so the Lilly-white Saints will bee working upon others and bringing them to Christ as Andrew did Peter and Philip Nathaniel John 1.41 45. True goodness is generative Charity is no churl c. Vers 17. Until the day break and the shadows flee away Until that day dawn that last and glorious day when Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall appear and chase away the shadows of sin and misery wherewith I am here benighted Umbra terrae noctem facit Isidor Etym. lib. 5. cap. 13. Turn about my Beloved And though thou leave mee for a time as thou art a God that hidest thy self Isa 45.15 yet never forsake mee but let thine heart bee ever upon mee and thine hand ready to help at
unto men and there-hence hee went forth abroad the whole world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Here therefore the Spouse seeks him amongst the people of God and in his Word and Ordinances Shee knew well that hee fed his flock among those Lillies used to go down into that his garden of spices Cant. 6.1 2. to take a turn amidst those golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 to take a view of his Wedding guests Mat. 22.11 yea to eat and drink in their presence and to teach in their streets Luk. 13.26 Abroad shee gets therefore and that presently I will rise now Saith shee lest I lose mine opportunity for if so I may seek it with tears and go without it with sorrow Men may purpose promise and expect a time of healing and curing when they shall bee deceived and finde a time of trouble Jer. 14.17 Many I say unto you shall seek to enter and shall not bee able Luk. 13.24 yea they shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord but they shall not finde him hee hath withdrawn himself from them Hos 5.6 They came too late belike they sought not the Lord while hee was to bee found vel sero vel certe non serio quaerebant they called not upon him while hee was near they stayed till hee was out of call Prov. 1.28 till hee was resolved to return either no answer at all or such a sad answer as the Jews had from him because they stood out their day of grace Yee shall seek mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come John 7.34 And again I go my way and yee shall seek mee and shall dye in your sins John 8.21 Oh dreadful sentence The Church her self here though never so dear to Christ seems to some to bee guilty of sloth and slackness in seeking after Christ and doing it in her bed as loth at first to disease her self or in holding him while shee had him if whilst shee was sleeping hee slipt away from her side The wise Virgins also were napping and nodding Mat. 25. and holy Austin confesseth that hee could not answer that clear text whereby hee was called out of his sinful course Confess lib. 8. cap. 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead c. but onely by that wish of the sluggard Modo ecce modo Sinite paululum c. A little more sleeps a little more slumbers c. little and yet sleeps in the plural Thus Modo Modo non habent modum Sinite paululum ibit in longum as that Father hath it Somewhat it was surely that makes the Church resolve as here I will rise now or Let mee rise now I will stir up the gift of God that is in mee I will stir up my self to take better hold of Christ Here is a tacit taxing her self for some former slackness after her former enjoyments and familiar entercourse with Christ Wee are too ready after wee have run well to lye down and take cold which may cause a consumption to please our selves in unlawful liberties when wee have pleased the Lord in lawful duties Hezekiah after his notable service both of prayer and thanksgiving fondly over-shoots himself to the Babylonish Embassadors Jonah after his Embassage faithfully discharged to the Ninivites breaks forth into anger against the Lord. Peter being commended by Christ for the profession of his Faith Mat. 16. fell presently so far wide that hee heard Get thee behinde mee Satan I sought him but I found him not For trial and exercise of her faith and constancy Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 So then shall wee finde if wee follow on to seek Christ fetching him out of his hiding-place as the woman of Canaan did For hee would have hid himself saith the Text but hee could not For a certain woman c. Mark 7.24 25. And as shee set him out so shee followed him close refusing to bee either said nay or sit down with silence or sad answers The like did Jacob Gen. 32. hee wrestled with might and slight hee would have a blessing whether God would or no as wee may say with reverence Let men go saith God No thou shalt not saith Jacob. Let mee alone that I may destroy this people No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter improbitatem by no means saith Moses In seeking of Christ faith is not onely importunate but even impudent Luk. 15.8 and threatens Heaven as Nazianzen said of his sister Gorgonia If hee have lost his mercy shee will finde it for him Isa 63.15 If hee look strange and stern shee will both know him and claim him amidst all his austerities Vers 16. Art not thou our Father Psal 63.8 If hee bee gone never so far shee will follow hard after him so Davids phrase is even as hard as her old leggs will carry as Father Latimer said with Return for thy servants sake Wee are thine c. vers 17 19. O Lord faith the Church in Habakkuk Art not thou from everlasting my God and mine Holy One It was a bold question but God assents to it in a gracious answer ere hee went further Wee shall not dye say they abruptly Hab. 1.12 Nay after two daies for so long it may bee hee will hold us off to try how wee will hold out seeking hee will revive us in the third day hee will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 Or if wee should dye in this waiting condition and in a spiritual desertion yet wee could not misse of Heaven because hee hath said Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30.18 Vers 3. The watchmen that go about the City found mee i. e. The Angels who are Gods watchmen over the world and are so called somewhere in Scripture as also Ministring Spirits guardians of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.10 Ezek. 33.2 c. But here I conceive are meant either those Princes of the world strangers to the mystery of Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 and therefore can tell no tale nor tidings of him For why they are of Gallio's Religion which is no better than a meer irreligion Act. 18.15 being de regione magis soliciti quam de religione as one saith Or else the Officers and Ministers of the Church set as Watch-men upon Jerusalems walls with charge never to hold their peace day nor night Isa 62.6 But they alass prove too too oft blind watch-men dumb doggs sleeping lying down loving to slumber Isa 56.16 And such it seems were these here by the small directions they gave the Church or intelligence of her best Beloved Howbeit because the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Heb. 13.1 and they are given for Guides to God however they prove shee repairs to them or rather lighting upon them enquires for Christ Saw yee him whom my soul loveth They that love Christ in
where as amongst the Saints Other Societies are but as the Clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzars Image they may cleave together but not incorporate one into another Shee is the onely one of her Mother i. e. Of the world say some of the flesh say others but they say best that expound it of Jerusalem that is above Gal. 4.26 the Mother of us all Epiphanius makes Faith and Religion the Mother of the Church The Daughters saw her and blessed her i. e. Called and counted her blessed above all other people Happy art thou O Israel Who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord c Deut. 33.29 And yet at that time they seemed to bee nothing so happy as the Moabites Edomites c. as being in a very unsettled condition in the wilderness So David What one Nation in the earth is like thy people like Israel 2 Sam. 7.23 O blessed is the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144.15 Est Ecclesiae Scoticanae privilegium rarum prae multis inquo ejus nomen apud caeteros fuit celebre c. Sic in elogio praefatorâ— de confess in Preâ—cip Syntag confess pag. 6. It is the singular priviledge of the Church of Scotland and they are deservedly famous for it that for this fourscore years and upwards they have kept an unity together with purity of Doctrine without heresie or so much as schism This the daughters other Christian reformed Churches have seen and blessed her yea the Queens and Concubines and they praised her Vers 10. Who is shee that looketh forth as the morning This is the commendation that the Queens and Concubines give her and it is expressed by way of question not because they doubted but for that they admired her excellency See the like Psal 77.13 Mic. 7.17 First the Church is compared to the morning which hath no full light but mixt so that light seems to strive with darkness Then shall thy light break forth as the morning Isa 58.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word here used hath its name from blackness or dimness Next shee is said to be fair as the Moon which is called here Lebanah ab albedine from her whiteness or bright shining In her full the Moon is a very beautiful and fair creature And even in her Eclipse though shee appear dark toward the earth yet is shee bright and radiant in that part which looketh toward heaven So is the Church The Papists would have this Moon alwaies in the full And if shee shew but little light to us or bee eclipsed they will not yield shee is the Moon And yet except in the Eclipse Astronomers demonstrate that the Moon hath at all times as much light as in the full but oftentimes a great part of the bright side is turned to heaven and a lesser part to the earth And so the Church is ever conspicuous to Gods eye though it appear not alwaies so to us The Church waxeth and waneth as the Moon non nunquam etiam in debquio est aspici non potest adeo exiguns numerus fidelium aliquando apparet Elias complained of his aloneness Christ when hee came scarce found faith upon the earth Papists themselves yield that there was but Mary and some few others that looked for the consolation of Israel Christ came to his own and his own received him not John 1.11 hee wondred at one good Nathaniel and sets him forth with an Ecce admirantis Behold an Israelite indeed The mad multitude cried Crucifige with one consent The whole world went wondring after the Beast Revel 13. â— 4. Of Luther it is said Iste virâ—oâ—iuâ— orbis impetum sustinuit that hee had all the world against him as once Athanasius had Latimer saw so few good in his time Mat. 24.12 13 that hee thought the last day had been come Our Saviour foretold that toward that day the love of many should wax cold but hee that endureth to the end shall bee saved Lo it is but a Hee a single man a very few that holdeth out in comparison of the many Apostates that fall from their own stedfastness Here then falls to the ground that Popish and sottish mark of the true Church Universality and visibility Wee deny not that the Church is a multitude of Believers and a Catholick company to the which wee must joyn our selves but that shee is alwaies visible and aspectable as a City on an hill as the Sun in heaven Luna sipet can never bee proved As the Moon shee hath her waâ—es and non-appearances and when at the very brightest and broadest shee may bee mâ—â—â—led up and overcast with a cloud of persecution Such was the paucity and obscurity of Christians in the Arrian times that Basil cries out An Ecclesias suas prorsus dereliquit Dominus Hath the Lord utterly left his Churches c The Ship of the Church was then almost overwhelmed saith Hierome The Church was not then to be sought intectis exâ—eriori pomp in places and external pomp but in dens mines and prisons saith Hillary God hath set the Moon lowest in the heavens and nearest the earth that it might daily put us in mind of the constancy of the one and inconstancy of the other herself in some sort partaking of both Clear as the Sun As having put on Christ that Sun of Righteousness Gal. 3.27 Mal. 4.2 Rev. 12.1 The Sun is so glorious a creature that the Heathens over-admiring it deified it and from the Hebrew word Chammah here used called it Jupiter Hammon The Greeks called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from gnelion the most high God Eudoxes said that hee was made for no other purpose but to behold it and that hee could be content to be presently burnt up by the heat of the Sun so hee might bee admitted to come so near it as to learn the nature of it Chrysost Hom. 8. ad pop Anti. Chrysostome cannot but wonder that whereas all fire naturally tends upwards the Sun should shoot down his raies to the earth and send his light abroad all below him Christ the Father of lights doth the like for his Spouses Jam. 1.17 And as the Pearl by the often beating of the Sun-beams upon it becomes radiant and orient as the Sunne it self So doth the Church and shall do much more when shee shall appear with him in glory Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their father Mat. 13.43 The Sun in his strength compared to them shall bee but as a clod of clay or as those things that shine in the dark but it is onely from their rottenness Three glimpses of this surpassing glory expected by the Saints were seen in Moses his face when hee came from the Mount Mar. 17.2 Mark 9.3 Luke 9.29 in Christs transfiguration when his face did shine as the Sun his rayment was white and glistering so as no fuller can white them and in St. Stevens
for the Church of Christ and having many fears of the good success of his business was much cheared up and confirmed by a company of poor women and children Selneccer paedag Christ whom he found praying together for the labouring Church and casting it by faith into Christs everlasting arms Vers 12. Let us get up early to the Vineyards Heb. Let us morning it A. Gel. l. 3. c. 29 Manicemus that 's Gellius his word Let 's up betime and at it Here shee promiseth not to bee found henceforth unready drowsie sluggish but night and day to watch and attend that hour and to enquire and learn out all the signs and tokens when shee may come to bee perfectly knit to Christ But it is worthy our observation that shee would neither go any way or do any thing without Christs company for shee had lately felt the grief of being without him though but for a small moment as the Prophet hath it Shee had felt her self that while in the suburbs of hell as it were Shee therefore holds him as fast as the restored cripple did Peter and John Acts 3.11 shee cleaves as close to him as Ruth did to Naomi or Elisha did to his master Elijah when now hee knew hee should bee taken from his head 2 Kin. 2.2 Shee seems here to speak to Christ as once Barach did to Deborah If thou wilt go with mee Judg. 4.8 then I will go but if thou wilt not go with mee I will not go And whereas shee seemeth as the forwarder of the two to excite and exhort Christ to get up early to visit the Vines c. wee may not imagine any unwillingness in him to the performance of his Office as Shepheard and Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 2.25 or any need on his part to bee quickned and counselled by her as Manoah was by his wife or Aquila by Priscilla whence shee is set before him Rom. 16.3 for who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord or being his counsellor hath taught him Isa 40.13 But the Church requesteth these things of Christ for her own incouragement and further benefit that having his continual presence and fellowship shee may the more chearfully and successefully go on with her duty So when wee press God with arguments in prayer it is not so much to perswade him to help us for the Father himself loveth you John 16.27 Homer saith Christ and needs no arguments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to incite or intice him to shew us mercy as to perswade our own hearts to more faith love humility c. that wee may be in a capacity to receive that mercy that of his own accord hee hath for us and even waits to confer upon us Isa 30.18 Look how a man that would make a bladder capacious to hold sweet spices hee blows it and rubs it and blows it and rubs it many times over to make it hold the more so it is here And as when a man that is in a ship plucks a rock it seems as if hee pluckt the rock nearer the ship when as in very deed the ship is plucked nearer the rock So when Gods people think they draw God to them with their arguments in truth they draw themselves nearer to God who sometimes ascribeth that to us which is his own work Aug. that we may abound more and more Certum est nos facere quod facimus sed ille facit ut faciamus True it is that wee do what wee do but it is hee that giveth us to do what wee do in his service The bowls of the Candle-stick had no oyl but that which dropped from the Olive-branches Whether the tender grape appear Heb. open and so prove it self to bee a grape which in the bud can hardly bee discerned True grace may bee doubted of so long as it is small and feeble Weak things are oft so obscured with their contraries that it remaineth uncertain whether they bee or no. Mark 9.24 Hee that cryed out and that with tears I beleeve Lord help mine unbeleef that is my weak faith could not well tell whether hee had any faith at all or not Adde growth to grace and it will be out of question Mean while that 's a sweet promise Isa 44.3 I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy buds And again Isa 65.8 Thus saith the Lord As the new wine is found in the Cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a blessing is in it so will I do for my servants sake that I may not destroy them all And the Pomegranates bud forth See the note on chap. 4.13 There will I give thee my loves i. e. The fruition of my graces and fruits of thy faith thanks good works c. And this is that which Christ requireth of us all viz. that wee bestow all our loves upon him even the liveliest and warmest of our affections Love him wee must truly that there bee no halting and totally that there bee no halving Hold him wee must better dearer to us than ten sons c. and communicate all our loves to him as best worthy What hee gives us back again wee may bestow upon others wee may love other things but no otherwise than as they convey love to us from Christ and may bee means of drawing our affections unto Christ We must love all things else as they have a beam of Christ in them and may lead us to him accounting that wee rightly love our selves no further than wee love the Lord Jesus Christ with a love of complacency Vers 13. The Mandrakes give a smell Loves and Mandrakes grow both upon one Hebrew root and Tremellius renders it not Mandrakes out lovely flowers yeelding a savour pleasant to the eye and sweet to the smell The Chaldee Paraphrast calleth it Balsam Legesis August lib. 22. contra Faust Manichaeum cap. 56. Jun in Genes 30.14 Drus in fine comment in Ruth Aben-ezra saith that Mandrakes are fragrant and yield a pleasant favour that they have head and hands like unto a man But how they should be good to cause conception hee wondreth sith by nature they are cold Austin saith that hee made trial and could not finde any such operation to bee in them and that Rachel coveted them meerly for their rarity beauty and sweetness There is enough of these in the Church to draw all hearts unto her but that many men have brawny breasts and horny heart-strings And at our gates are all manner of pleasants Or delicacies precious and pleasant commodities whether fruits metals gems jewels quicquid in deliciis habetur whatsoever is excellent and exquisite in any kinde This is the import of the Hebrew word There is nothing of any worth but it is to bee found in the Church Her wise Merchants not content with the pearl of price seek out other goodly pearls common gifts which also have their use and excellency Mat. 13.45 46. they learn to
also reap in due season if they faint not if they grow not weary of well-doing Gal. 6.9 See the Note on vers 11. Vers 13. Thou that dwellest in the Gardens i. e. O thou Church universal that dwellest in the particular Churches frequently called Gardens in this book The French Protestants at Lions called their meeting-house Paradise The companions hearken to thy voyce The Angels so some interpret it learn of the Church and profit in the knowledge of the manifold wisdome of God in mans redemption Ephes 3.10 1 Cor. 11.10 1 Pet. 1.10 Or rather thy Fellow-Christians thine obedient children that will hearken to their mothers counsell No sooner can shee say Hear and give ear bee not proud for the Lord hath spoken it but they give glory to the Lord their God as Jer. 13.15 16. glorifie his Word Acts 13.48 set to their seals John 3.33 dispute not Christs commands but dispatch them Illi garriant nos credamus said Augustine of hereticks that would not bee satisfied The Philosophers called the Christians Credentes Believers by way of reproach because they believed God upon his bare word Wee believe and know saith Peter John 6.69 And wee believe and speak saith Paul after David 2 Cor. 4.13 And wee believe and practice as Noah and those other Worthies did Heb. 11.7 laying faith for a foundation of all their doings and sufferings in and for the Lord like as Ezra 6.4 the foundation of the Temple was laid with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber This is the guise of the Churches children they are soon perswaded to beleeve and obey their mother whom they look upon as the pillar and ground of truth Cause mee to hear it See the Note on chap. 2.14 Tremellius renders it Fac ut me andiant Cause them to hear mee deliver nothing to them for truth but what is consonant to my Word of truth let all thy doctrines bear my stamp come forth cum privilegeo carry mine authority What said Austin to an adversary it was Faustus the Manichee I trow what matter is it what either thou saiest or I say to this or that point Audiamus ambo quid dicit Dominus Let us both hear what God saith and sit down by it Vers 14. Make haste my beloved Heb. Flee or speed thee away as Amaziah said to Amos Go flee thee away into the land of Judah Amos 7.12 And as a Senatour of Hala in Suevia wrote to Brentius Fuge fuge Brenti cito citius citissime make all possible speed haste haste haste So the Church is at it here with her Come Lord Jesus come quickly O mora Christe veni Thus Augustine as this Book began with a wish so it ends Tota vita boni Christiani sunctum desideriumest The whole life of a good Christian is an holy wish Hee loves and longs and looks for Christs second appearance and even spends and exhales himself in continual salleys and egressions of affection unto him in the mean while Hee hath taken some turns with Christ upon those mountains of spices so heaven is called for its unconceiveable height and sweetness he hath tasted of the grapes of this celestial Canaan hence he is as eager after it Plut. in vita Camilli as once the Gauls were after Italy when they had once tasted of the sweet wine of those grapes that grew there The old character of Gods people was they waited for the consolation of Israel Christs first comming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Isa 16.5 Septu Now they long as much for his second as the espoused maid doth after the marriage as the Apprentice for his freedom the captive for his ransom the traveller for his Inn the mariner for the haven c. looking for and hasting the coming of that day of God 2 Pet. 3.12 Soli Deo gloria in aeternum FINIS A Commentary or Exposition Upon the BOOK Of the Prophet ISAIAH CHAP. I. Verse 1. THE Vision of Isaiah That which was not unfitly affirmed of a Modern Expositor Snepfius that his Commentaries on this Prophesie of Isaiah are mole parvi eruditione magni small in bulk but great in worth may much more fitly be spoken of the Prophesie it self which is aureus quantivis precii libellus worth its weight in gold A great roll or volume it is called chap. 8.6 because it is Magnum in parvo much in a little and is said there to be written with a mans pen that is plainly and perspicuously so little reason was there that John Haselbach Mercat Atlas Professor at Vienna should read twenty and one years to his Auditors upon this first chapter only and yet not finish it I confess there is no Prophesie but hath its obscurity the picture of Prophesie is said to hang in the Popes Library like a Matron with her eyes covered and Jerom saith that this of Isaiah containeth all Rhetorick Ethicks and Theologie But if Brevity and Suavity which Fulgentius maketh to be the greatest graces of a sentence if Eloquence of stile and Evidence of Vision may carry it with the Reader Casaub here they are eminently met in this Seraphical Orator of whom we may far better say then the learned Critick doth of Livy Non ita copiosus ut nimius neque ita suavis ut lascivus nec adeò lenis ut remissus non sic tristis ut horridus neque ita simplex ut nudus aut adeò comptus ut affectatâ compositione calamistris videatur inustus Par verbis materia par sententia ribus c. A Courtier he was and a Master of speech a man of Noble birth and as noble a spirit not the first of the holy Prophets and yet worthily set in the first place as St. Pauls Epistle to the Romans is for like cause set before the rest because in abundance of Visions he exceedeth his fellows and in speaking of the Lord Christ he delivereth himself more like an Evangelist then a Prophet Hieronym Est in fragmentis Demadâ— orationes Demostheniâ— esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Isaiae vision bus idem pâ— Conciones haâ— poenitentialâ— comminator as Consâ—â—ortas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is therefore called The Evangelical Prophet In the New-Testament he is cited by Christ and his Apostles sixty several times at least and by the devouter Heathens he was not a little respected as appeareth by the history of that Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8. The vision That is the several Visions or Doctrines so certainly and clearly revealed to him by God as if he had seen them with his bodily eyes see chap. 2.1 Nahum 1.1 for they are not to be hearkened to who hold that these Seers the Prophets understood not their own prophesies 1 Pet. 1.10 11. though it is true that those holy men of God spake as they were moved acted and powerfully carryed on to see and say as they did by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Of Isaiah Which signifieth
hence his forwardness thus to offer God his service So ought such to do as find themselves fitted for the work If thou hast not Manchet said Bucer to Bradford give the people Barly-bread such as thou canst it will be accepted It is no small commendation to a man to addict himself to the Ministery of the Saints as the House of Stephanus did 1 Cor. 16.15 and to be to every good work ready Tit. 3.1 that is forward and forth-putting cheerful and vigorous Verba indignantis Piscat Ver. 9. And he said Go and tell this people Once my people but now no more so Loammi but a people laden with iniquity and so a people of my wrath and of my curse no longer owned by me but disavowed and abandoned as their Fathers one were Exod. 32.7 Hear ye indeed but understand not This is that heavy and dreadful doom whereunto for authority sake is premised that glorious Vision of the Lord sitting on his Throne and passing Sentence together with the renewed mission of this Prophet on so unpleasing an Errand Hear ye shall for a mischief to you but understand no more then the seats you sit on or the Pillars you lean against because stupified delivered up to a Reprobate sence And see indeed sc both my Words Jer. 2.31 and my Works when my hand is lifted up especially Isa 26.11 See chap. 42.18 19 20. But perceive not sc that the cause of your calamity is your sin the end Repentance the Author God with whom therefore it is a righteous thing to punish you with spiritual blindness and hardness of heart that ye may proceed and perish Now then if any be ignorant let him be ignorant for me as 1 Cor. 14.38 And let him that is filthy be filthy still or Let him be yet more filthy Rev. 22.11 Abeat in malam crucem as a Father saith to his incorrigible child See the like angry expressions Ezek. 20.39 Isa 50.11 Psalm 81.12 13. Matth. 23.32 34. Ver. 10. Make the heart of this people fat sc by preaching to them the Word of God which because they regard not it shall become unto them a savour of death as sweet Oyntments kill beetles as a shril voyce hurteth weak ears as Lime is kindled by cold water cast upon it c. Of such a fat heart beware fat things are less sensible and fat hearted people are noted by Aristotle for dull and stupid There is not a greater mischief can befall a man on this side Hell then to be given up to a dead and dedolent disposition such as was that of those Eph 4.18 of the Jews in Christs time and ever since and of many Papists who continue blind in the midst of so much light and will not renounce thost Errours whereof they are clearly convinced And make their ears heavy Preach them to Hell this is an accidental effect of the Word preached and proceedeth from mens corruptions Zech. 7.11 But as an hard heart so a heavy ear is a singular judgement Act. 7.51 Antagoras reciting his Thebais a book that he had made among the Boeotians and they little regarding him he folded up his book and said Ye may well be called Boeotians Eras Apophth quis boum habetis aures for ye have Oxes-ears playing upon the Notation of their Name Lest they should see with their eyes c. Or that they may not see with their eyes or hear c. but be as so many sots and stocks or statues that have eyes and see not c. to their utter ruine and destruction Neither is there any the least injustice in such a proceeding An Apprentice hath given him by his Master a Candle to light him to bed which he abuseth to light him to game or drink Hereupon his Master taketh it from him bloweth it out and sendeth him darkling to bed in the way whereto he breaketh his arms or his face by some fall will any man blame the Master sith the candle was his and allowed for use I tâ—ow not think the like here And convert which whilome they would not now they shall not but having made a match with mischief they shall henceforth have enough of it they love to have it so Jer. 5.31 they forsake their own mercies Jon. 2.8 they are miserable by their own election And be healed i. e. pardoned and purged Atque hic pulchrè exprimitur saith One ordo obtinendae salutis and here is excellently set forth the order of obtaining Salvation For first it is requisite that we have ears to hear and eyes to see not ears stopped and eyes dawbed up as these had 2. That what we hear and see we understand with the heart that is that there be yielded thereunto both Assent of the mind and Consent of the will this is Faith 3. That we turn to the Lord by true Repentance and then we are sure of healing which is by pardon of sin and power against it Ver. 11. Then said I Lord how long sc shall this sad stroke up on the souls of this poor people last Is there no hope of an end hast thou utterly cast off Israel See here the good affection of godly Ministers towards even obdurate and obstinate sinners how deeply and dearly they oft pitty them and pray from them as did also Moses Samuel Paul Vntil the Cities be wasted c. Till these uncounselable and incorrigible Refractaries be utterly rooted out by the Babylonians first and then by the Romans Ver. 12. And the Lord have removed men far away Judaea lay utterly waste for 70. years insomuch that after the slaughter of Gedaliah when all man woman and child fled into Aegypt there was not a Jew left in the Countrey And in that last desolation by the Romans such affliction befell them as never had been from the beginning nor shall be to the worlds end Mar. 13 19. Joseph After Titus had slain a thousand thousand of them and carryed away Captive 900000. more Adrian the Emperour for their sedition under Barchochach drove all the Jews utterly out of Jury set a sow of white Marble over the chief gate of Jerusalem in reproach of their Religion and by Proclamation forbad them so much as to look toward that land from any high Tower or Mountain Howbeit they afterwards obtained leave to go in once a year and bewail the destruction of their Temple giving a peice of money to the Souldiers and at this day when or wherever they build an house they use to leave about a yard-square of it unplaistered Leo Modena on which they write Zecher lechorban The memory of the Desolation It may be rendred Gods Tenth But what meant Lyra to argue from hence that Tythes are due to the Church Ver. 13. But yet in it shall be a tenth i. e. some Elect left in the land for a reserve And these are called a Tenth 1. Because as the Tenths they are consecrated to God Levit. 27. 2. Because but a
few So that God may say as once of the cured Lepers Where are the other nine Such were those that looked for the Consolation of Israel when Christ came in the flesh Zachary Simeon Anna the Maries Joseph of Arimathea the Apostles Peters Converts c. And it shall return and shall be eaten Or it shall after its return again be burnt up or removed so they were to some purpose by the Romans See on ver 12. As a Toyle-tree or as an Oak Trees that are durae ac durabiles hard and long-lasting and although they lose their fruit and leaves or be cut down yet Their substance is in them the substance of the matter the sap remaineth in the Trunk and Root In radice caudice Junius Piscator Some think there is an allusion in this Text to a Bank or Causey that went from the Kings House to the Temple and was born up with Trees planted on either side of it which Trees as they kept up the Causey so do the godly the State 1 Chron. 26.16 18. 1 King 10.5 2 Chron. 9.11 Semen sanctuus statumen terrae CHAP. VII In Pentat Ver. 1. ANd it came to pass This is not a superfluous Transition as Austin maketh it but importeth that the following discourse is no less to be regarded then the foregoing In the dayes of Ahaz that sturdy-stigmatick under whom Isaiah was as Eliah under Ahab and for the comfort of the godly prophesied then most sweetly concerning Christ and his Kingdom The son of Jotham the son of Uzziah for whose sake say the Rabbins this wretch was thus relieved King of Judah Titularis sed non Tutelaris as it was once said of Culperick King of France utpote qui Reip. defuit non praefuit That Rezin the King of Syria He is first named as being Generalissimo See of him 2 King 15.37 He was King of Damascene and Caelosyria And Pekah King of Israel These two Kings had severally invaded Judah before with great success 2 Chron. 28.5 8. And heartened thereby now they joyn their forces thinking to make a full conquest but were as much deceived and disappointed as were the Pope and Spaniard here in Eighty-eight and more then once in Ireland where D. Aquila with his Spaniards being beaten out said in open Treaty that when the Devil upon the Mount shewed Christ all the Kingdoms of the Earth and the glory of them he did not doubt but he left out Ireland and kept it for himself Went up but not in Gods Name non Dei missu nutu ut ante sed proprio motu ambitione But could not prevail against it Heb. could not war sc with any good success They came into the Countrey like Thunder and Lightning as duo fulmina belli but went out like a snuffe Ver. 2. And it was told the house of David i. e. the King and chief Officers of the Crown and Court Ill news flyeth swift and filleth all places Syria is confederate with Ephraim though these two were oft at deadly feud betwixt themselves yet they could combine for a mischief to Gods people So could Herodians and Pharisees Herod and Pilate c. The Devil doubtless had a design by these two Champions of his to have utterly rooted out the House of David as he sought also afterwards to do by Herod Caligulae and others and so to have prevented Christ his being made of the Seed of Abraham according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 but that could not be And his heart was moved Concussum conquassatum Impiety triumpheth in prosperity trembleth in adversity Tullus Hostilius that godless King of Rome set up Pavor and Pallor for Gods to himself Saul and Achitophel in distress despaired and dispatcht themselves So did Demosthenes Cato and other Heathen Sages who were without God in the world and therefore without comfort Sin maketh men timorous Lev. 26.36 but Righteousness bold Prov. 28.1 Psalm 27.1 The Spirit of power and of a sound mind are fitly set together 2 Tim. 1.7 Ver. 3. Then said the Lord unto Isaiah Wicked Ahaz shall have a Prophet sent him with a Promise if it be but to leave him without excuse There was also a godly party in the Land whose comfort was aimed at and for whose sake Shear jashub was also taken along as carrying comfort in this very name Portendit enim omnes pios qui divini verbi satu generandi sunt salvos incolumes fore divinisque muneribus exornatos At the end of the Conduit of the upper pool Where he is walking and talking about sending to Assyria for help The place is pointed out for confirmation of the truth of the Prophesie So in the Gospel the Apostles are foretold where to fetch the Asse where to prepare the Passover This place was without the City over against the Palace-Royal the very same where afterwards Rabshakah the fugitive son of our Prophet Isaiah say the Rabbins but without reason railed upon the living God This Prophesie here and now delivered 2 King 18. might haply be some support to good Hezekiah under that trial Of the Fullers field Fullers must have store of water and room enough for the dressing and drying of their clothes Ministers are by an Ancient called Fullones animarum Fullers of mens souls Ver. 4. Take heed and be quiet Cave quiesce Or as others render it Vide ut sileas See that thou say nothing fret not faint not send no message to the Assyrian rest by Faith upon the Lord of Hosts get a blessed Sabbath of Spirit a well composed frame of Soul for in quietness and confidence consisteth thy safety as Chap. 30.15 Fear not neither be faint-hearted See on ver 2. For the two tails of these smoaking fire-brands By a most elegant Metaphor he nameth not one of these two Potentates as not worth naming but calleth them in contemp a couple of firebrands such as would do mischief but cannot because but smoaking and not burning and but the tails of smoaking firebrands neither such as are smoaking their last and shall shortly be utterly extinct In a word they have more pride then power being a meer flash Ver. 5. Because Syria Ephraim c. This was the fruit of their fury fuming out at their Noses ver 4. and proving like smoak which the higher it riseth the sooner it vanisheth or like the bubbles blown up into the ayr by children into whose eyes they soon fall back again There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord Prov. 21.30 See the Note there Ver. 6. Let us go up against Judah and vex it So they had done severally and so they think much more to do joyntly Sed aliter Deo visum est There is a Council in Heaven that dasheth the mould of all contrary Counsels upon earth as Psalm 2.4 And let us make a breach therein for us Or let us divide it and share it betwixt us or set a King over it that
may be a vassal to us both Thus the Pope gave away England Primo occupaturo to him that should first take it in Henry the eighths dayes but he reckoned without his Host as they say Even the son of Tabeel A Syrian likely as Tabrimmon 1 King 15.18 a good Rimmonite 2 King 5.18 So Tabeel a good God Rimmon was the Syrians God The Chaldee expoundeth it Good or Right for us Ver. 7. It shall not stand The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand Psal 33.11 when the worlds Wizzards shall be taken in their own craftiness 1 Cor. 3.19 It shall not be All their projects are dashed by a word Video Rideo saith He that sitteth in Heaven Psalm 2. I look and laugh and wherein they dealt proudly I am above them Exod. 18.11 Ver. 8. For the head of Syria is Damascus Not Jerusalem as they haply had contrived it looking upon Jerusalem as a City fatally founded to bear Rule as One saith of Constantinople And the head of Damascus is Rezin Let him set his heart at rest and not reach after the Dominion of Judah lest falling from his high hopes he lose that he hath already and cry out with that Ambitionist Sic mea fata sequor And within threescore and five years sc from the time that Amos foretold it Chap. 5.27 7.8 that is from the twenty fourth year of Vzziah to the sixth of Hezekiah when as the ten Tribes were carried away by Salmaneser 2 King 17. Thus Hierom out of Seder-Olam But I like better Piscators computation which is thus within 65. years that is from the fourth year of Ahaz now current to the 23. of Manasseh when Ephraim ceased indeed to be a people by the command of Esarhaddon Son of Senacherib whereof see Ezra 4.2 Ver. 9. And the head of Samariah Remaliah's son In contempt he hath neither his Name nor Title of a King given him but is fairly warned to keep within his bounds he is not like to hold long that he hath It is dangerous medling with Jerusalem Zech. 12.2 3 6. Valde brevis sententia est sed gravis admodum Oecolamp If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established Jehosaphat said as much 2 Chron. 20.20 and our Saviour somewhat like John 8.20 Isaiah saw the King and people still fluctuating and trembling notwithstanding the divine Promise and telleth them what to trust to unless they will trust in God they will never be soundly settled Faith quelleth and killeth distrustful fear and maketh a man walk about the world like a Conquerour There is an Elegancy here in the Original that cannot be Englished Ver. 10. Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz Wicked though he were and under the power of unbelief yet he shall see that he hath to do with a very gracious and long-suffering God who by a wonderful condescension will needs give him a sign Inauditum vero dari signum incredulo Christ would not so far gratifie the unbelieving Pharisees but calleth them an evil and bastardly brood for seeking a sign from Heaven Mat. 12.39 Ver. 11. Ask the sign of the Lord not of any other God to whom thou art addicted Thy God From whom thou hast deeply revolted but of whom thou mightest upon thy return be graciously re-accepted Ask it either in the depth This was a fair offer to so foul a sinner but all would not do no though he should have had a sight of Heaven or of Hell for a sign And yet Bellarmine thinketh that one glimpse of Hell were enough to work upon the most hard-hearted sinner in the world and to make him yield to any thing Ver. 12. I will not ask Ah lewd losel I will not ask what a base answer was this of a Bedlam Belialist what a wretched entertainment of such an over-bounding Mercy He doth upon the matter say I le ask no Asks I le try no signs I know a trick worth two of that God shall for me keep his signs to himself I crave no such curtesie at his hands I can otherwise help my self viz. by sending to the Assyrian If the Lord could and would have helped how happeth it that so lately no less then an hundred and twenty thousand of my Subjects were cut off in one day by this Remaliah's son as you contemptuously call him Neither will I tempt the Lord Or neither wâ—ll I make tryal of the Lord as in the former Note Ambrose was mistaken who thought that Ahaz refused to ask or try the Lord out of modesty and humility rather it was out of pervicacy or at best Hypocrisie Hic descendamus in nostras conscientias saith good Oecolampadius Here let us each descend and dive into his own conscience to see whether we also have not matched Ahaz in his madness or at least wise coasted too near upon his unkind usage of the Lord by rejecting his sweet offers of Grace and motions of Mercy by slighting his holy Sacraments those Signs and Seals of the Righteousness that is by Faith Adsit fides aberit periculum Ver. 13. Hear ye now ye House of David But shamefully degenerate from your thrice-worthy Progenitours and strangely forgetful of Gods Promises for a perpetual Succession which if ye remembred and believed ye would not be so causlesly terrified Is it a small thing for you How heartily angry is the Prophet how blessedly blown up in this case of so great dishonour done to God we should be so too To weary men to vex and molest the Septuagint have it to strive Agoneus redditis or wrestle a fall with men By men he meaneth himself and his fellow-Prophets whom Ahaz and his Courtiers slighted and misused Let this comfort Gods faithful Ministers under the worlds indignities and injuries See Matth. 5.11 12. But will ye weary my God whom I serve in my spirit and now no more thy God as ver 11. sith thou hast refused to be Ruled by him Non autem tuum ô rex Ahase Piscat and that after manifest conviction and greatest importunity to bring thee to a better temper Ver. 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Give it you ingratiis vestris without your leave of his own proffer If we believe not yet God remaineth faithful 2 Tim. 2.13 Rom. 3.3 The House of David was as it were great with child with Christ and with Gods promises in him therefore to be sure it could not be rooted out as these two Kings designed before Christ were come into the world Hence his wonderfull Conception and Birth is made here a Sign of his peoples Safety here and Salvation hereafter And had Ahaz and his people believed this latter they would not have much doubted of the former but rather argued with St. Paul Having given us his Son Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him give us all things also A sign A singular sign a sign both from above and from beneath for he joyned lumen
times of the Gospel imported the same Notion And the Government shall be upon his shoulders The Power and Majestie of the Kingdom is committed to him by his Father chap. 22.22 with Matth. 28.18 and he hath strength enough to manage it Princeps est hajulus Reip. The Hebrews call a Prince Nassi because Atlas-like he is to bear up the Common-wealth and not to overload his Subjects Christ both as Prince of his Church and as High-Priest also beareth up and beareth out his people helping their infirmities Rom. 8.26 See the Note And his Name shall be called Heb. He shall call his Name 1. God his Father shall or every true Believer shall call him and count him all this And sure it is had we but skill to spell all the Letters in this Name of Christ Prov. 18.10 it would be a strong Tower unto us better then that of David builded for an Armoury and compleatly furnished Cant. 4.4 Compare this Text with 1 Cor. 1.30 and see all our doubts answered Are we perplexed He is our wonderful Counsellour and made unto us of God Wisdom Are we in depths of distress He is the mighty God our Redemption Want we Grace and his Image He is the Everlasting Father our Sanctification Doth the guilt of sin sting us He is the Prince of peace our Righteousness Wonderful Heb. A Miracle or Wonder viz. in all his Counsels and Courses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symmach Ipsa admirabilitas A Lap. especially for his Glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Counsellour The Septuagint here calleth Him the Angel of the great Counsel Rev. 1.13 He is set forth as cloathed with a garment down to the foot which is the Habit of Counsellors at Law who are therehence called Gentlemen of the long Robe See Rev. 3.17 Prov. 8.14 Jer. 32.19 But because Counsellors are but Subjects it is added in Christs stile The mighty God Able to effect his own Counsels for the behoof of his Subjects Saint Paul calleth him the great God Tit. 2.13 and God above all to be blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 God the Potentate so the Sept. render this Text God the Giant so Oecolampadius The Everlasting Father The Father of Eternity the King Eternal Immortal 1 Tim. 1.17 Ferdinand the Emperour on his death bed would not acknowledge the Title Invictissimus but commanded his Counsellour to call him Ferdinand without more addition Christ is also the Author of Eternity to all his people whom he hath begotten again to an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The Prince of peace Pacis omnimodae of all kinds of peace outward inward of countrey and of conscience temporal and eternal Of all these he is the Prince as having full power to bestow them for he is son to the God of peace Rom. 16.20 He was brought from Heaven with that song of peace Luc. 2.14 He himself purged our sins and made our peace Heb. 1.3 Eph. 2.14 Returned up to Heaven with that farewel of peace Joh. 14.27 Left to the world the Gospel of peace Eph. 2.17 Whose Ministers are messengers of peace Rom. 10.15 Whose followers are the children of peace Luk. 10.6 c. Wherefore Christ doth far better deserve then our Hen. 7. did to be stiled the Prince of peace Especially since Ver. 7. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end Here the Mem final in the middle of the word Lemarbeh hath occasioned some to give many guesses at the reason of it yea to conceit many mysteries where wiser men can find no such matter It is a good note which One giveth here viz. that the more Christs government increaseth in the soul the more peace there is See chap. 32.17 Psal 119.136 To establish it Or support it uphold it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A King hath his name in Greek from being the foundation of the people This King of Kings is only worthy of that name he is not maintained and supported by us our Subsidies but we by him and by the supplies of his Spirit Philip. 1.19 All our springs are in him Psal 87.7 Non amat qui non zelat The Zeal of the Lord of hosts i. e. the philanthropy Tit. 3.4 and free grace of God Dilexisti me Domine magis quam te saith a Father Let us reciprocate by being zealous of good works fervent in spirit serving the Lord. And when Satan telleth us of our no merits tell we him that the Zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do it notwithstanding Ver. 8. The Lord fâ—râ— a word into Jacob He sent it as a shaft out of a bow that will be sure to hit God loveth to premonish but woe be to those that will not be warned The Septuagint render it The Lord sent a plague or Death into Jacob and indeed after the white horse followeth the red and the black Revel 6.2 4 5. Like as Tamerlan that warlike Scythian displayed first a white flag in token of mercy and then a red menacing and threatning blood and then lastly a black flag the messenger and ensign of death was hung abroad And it hath lighted upon Israel 1. They were not ignorant of such a word ver 9.2 They could neither avert nor avoid his wrath Ver. 9. And all the people shall know Know it they do already but they shall know it by wofull experience He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crushed to pieces in feeling said Mr. Bradford Martyr That say in pride and sloutness of heart The Poet could say of his Ajax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His pride undid him so doth it many a man especially when come to that height that it fighteth against God as here When earthen pots will needs be dashing against the Rock of ages and doing this or that al despito di Dio as that profane Pope once said whether God will or no divine vengeance doggs at heels such Desperado's Ver. 10. The bricks are fallen down Not thrown down by Providence but fallen down by Fate or blind fortune God is not so far honoured as once to be owned by these Atheists who think they can make their party good against him and mend what he had marr'd whether he would or not Thus this giantlike generation and the like impiety is in the corrupt nature of us all For as in water face answereth to face so doth the heart of a man to a man saith Solomon Prov. 27.19 The Sycomores are cut down c. Another proverbial speech to the same purpose Sycomores were then very common in that countrey and little set by 1 King 10.27 Now they are not to be found there saith Hierom as neither are Cedars in Lebanon Ver. 11. Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin in whom ye trust He shall shortly be destroyed by the Assyrian 2 King 16.9 and then your hopes
Hezekiah then they had been under Ahaz 2 King 16.10 Hos 14.3 Ver. 21. A remnant shall return sc to the Lord by true repentance from whom they had deeply revolted But of these there is but as a remnant a poor few in comparison of the whole piece of cloth Ver. 22. Yet a remnant of them shall return i. e. Shall be saved from Sennâ—cherib but especially from Satan that old manslayer Rom. 9.27 29. and 11.5 The greater part of the Jews were then cut off by the Assyrians and so they are spiritually still by the evil spirits which hold them in their hardness of heart and hinder them from embracing the Christian faith But this befalleth them by Gods holy decree Rom. 9.27 28. and just judgment The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness i. e. The utter destruction of this perverse people both temporal and spiritual Rom. 9.27 for the generality of them is not to be accounted cruelty but overflowing righteousness For God could not in justice but thus rigorously deal with them and then for his promise sake to Abraham Isaac and Jacob reserving a remnant shew favour to them again Ver. 23. For the Lord God of hosts shall make c. Here the same thing is repeated by way of asseveration because not easily believed or digested but would lye heavy as hard meat Behold the severity of God Rom. 11.22 and stoop to it Ver. 24. O my people that dwellest in Zion be not afraid Quà m paternè omnia As a father bespeaketh his little son passing with him thorow a dark entry c. Non occidet te quamvis vapules Oecol He shall smite thee with a rod Chasten thee but not slay thee Sinite virgam corripientem ne sentiatis malleum conterentem And shall lift up his staffe against thee Or but he shall lift up his staffe for thee so some render it i.e. God shall and that after the manner of Egypt as of old he did for thy Fathers against Pharaoh Ver. 25. For yet a very little while Heb. a little little or a little of a little Yet a little modicum and wrath shall be at an end Oecolampadius rendreth it adhuc paululum minus quà m paululum Hold out therefore faith and patience Ver. 26. And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him Far worse then that rod ver 24. this scourge was that Angel that slew to many Assyrians in a night according to that slaughter of Midian Judg. 7.22 Psal 83.9 11. At the rock of Oreb Where Oreb was slain like as was Sennacherib after this in his Temple at Niniveh And as his rod was upon the sea As Moses by his rod or staffe held over the red Sea made way for Israel but brought destruction on the Egyptians Exod. 14.26 Ver. 27. And the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing That is because or for the sake of Messiah the Prince Dan. 9.25 the Lord Christ our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Sospitator the foundation of all the Churches deliverances The whole 11th Chapter following is a comment on this sweet promise Ver. 28. He is come to Aiath Elegans hypotyposis a dainty description of Sennacheribs ingress into the Land and progress with his army toward Jerusalem thorough the tribe of Benjamin He is passed to Migron 14. Cities are here set down in order as distressed by this Poliorcetes of whom it might be truly said as it is now of the Grand Signior that no grass groweth on that ground where he hath set his foot once At Michmash he hath laid up his carriages i.e. He shall but the Prophet speaketh of it as if presently done or as if himself had been marching along with them Ver. 29. They are gone over the passages i. e. The streights between two rocks 1 Sam. 13.23 Ver. 30. Lift up thy voice Heb. Hinni i. e. claram vocem ede â—amque lugubrem make a grievous out-cry ejula quiritare Nam certa tibi imminet vastitas for thou art undone O poor Anathoth Jeremies countrey poor because plundred Ver. 31. Madmena is removed i.e. Fled for fear as Gibeah ver 29. Ver. 32. He shall shake his hand Viz. at Jerusalem as threatning her destruction but she shall shake her head at him in contempt chap. 37.21 God oft lets his enemies go to the utmost of their tedder and then pulls them back to their tasks with shame enough as he did Pharaoh Ver. 33. Behold the Lord shall top the bough i.e. Those of greatest state and stature in the Assyrian army And the haughty shall be humbled See chap. 2.11 17. Per Magnificum Ver. 34. By a mighty one That is by an Angel as chap. 37.36 See Psal 78.25 and 89.5 6. CHAP. XI Ver. 1. ANd there shall come forth a rod i. e. Christ shall be born whom our Prophet having called the annointing or Messiah chap. 10.27 maketh him and his Kingdom hence forward the chief matter of his discourse to the end of his book Here he beginneth with his Nativity calling him a Rod or Twig springing not out of the stock of David but out of the stump of Jesse a mean man and that then when the Royal Family was sunk so low as from David the King to Joseph the Carpenter Well might Chrysostom say that the foundation of our Philosophy was humility And another that at Bethlehem brake forth that well of Salvation Scultet which in the type once David so thirsted after 2 Sam. 23.15 And a branch Or the Nazaren born at Nazareth saith Junius which signifieth a branch for so it was generally deemed and our Saviour stileth himself Jesus of Nazareth Act. 22.8 and on his Cross they wrote Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews wherein that Prodigie faith A Lapide seemeth to have fallen out concerning which the Poet enquireth Dic quibus in terris inscripti nomine Regis Nascantur flâ—res For Nazareth he interpreteth a Flower or something flowry and for shall grow others render shall bud or bear fruit Ver. 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him After such a description of Christs person as ver 1. followeth here a Declaration of his Kingdom which is set forth to be First Spiritual ver 2. Secondly Just ver 3 4.5 Thirdly Peaceable ver 6.7 8 9. Fourthly Ample as made up of Gentiles and Jews ver 11 c. Shall rest upon him His Humanity shall be filled topful with the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost Diodat Annot. to be as it were an Everlasting Treasure and Cistern full of them for the use of the Church John 1.16 3.34 Acts 2.33 And this was typified by the Holy Ghosts descending in the likeness of a Dove at the time of his Baptism and resting upon him Matth. 3.16 John 1.32 33. The spirit of wisdome and understanding These six Princely Vertues for the Schoolmen misled by the vulgar Translation falsly found their septiformem gratiam spiritus sancti were eminently and
shake his hand over the River The River Nilus The sense is he shall remove all obstacles and impediments This was fulfilled Acts 2. With his mighty wind The Chaldee paraphraseth in eloquio prophetarum suorum by the word of his Prophets quod Apostolis non parum congruit saith Oecolampadius which very well agreeth to the Apostles converting the Elect whom neither heighth nor depth could keep from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.39 The Jews expect but in vain that all these things should be fulfilled unto them in the letter by their Messias as once they were by Moses at the red Sea And make men go over dry-shod without boat or boot Ver. 16. And there shall be an high-way Agger via strata a Causey chap. 7.3 In the day that he came up out of the Land of Aegypt This signal deliverance was a clear Type of our Redemption by Christ And this Prophesie was fulfilled when thousands of the Aegyptians were converted by Mark the Evangelist and other Preachers as also when other Nations forsook Spiritual Aegypt Rev. 11.8 and embraced the Truth CHAP. XII Ver. 1. ANd in that day sc when there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse as chap. 11.1 Blessed be God for a Christ See Psalm 96.1 13. Rev. 6.11 Thou shalt say It is not a dumb kind of thankfulness that is required of the Lords Redeemed but such as from an heart full of Spiritual Joy breaketh forth into fit words such as are here set down in this ditty or Directory I will praise thee The whole life of a true Christian is an holy desire saith an Ancient It is or should be surely continua laetitia laus Dei a continual Hallelujah Deo gratias was ever in Austins mouth Laudetur Deus laudetur Deus in Anothers i.e. Praised be God praised be God The Saints here with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15.6 The Saints and Angels do so in Heaven uncessantly Rev. 4. hoc est juge eorum negotiosum otium otiosum negotium Thine anger is turned away My sins are forgiven me and hence I am of so good chear though otherwise distressed Feri Domine feri à peccatis absolutus sum said Luther Strike while thou wilt Lord so long as my sins are pardoned See Psal 103.1 2 3. And thou comfortedst me viz. with Gospel-comforts which are strong and satisfying I do over-abound exceedingly with joy in all our tribulation saith Paul 2 Cor. 7.4 Ver. 2. Behold God is my salvation Let such take notice of it as said when time was There is no help for him in God Salvation it self cannot save him Behold Oecolamp and My there is much matter in this Adverb and that Pronoun saith an Interpreter Behold God is my Jesus so Hierom readeth it according to that of old Simeon Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation And in this and the next Verse Salvation is thrice mentioned so sweet it was to those that thus sang of it See the Note on 1 Cor. 1.8 I will trust and not be afraid There is an Elegancy in the Hebrew that cannot be Englished This Spiritual security floweth from Faith Experience should both breed and feed it See Psalm 46.3 2 Cor. 1.10 For the Lord is my strength Salvation properly denoteth the privative part of mans happiness viz. freedom from evil but it includeth also position in a good estate and preservation therein whilst we are kept by the power or strength of God through faith unto Salvation Ver. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water Joy is the just mans portion and Christ is the never-failing fountain whence by a lively faith he may infallibly fetch it John 4.10 14. 7.37 Christ was much delighted with this Metaphor see Joh. 1.16 Out of this Fountain only may men quench their Spiritual thirst after Righteousness Haec sola est aqua quae animas arentes maerentes squalidas reficit recreat These Wells of Salvation are those Words of Eternal Life John 6 68. Sanchez the rich and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature and of the Holy Spirit which is frequently and fitly compared to water in regard of First Ablution Ezek. 36.25 Secondly of Fructification Job 8.11 Isa 35.6 7. 44.3 4. And thirdly of Refrigeration Psalm 42.1 Rom. 5.5 Some think the Prophet here alludeth to those softly-running Waters of Siloam chap. 8. or to the Rock-water that followed them in the Wilderness or to that famous Fountain Numb 21.16 18. whence they drew waters with so much mirth and melody Ver. 4. And in that day shall ye say Praise the Lord Viz. with us and for us Every true Confitebâ—r tibi hath its Confitemini Domino annexed unto it The Saints are unsatisfiable in praising God for the great work of their Redemption and do therefore call in help all that may be Call upon his Name Which is a special way of praising Him whilest we make Him the sole Object of our prayers professing our distance from him our whole dependence upon him c. See 1 Chron. 16.8 and Psalm 105.1 Declare his doings Sept. his glorious things those many Miracles of Mercy wrought in our Redemption which is a work much more excellent then that of making all things at first of nothing keeping Heaven still upon its hinges and upholding the whole Universe without a Foundation Magna sunt opera Dei Creatoris Recreatoris autem longe maxima saith Gregory Make mention that his Name is exalted Or celebrate his Name which is High far above all praise Ver. 5. Sing unto the Lord Or sing of the Lord. Sing a concise and short Song amputatis omnibus supervacantis He hath done excellent things Heb. Excellency or Majesty All other Spiritual Blessings meet in our Redemption by Christ as the lines do in the Center streams in the Fountain This is known in all the earth Or let this be known let all the world ring of it As when the Argives were delivered by the Romans from the Tyrannie of the Macedonians and Spartans the ayr was so dissipated with their acclamations and out-cries Plutarch that the Birds that flew over the place fell down amated to the ground Ver. 6. Cry out Heb. hinni neigh as Horses do that are full fed or fitted for fight Jubila quantum potes valide totis viribus clama claram laetam vocem ede For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee Or for the Holy One of Israel who is great is in the midst of thee How shouldest thou then do otherwise then well CHAP. XIII Ver. 1. THe burden That is the burdenous Prophesie it should not have seemed a burden See the Notes on Nah. 1.1 and on Mal. 1.1 Jer. 23.36 but it is a grievous burden to graceless persons to be told of their sins and foretold
Called the Jews language chap. 35.11 13. the Hebrew tongue wherein were written the lively Oracles of God This Language therefore the Elect Egyptians shall learn and labour for that pure lip Zeph. 3.9 to speak as the Oracles of God 1 Pet 4.11 Wholsom words 2 Tim. 1.13 Right words Job 6.25 Words of wisdom Prov. 1.6 Of truth and soberness Act. 26.25 to be Examples to others not only in faith and conversation but also in words and communication 1 Tim. 4.12 And swear to the Lord of hosts Devote themselves to his fear and service Nempe susceptione baptismi Piscat taking a corporal oath for that purpose as in baptisme and other holy covenants whereupon haply they might be inabled to speak with tongues the holy tongue especially as most necessary for Christians Here then we have a description of a true Christian not such as the Jesuites in their Catechisme give us viz. A Christian is he who believeth whatsoever the Church of Rome commandeth to be believed swearing fealty to Her One shall be called the City of destruction i. e. Nevertheless there shall be a few cities that shall despise Christian Religion and shall therefore be destroyed for neglecting so great salvation It shall be easier for Sodom one day then for such Others render the text Heliopolis or the city of the Sun shall be accounted one sc of those 5 converted cities and become consecrated to the Sun of righteousness Joseph Ant. lâ—b 13. cap. 6. Ver. 19. In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord A spiritual altar for spiritual sacrifices as ver 20. Heb. 13.10 Onias the Jewish Priest who hereupon went and built an altar at Heliopolis in Egypt and sacrificed to God there was as much mistaken as the Anabaptists of Germany were in their Munster which they termed new Jerusalem and acted accordingly sending forth Apostles casting out orthodox Ministers c. And a pillar in the border thereof that is saith One the Gospels and writings of the Apostles that pillar and ground of truth Or a publike confession of the Christian faith Rom. 10 9. An allusion to Josh 22.10 25. See Zech. 14.9 20 21. Ver. 20. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness The doctrine of Christs death is a clear testimony of Gods great love and kindness to mankind Rom. 5. and 8. For they shall cry unto the Lord for their oppressours As the Israelites sometimes had done under the Egyptian servitude Exod. 3.9 And he shall send them a Saviour not Moses but Messias that great Saviour Servatorem magnatem vel magistrum for God hath laid his peoples help on One that is mighty Psal 89.19 See Tit. 2 13. Ver. 21. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt They shall both know the Lord Christ and be known of him as Gal. 4.9 See Rom. 10.20 And shall do sacrifice and oblation Perform reasonable service Rom 12.1 such as whereof they can render a reason Not a Samaritan service Joh. 4.22 or Athenian Act. 17.23 Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship c. God will have no such blind sacrifices Mal. 1.8 Yea they shall vow a vow c. That in baptisme especially Facit opus aâ—tenum ut faciat proprium Isa 28. Ver. 22. And the Lord shall smite Egypt That he may bring it into the bond of the covenant Ezek. 20.37 Heb. 12.9 Hos 6.1 He shall smite and heal it Heb. smiting and healing Vna eademque manus c. Vna gerit bellum monstrat manus altera pacew as it was said of Charles 5. And shall heal them Pardon their sins heal their natures and make up all breaches in their outward estates Ver. 23. In that day there shall be an highway c. All hostility shall cease and a blessed unanimity be settled amongst Christs subjects of several nations Hereunto way was made by the Roman Empire reducing both these great countries into Provinces And the Egyptiant shall serve Serve the Lord with one shoulder as Zeph. 3.9 Ver. 24. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt The posterity of Sem Ham and Japhâ—t shall concur in the communion of Saints the pale and partition-wall being taken away Even a blessing in the middest of the earth The Saints are so Absque stationibus non staret mundus If it were not for them the world would soon shatter and fall in pieces Jun. Ver. 25. Whom the Lord of hostes shall bless Or For the Lord of hostes shall bless and then he shall be blessed as Isaac said of Jacob Gen. 27.33 Blessed be Egypt my people A new title to Egypt and no less honorable Vide quantum profecerit Aegyptus flagellis saith Oecolampad here i e. See how Egypt hath got by her sufferings See ver 22. She who was not a people but a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven is now owned and taken into covenant And Assyria the work of my hands For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 And Israel mine Inheritance This is upon the matter one and the same with the former every regenerate person whether Jew or Gentile is all these three in conjunction O the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heaped up happiness of all such Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149.2 For the Lord her God in the midst of her is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over her with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over her with singing Zeph. 3.17 CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. IN the year that Tartan A certain Commander under Sennacherib 2 King 18.17 who came against Ashdod among other Cities of Judah about the twelfth year of King Hezekiah Came to Ashdod Called also Azotus Act. 8.40 and much praised by Herodotus in Euterpe When Sargon That is Sennacherib most likely who had seven Names saith Hierom eighth say some Rabbins Commodus the Roman Emperour took unto himself as many names as there are months in the year 1 â—on which also he changed ever and anon but constantly kept that of Exuperans because he would have been thought to excel all men The like might be true of Sargon Herod l. 2. And fought against Ashdod and took it Psammetichus King of Egypt had before taken it after a very long siege now it is taken again from the Aegyptian by the Assyrian to teach them and others not to trust to Forts and fenced Cities Ver. 2. At the same time spake the Lord Against Egypt and Ethiopia whom he had comforted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Per Isaiam tanquam organum disâ—ensatorem suoâ—um myster Oecolamp Vestimentum â—i losum ver 18. 19 and yet now again threateneth shewing by an ocular demonstration what miseries should befall them This was done in Jury but the report thereof might easily come to these confederate Countreys and the Jews howsoever were given hereby to
their confidence was the fruit of prayer At the lifting up of thy self If God do but arise only his enemies shall be scattered and all that hate him shall flee before him Psal 68.1 See the Note there Ver. 4. And your spoiles shall be gathered The spoile of the Assyrians Camp now become yours as 1 Sam. 30.20 Like the gathering of Catterpillars Quae ad hominum concursum omnes repente disperguntur which are soon rid when men set themselves to destroy them Ver. 5. The Lord is exalted He hath made him a name gained abundance of honour For he dwelleth on high Whence he can poure down plagues at his pleasure on his proud enemies and fill Zion with Judgement and Righteousness Ver. 6. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times Thy times O Hezekiah but especially O Christ Or the stability of thy times and strong safeguard shall thy wisdom and knowledge be By his knowledge that is by faith in him shall my righteous servant Jesus Christ justifie many Chap. 53.11 but these are also sanctified by him the fear of the Lord is their treasure they hold faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack 1 Tim. 1.19 See the Note there The fear of the Lord is his Treasure The spirit of this holy fear rested upon Christ Paradin in symbol chap. 11.2 and good Hezekiah was eminent for it not for civil prudence only this was flos regis the fairest flower in all his garland this is solidissima regiae politiae basis as one saith the best policy and the way to wealth Ver. 7. Behold their valiant ones or their Heralds Messengers Heb. Hen Erelam Behold their Erel or their Ariel chap. 29.1 2. that is their Altar shall they i. e. the Assyrians cry without sc in mockery twitting the Jews with their Sacrifices as no way profitable to them Mr. Clarkes Eng. Martyrol So the profane Papists when they murthered the poore Protestants at Orleans sang in scorn Judge and revenge my cause O Lord Others Have mercy on us Lord. And when in the late persecution in Bohemia divers godly Nobles and Citizens were carried to prison in Prague the Papists insultingly cried after them Why do ye not now sing The Lord raigneth The Embassadours of peace thar went for peace having for their Symbol Pacem te poscimus omnes but could not effect it Weep bitterly so that they might be heard before they entered the City Vide quam vivide see here how lively things are set forth and what a lamentable report these Embassadours make of the state of the country and the present danger of losing all Ver. 8. The high-ways lye waste and by-waies are more frequented through fear of the enemy He hath broken the Covenant Irritum factum est pactum He took the money sent him but comes on nevertheless though he had sworn the contrary 2 King 18.14 17. It is said of the Turks at this day that they keep their leagues which serve indeed but as snares to intangle other Princes in no longer then standeth with their own profit Turk Hist 755. Their Maxime is There is no faith to be kept with dogs whereby they mean Christians as the Papists also say There is no faith to be kept with Hereticks whereby they mean Protestants But why kept not Vladislaus King of Hungary his Faith better with Amurath the great Turk or our Henry the third with his Barons by Papal dispensation Vah scelus vae perjuris He hath despised the Cities and will not take them for his Subjects he scorneth the motion He regardeth no man He vilipendeth and slighteth all Jewels generally Metaphora Prosâ—popoetica Ver. 9. The earth mourneth and langisheth Or the land luget languet thus they go on in their doleful relation Miserrima sunt omnia atque miseranda What sad work hath Antichrist made of late years in the Christian world what desolations in all parts Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down Sharon is like a wilderness East West North P. al. 80 13. and South of the Land are laid wast by the enemy and the avenger that boare out of the wood that bear out of the Forest Ver. 10. Now will I rise saith the Lord now Now now now Emphasin habet ingeminatio vocis Nunc This now thrice repeated importeth both the opportunity of time and Gods readiness to relieve Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses When things are at worst they 'le mend we say Now will I lift up my self who have hitherto been held an underling and inferiour to the enemy Ver. 11. Ye shall conceive chaff ye shall bring forth stubble Gravidi estis stramine parietis stipulam So did Pharaoh Antiochus Julian c. so doth Antichrist and his Champions notwithstanding his bloody alarmes to them such as was that sounded out in the year 1582. Vtere jure tuo Caesar sectamque Lutheri Ense rota ponto funibus igne neca And that other to the King of France not many years since exhorting him to kill up all the Protestants per Galliam stabulantes the very words of the Popes Bull that had any stable-room in France Your breath as fire shall devoure you shall blow up the fire that shall consume your chaff and stubble Your iniquity shall be your ruine Ezek. 18.38 Turdus sibi malum cacat Hic est gladius quem ipse fecisti this is a sword of thine own makeing said the Souldier to Marius when he ran him thorough with it Ver. 12. And the people shall be as the burning of lime As hard chalk-stones which when burnt to make lime crumble to crattle As thorns cut up Sear-thornes that crackle under a pot and are soon extinct The Hebrews tell us that the Assyrian Souldiers were burnt by the Angel with a secret fire that is with the pestilence as Berosus cited by Josephus witnesseth and our Prophet hinteth as much in many passages Lib. 10. cap. 1. Ver. 13. Hear ye that are afar of Longinqui propinqui Gods great works are to be noted and noticed by all The Egyptians heard of what God had done to the Assyrian Army and memorized it by a monument as Herodotus relateth Ver. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid At the invasion of the Assyrian Herod l. 2. Justin those that formerly fleared and jeared Gods Prophets and their menaces now fear and are crest faln ready to run into an anger-hole as we say It is as natural for guilt to breed fear and disquiet as for putrid matter to breed vermine Sinners especially those in Zion where they might be better and are therefore the worse a great deal have galled consciences and want faith to fortify theâ—r hearts against the fear of death or danger and hence those pitiful perplexities and convulsions of soul in the evil day what wonder if when they see all on fire they ring their Bells backwards if instead of mourning for their sins and
they did not but were senselesly silent therefore He answereth by a discription of himself Calling the generations from the beginning Giving them their Being and having them at a Beck I the Lord the First and with the Last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De leg lib. 4. Virg. This was anciently believed concerning God as Plato testifieth A te Principium tibi desinet Ver. 5. The Iles saw it The Heathens were convinced by the former arguments yet not converted they were affraid and yet they came together to confirm themselves mutually in their abominable Idolatries Yea they drew near As it were to justify their Idolatries before the Lord. Such is the desperate obstinacy of obdurate sinners Pharaoh menaced Moses even during that palpable darkness The Philistines were afraid when they saw the Ark of the Covenant brought into the feild and yet they encourage one another to fight against Israel 1 Sam. 4.8 9. The Thief on the cross was under the arrest of death and yet railed Felix trembled and yet expected a bribe from St. Paul There is a cold sweat sitteth on all the limbs of Antichrist at this day and yet they repent not of their Idolatries nor murthers nor sorceries nor fornication nor thefts Rev. 9.20 21. but defend them all they can Ver. 6. They helped every one his neighbour Thus those desperate Idolaters did from the first Eusebius telleth us that in the seventh year of Abraham Ninus the founder of Niniveh set up an Image of his father Belus In Chron. which was worshipped after his death so did other Princes by his example not moved with Gods mercies shewed to Abraham who worshipped the true God alone setting up altars to him whereever he came Ver. 7. So the Carpenter encouraged the Gold-smith Because no small gain was brought hereby unto these crafts-men Acts 19.24 25. The Jew-doctours tell us that Terah the father of Abraham was an Image-maker at Vr of the Chaldees till God called him thence Hyperius saith that all these words are to be taken as pronounced with irrision and contempt that so the vanity of Idols may the more plainly be perceived sith they have no more worth then is given them by their worshippers Ver. 8. But thou Israel art my Servant And it was for thy sake and for thy settlement that I have dealt so long with these odious Idolaters whom else I would not once look toward nor commune with as he said 2 King 3.14 The seed of Abraham my Friend This stile was an higher honour to Abraham then if God had ingraven his name in the orbes of Heaven See the Note on Jam. 2.23 Hushai was Davids Friend and Augustus vouchsafed to give Virgil the name of Amicus This was a special favour but not like that in the Text. Ver. 9. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth sc in the loyns of Abraham thy Progenitour And called thee from the chief men thereof Called thee and culled thee out of the Grandees of the Chaldees the rich the potent and the honourable separate from the common sort setting thee above the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee Cordialibus ut ita dicam verbis Deus hoc eloquitur As long as a childe hath his Father by the hand he feareth none Quid timet hominem homo in sinu Dei positus what should he who lyeth in Gods own bosom fear any man alive Is not Gods presence security sufficient I will strengthen thee I will help thee c. I will I will I will Oh the Rhetorick of God! Oh the certainty of the Promises With the right-hand of my righteousnesse i. e. My righteous right-hand that shall right all thy wrongs Ver. 11. Behold all that were incensed against thee These and the following precious Promises the Jews misapply to the coming and Kingdom of their Messias the Papists to their Hierarchy Let every true servant of God take them home as spoken to himself Every promise droppeth Myrrhe and mercy Ver. 12. Even them that contended with thee Heb. the men of thy contention thy Contendents such as this Eristical age hath more then a good many By the Quakers wild fancies and rude practices we may see how cross-grained these people are in contradicting every thing Many mens spirits saith One now-adayes lie like that Haven Acts 27.12 toward the South-West and North-West two opposite points Ver. 13. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand As a tender father taketh his dear childe by the hand in dirty or dangerous wayes especially lifting him over So the Saints are said to sit down at Gods feet Deut. 33.3 or to stand betwixt his legs as little ones do Ver. 14. Fear not This is oft inculcated for better confirmation and comfort Our Saviour may seem to have hence his Fear not little flock It is no easy matter to chear up afflicted consciences Luther saith it is as hard a matter as to raise the dead Hence this frequent Fear not Ver. 15. I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth Traham aut tribulam in omnem partem probè dentatam Such as those Eastern Countries did use to mash in pieces their rougher and harder fodder for their cattle or rather to thresh out their harder grain with Chap. 28.25 28. or to torture men with 2 Sam. 12 31. Thou shalt thresh the mountains Thy lofty and mighty enemies This was fulfilled in the Macchabees But especially in the Apostles subduing the Nations to the obedience of the Faith See 2 Cor. 10.4 Ver. 16. Thou shalt fan them But find nothing in them of any solidity the heart of the wicked is little worth And thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord As the sole doer of all for it is he that subdueth the people under us and doth all our works for us Chap. 26.12 Ver. 17. When the poor When such as are poor in spirit sensible of their utter indigency shall blessedly hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shewing themselves restless and unsatisfiable without it And there is none None to be found in the doctrine of the Pharisees Philosophers or Fryars Ver. 18. I will open rivers in high places Rather work miracles as once in the Wildernesse Exod. 17.6 7. then my poor people shall want necessary support and succour Ver. 19. I will plant in the wildernesse the cedar c. That is saith Lyra I will give variety of graces to my people Per varia ligna varietatem gratiarum insinuat Oecol And the Box-tree That groweth of it self in wild places saith Diodate to signify that the Church will alwaies have worldly wild plants mixed and growing in it Box is alwayes green indeed and full of leaves but it s of an ill smell semen habet omnibus invisum animantibus and of a worse seed Sphinx Philos Ver. 20. That they may see and know and consider Heb. lay 1. Lay it upon their heart which
natural men are very hardly drawn to do The best are so backward that an Ezekiel may hear Son of man behold with thine eye and hear with thine ears and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee c. chap. 40.4 and Hagget calleth upon the good people of his time to consider and better consider chap. 1.5 7. Ver. 21. Produce your cause saith the Lord He had dealt with the Heathens and convinced them now have at their Gods and their best proofs are called for Bring forth your strong reasons Heb. your bony arguments argumenta trabalia but alass they had none such Saith the King of Jacob Not the God of Jacob for that was now the matter in question whether he were God or the Heathen deities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And because they were silent and to seek of such arguments he helpeth them to a couple Ver. 22. Let them bring forth and shew what shall happen By such arguments as these Cleanthes in Tully testifieth though himself were an Heathen that the deity might be known And whereas it may be objected Lib 2. de nat deorum that the Delphick devil had foretold things to come it is answered that the devil cannot foretel all future things nor any thing infallibly and of himself but either as it is revealed unto him by God as was Ahabs fall at Rameth-Gilead or as he forseeth it in the causes signes or Prophecies of holy Scripture wherein he is not a little skilled Ver. 23. Shew the things that are to come This first argument is much insisted on God alone can properly predict Tertul. Apol. cap. 20. and Testimonium divinitatis est veritas divinationis Cato Major was wont to say that he wondered how one Diviner could look upon another and not laugh as knowing themselves to be no better then deceivers of the people Yea do good or evil good to your friends evil to your foes this is the second argument and it is unanswerable If it be objected that this the Devil can do and hath done The answer is 1. that Idols can do neither good nor evil 2. No nor yet Devils but the good they do their clients is a meer juggle and the evil they do to any is by divine permission Vide etiam Aug. de Civ Dei l. 2. c. 22. 25. Baruc. 6. See Cyprians fourth treatise de vanitate idolorum Ver. 24. Behold ye are of nothing Hence Paul took that assertion of his 1 Cor. 8.4 we know that an Idol is nothing in the world For the matter of it t is true wood is wood and stone is stone but the relation and signification which is fastned thereunto is nothing at all all the being of an Idol is nothing but the Idolaters imagination And your work of nought Or of the Basilisk or Viper it will doe you to death An abomination is he that curseth you Papists therefore must needs be abominable Idolaters Dr. Rainolds his work De Idololatria Romana is yet unanswered Weston writes that his head aked in reading it Ver. 25. I have raised up one from the North Here God beginneth to prove that He can do both those things whereof the Heathen vanities could do neither This One in the Text is Cyrus say some Christ say others by whom God here foretelleth that he will punish his enemies but do good to his Church and chosen He shall call upon my name Or proclaim my name Ver. 26. Who hath declared Who besides my self ever did or could predict such a thing If any other hath done it we will do him right clepe him a God Ver. 27. The first shall say to Zion Or I first said to Zion I first brought her that good tidings by my Prophets Ver. 28. For I beheld and there was no man None to say any thing for these dumb Idols why I should not pass a definitive sentence against them It is therefore this Ver. 29. Behold they are all vanity Jer. 10.3 15. Their works are nothing See ver 24. Are wind and confusion Or emptynesse Heb. Tohu Nothing in themselves and yet of sufficient efficacy to inflict vengeance on their worshippers CHAP. XLII Ver. 1. BEhold my servant Cyrus partly but Christ principally Matth. 12.18 See the Notes there with Philip. 2.7 A Servant he was yet not Menial but Magisterial that he was one or other is admirable and well deserveth an Ecce Whom I uphold That he faint not under the weight of his Mediatorship and the importable burthen of my wrath which he must suffer for a season Some render it whom I lean upon see 2 King 5.18 7.2 13. Mine elect Or choice one Cyrus was so chap. 44.28 45.3 4. but Christ much more chap. 43.10 Joh. 6.27 29. 10.36 See the Notes on Matth. 12.18 Cyrus was so singular a man saith Herodotus that no Persian ever held himself worthy to be compared unto him Herod lib. 3. Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 8. And of his Court Xenophon hath this merable saying that though a man should seek or chuse blindfold he could not miss of a good man How much more truly may this be spoken of the Lord Christ and his people In whom my Soul delighteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God affected Cyrus chap. 45.3 4. 44.28 but nothing so well as Christ Matth. 3.17 17.5 Once God repented him that he had made man but now it is otherwise He shall bring forth Judgement to the Gentiles Who shall all cry Grace Grace unto it to see mercy rejoycing against judgement See on Matth. 12.18 Lib. 3. Ver. 2. He shall not cry nor lift up See on Matth. 12.19 Cyrus was a very mild and gentle Prince so that his Persians called him their Father but his Son Cambyses their Lord as Herodotus recordeth Christs government is much more gentle he will not by a loud and terrible voice affright broken spirits or rule them with rigour Cyrus umbra Christus Sol ipse c. Christians must likewise put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour And be kind one to another tender-hearted Eph. 4.31 32. This is to be like unto Christ all whose actions whether Moral or Mediatory were either for our Imitation or Instruction Ver. 3. A bruised reed shall he not break i. e. A contrite heart Psal 51.17 in whom there shall appear to be any thing of Christ Mar. 9. though never so little that are faithful in weakness Cruclger though but weak in Faith as He was who cried out Lord I believe help mine unbelief and Another Invoco te fide quamvis languidâ fide tamen See on Matth. 12.20 He shall bring forth judgement unto truth Unto victory saith the Evangelist after the Septuagint Truth will prevail sincerity proceed to perfection The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Where there is truth of grace there will be victory Bernard
and Persians are at deadly feud to the great safeguard of Christendom and the Popish party are as a bulwark betwixt those Mahometans and the Protestants Ver. 4. Since thou hast been precious in my sight Nothing so ennobleth as Gods grace and being in the Covenant Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ismael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Some read the text thus Because thou wast precious in my sight thou wast honourable and I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life Ver. 5. I will bring thy seed from the East From all coasts and quarters This was a Type of the Church in the New Testament see Mat. 8.11 Joh. 11.52 Joh. 10.16 Gal. 3.28 this was also a type of the last Resurrection See Revel 20.13 Ver. 6. I will say to the North Give up I will do it with a word of my mouth Ipse dixit Oecola p. facta sunt Bring my sons from far and my daughters That is say some my stronger and also weaker children of what size or sex soever Souls have no sexes Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name i. e. My sons and my daughters ver 6. with 2 Cor. 6. ult such as have Christian for their name and Catholick for their Sirname I have created him for my glory See on ver 1. Feci i. e. magnum effeci Pisc Yea I have made him i. e. Advanced him as 1 Sam. 12.6 Ver. 8. Bring forth the blind people Such as were blind and ignorant but now are illightened And the deaf Such as were crosse and rebellious but now are tractable and obsequious chap. 42.7 16. Ver. 9. Let all the Nations See chap. 41.1 And shew us former things Much less can they shew us things future Varro calleth all the time before the flood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscure because the Heathens had no certain relation of any thing then done And Diod. Siculus acknowledgeth that all that was written amongst them before the Theban and Trojan wars was little better than fabulous The gods of the Gentiles had not so much as any solid knowledge of things past neither could they orderly and perfectly set them forth by their Secretaries It is truth sc That there is but one true God Phocyllides did say so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Socrates suffered for holding this truth at Athens Plato held the same but durst not speak out these are his words It is neither easie to find out the Maker of all things nor safe to communicate to the Vulgar what we have found out of him Here for fear of the people he detained the truth in unrighteousnesse And the like did Seneca De civi Dei lib. b. cap. 10. whom Austin accuseth quod colebat quod reprehendebat agebat quod arguebat quod culpabat adorabat that he worshipped those gods whom he disliked and decryed Ver. 10. Ye are my witnesses He taketh to witness of this great Truth in question not heaven earth sea c. but his people among whom he had given in all ages so many clear arguments and experiments of his Divinity his Oracles and Miracles for instance And my servant whom I have chosen i. e. Christ saith the Chaldee Paraphrast the Prophet Isaiah say others or which is more likely Cyrus who is called Gods Elect servant chap. 42.1 and his Testimony concerning God is to be read Ezra 1.3 The Lord God of Israel he is God Every true beleever doth as much if not more for He that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 hath given him a Testimonial such as is that Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is He. Such a sealer was Abraham Rom. 4.20 and such honour have all his Saints That ye may know and beleeve and understand That ye may have a full assurance of knowledge as Luk. 1.4 and a full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 Ver. 11. I even I am the Lord This redoubled I is Emphatical and Exclusive And beside me there is no Saviour They are gross idolaters therefore that set up for Saviours the Saints departed Ver. 12. I have shewed when there was no strange God amongst you See Deut. 32.12 See also the Note on Exod. 34.14 Therefore ye are my witnesses See on ver 10. Ver. 13. Yea before the day was I am He The Ancient of dayes yea the Eternal The God of Israel was long before Israel was in being And there is none that can deliver out of my hand So Nebuchadnezzar vainly vaunted but was soon confuted Dan. 3.15 17 29. I will work and who shall let it Angels may be hindered God can come between their Essence and their executive power and so keep them from doing what they would In fire there is the substance and the quality of heat between these God can separate as he did in the Babylonish fire Dan. 2. But who shall hinder the most High Ver. 14. Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer For their greater comfort and confirmation the Prophet purposely premiseth to the promise of deliverance from Babylon these sweet Attributes of God Each of them dropping Myrrh and Mercy For your sakes I have sent to Babylon and have brought down Or I will send and I will bring down All their Nobles Heb. bars Psal 147.13 Bars Noble men should be to keep out evils and to secure Saints Eut these were crosse-bars c. Whose cry is in the ships Or whose out-cry is to the ships whereby they thought to save themselves but could not because Cyrus had drained and dried up their river Euphrates Tremellius rendereth it The Chaldees with their most famous ships Ver. 15. I am their Lord More of Gods holy Attributes are her heaped up for like reason as ver 14. Ver. 16. Which maketh a way in the Sea Or that made a way in the Sea c. sc when your Fathers came out of Egypt Why then should you doubt of deliverance Ver. 17. Which bringeth forth the Chariot and horse Or who brough forth the Chariot and horse the army and the power viz. Pharao's forces Exod. 14.4.9.23 Vt ellychnium extinguentur They are quenched as tow Heb. as a candle-weik made of flax quickly quenched with water poured on it See how easily God can confound his foes Ver. 18. Remember ye not the former things sc in comparison of those things I shall now do for you by Cyrus but especially by Christ who is that way in the Wilderness and that running Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 ver 14. Ver. 19. Shall ye not know it Or Do ye not perceive it He speaketh of it as present and under view And rivers in a desart As once when I set the flint abroach Exod. 17.6 Num. 20.8 11. Psal 105.41 By this way in the Wildernesse and rivers in the desart understand the doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of the Spirit Joh.
for Cyrus signifieth the Sun saith Plutarch Lord say others in the Persian as in Hebrew it seemeth to signifie an heir or possessour Some derive our word Sir from it Cyrus was at first called Achzadat and Space being the son of Cambyses a noble Persian and Mandane the daughter of Astyages King of Medes De Cyro fluvio scricit trabo l. 15. The name of Cyrus he took when he entred upon the Kingdom and that from Cyrus a river of Persia as some hold I have sirnamed thee Or I have entitled thee sc My Shepherd mine annointed c. Though thou hast not known me sc Savingly For albeit he knew the true God in part and acknowledged him to be great above other gods yet he forsook not his Idols saith Hierom Scultet and therefore perished miserably by the hands of the Scythianâ— Nevertheless others are of opinion that he was instructed by Daniel and brought to a true belief as was also Darius Ver. 5. I am the Lord and none else None of thy Persian gods to whom thou didst offer solemn sacrifice Xenoph. Cyr. lib. 1. 8. both at the beginning of thy raigne and likewise at thy death if Xenophon may be beleeved saying Jupiter patriae Sol c. magnas ago vobis gratias quod vestram de me curam intellexi c. Though thou hast not known me Or when as yet thou wast altogether ignorant of me That he afterwards beleeved the immortality of the soul Tully testifieth in his Cato Major and that he beleeved in Christ for the salvation of his soul Scultetus thinketh because he was a type of Christ as was also Solomon saith he which to me is one good argument that he was saved Ver. 6. That they may know from the rising of the Sun i. e. All the world over by thy Proclamation Ezra 1.1 2. That there is none besides me Quia nihilum praeter me ego Dominus nihil â—iltra so Oecolampaedius rendreth it and saith further that it is oppido profunda sententia a very profound sentence teaching us that where God is not there is nothing for in him we are move and live and it is he who worketh all in all things Ver. 7. I form the light and create darknesse sc By withdrawing the light whence darkness succeedeth so doth misery when God withholdeth mercy But what an odd or rather mad conceit was that of the Manichees that there were two beginnings of things a good one and an evil that the latter was the God of the Old Testament and the former of the New that the God of the Old Testament did good by accident and occasionally but created evil of himself even evil of sin for so they mistook this text which is to be understood of evil of punishment only see Am. 3.6 Lam. 3.38 which he inflicteth on evil-doers for the manifestation of his justice and power ac propterea recte Vide Aug. contra Julian l. 3. c. 8. non male eo pacto quo per nos mala male fiunt I make peace and create evil Evil that is war by a specialty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O mega nostrorum Mors est Mars Alpha malorum Sin Satan and War have all one name evil is the best of them The best of sin is deformity of Satan enmity of War misery Ver. 8. Drop down ye heavens from above A prayer of the poor captives in Babylon say some for a speedy performance of their promised deliverance and this the rather because else Christ could not come of them teach in their Country work miracles and fulfill the office of a Mediatour as the Prophets had foretold Whereunto God immediately answereth I the Lord have created him or will create him that is send him in due time doubt ye not Others make it a description of Cyrus his just and happy raign see the like of Solomon Psal 72.6 7. And indeed Cyrus is famous in Heathen Histories for his wisdom justice temperance magnanimity and liberality It is not the custome of Cyrus to hoard up money Cyrop l. 8. saith Xenophon for he taketh more delight in giving than in getting or possessing But it seemeth rather to be a command from God of plenty and prosperity opposite to that countermand chap. 5.6 The Papists apply it to Christ and his Mother and hence their roaring out of Rorate in their solemn service a moneth before the feast of the Nativity and then they call for their carousing cups Ver. 9. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker That chats against him Rom. 9.20 or presumes to prescribe to him as some impatient spirits among the Captives may seem to have done We may not measure Gods dealings by our Models nor murmur against his counsels sith his holy will is the most perfect rule of right Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth And not dash against the Rock of ages Let him meddle with his match and not contend with a mightier than he Eccles 6.10 What though God create him darknesse and evil as ver 7. let him wait upon God for better times and not think to mend himself by murmuring against his Maker as too severe Shall the clay say c. q. d. This were an intolerable petulancy Or thy work it hath no hands Or he hath no hands sc to fashion me aright Thus the work seemeth to make answer to the clay for as the clay said to the Potter Quid fecisti what hast thou made So the work saith by way of jear He had no hands sc to make me as he should have done Ver. 10. Wo unto him that saith to his Father Are these fit words to a Father Is it not an impious morosity to talk unto him in this sort Why hast thou begotten me at all or if at all why not rich fair wise c. And to the woman i. e. To his Mother as chap. 49.15 but such as he can hardly find in his heart to call Mother Ver. 11. Thus saith the Lord c. q. d. Leave off such insolent and unbecoming language and learn of me about what ye should rather busie your selves Ask me of things to come Me and not your Wizzards Have recourse to my Prophets beleeve them and ye shall prosper Let your patient mind be known to all men the Lord is at hand for your deliverance Command ye me This is a wonderful expression and doth notably set forth the power of prayer Mr. Burr Luther it seemeth well understood the latitude of this royal Charter saith One when praying for the recovery of a godly useful Preacher who was far gone in a consumption amongst other passages he let fall this transcendent rapture of a daring faith Let my will be done but then he falls off sweetly My will Lord because thy will Ver. 12. I have made the earth q. d. I am the mighty Maker and Monarch of the world therefore pray on and patiently wait for a
money-Merchants hath mystical Babylon also not a few Rev. 18.11 Non desunt Antichristo sui Augures malefici saith Oecolampadius Antichrist hath those abroad that trade with him and for him these shall be cast alive with him into the burning lake Rev. 19.20 and though they wander yet not so wide as to misse of hell CHAP. XLVIII Ver. 1. HEar ye this O house of Jacob Ye stiffenecked of Israel and uncircumcised in heart and eares who do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Act. 7.51 to you be it spoken for to the Israelites indeed enough hath been said of this subject already Which are called by the name of Israel Sed nomen inane crimen immane Ye are called Jews and make your boast of God Rom. 2.17 having a form of knowledge Picti estis Israelitae est◠hypocritae Rom. 2.20 and of godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 and that 's all the voyce of Jacob but the hands of Esau Let such fear Jacobs fear My Father perhaps will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Gen. 27.12 'T is sure enough And are come forth out of the waters of Judah i. e. Out of the bowels Pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videtur hic legendum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gen. 15.4 as waters out of a spring Deut. 33.28 Psal 68.26 Judah was the tribe royal hence they so gloried and remained ruling with God and faithful with the Saints when other tribes revolted Which swear by the Name of the Lord And not of Baal And make mention of the God of Israel Who was neer in their mouths but far from their reines Jer. 22.2 Psal 50.16 Religionem simulabant cum in cute essent nequissimi arrant hypocrites But not in truth nor in righteousnesse i. e. Without faith and sound conversion Ver. 2. For they call themselves of the holy City Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah yea they swore by their City and Temple as appeareth in the Gospel and cryed out ad ravim usque The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Jer. 7. like as the Romists now do The Church the Church glorying in the false and empty title of Roman Catholicks Sed grande est Christianum esse non dici saith Hierom and it is a great vanity saith the Poet Respicere ad fumos nomina vana Catonum And stay themselves As far as a few good words will go See on Mic. 3.11 The Lord of hosts is his Name So said these hypocrites bearing themselves bold upon so great a God who had all creatures at his command Ver. 3. I have declared the former things This God had said oft before but being now to conclude this comfortable Sermon he repeats here the heads of what had been spoken in the seven foregoing Chapters Ver. 4. Because I knew that thou art obstinate Heb. hard obduraete therefore do I so inculcate these things if by any means I may mollify thee Hypocrites are harder to be wrought upon then other sinners And thy neck is an iron sinew Thou art utterly averse from yea adverse to any good no more bended thereunto than if the body had for every sinew a plate of iron And thy brow brasse Sinews of iron argue a natural impotency and somewhat more but brows of brasse impudency in evil quando pudet non esse impudentes when men are shamelesse in sin setting it upon the cliffe of the Rock Ezek. 24.7 and declaring it as Sodom Isa 3.9 Ver. 5. I have even from the beginning c. See ver 3. It is probable that there were many among the Jews who when they saw themselves to be so punished and the heathen prospered would be ready to think that the God of Israel either could not or would not do for his people as those Devil-gods did for theirs For their help therefore under such a temptation God was pleased to foretell his people what good or evil should betide them and accordingly to accomplish it Ver. 6. Thou hast heard see all this Here God extorteth from them a confession of the aforesaid truth and urgeth them to attest and publish it Ver. 7. They are created now i. e. They are now brought to light by my Revelations and predictions Behold I knew them By my gods or Diviners or by my natural sagacity Ver. 8. Yea thou heardest not yea thou knewest not Yea so oft used here is very emphatical and sheweth how hardly sinners are born down and made to beleeve plain truths where they are prepossessed with conceits to the contrary And wast called a transgressour from the womb Ever since thou madest and worshippedst a golden Calf in the wildernesse See here the Note on Psal 58.3 and art still as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever thy Fathers were Act. 7.51 Ver. 9. For my name sake will I defer mine anger Heb. prolong it Here he setteth forth the cause of his patience toward so perverse a people viz. the sole respect to his own glory whereof he is so tender and so loth to be a loser in Propter me faciam And for my praise The praise of my might and mercy That I cut thee not off Which I would do were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy lest thine adversaries should behave themselves strangely and lest they should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Deut. 32.27 Ver. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver Much lesse as gold which is wont to be fined most exactly Non agam summo jure tecum Jun. and to the uttermost because these precious mettles will not perish by fire But thou hast more drosse in thee than good oare therefore I have refined thee with favour Psal 118.18 Ne totus disperires lest I should undoe thee for if thy punishment should be commensurate to thine offence thou must needsly perish I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction i. e. In affliction which is as a furnace or crucible See Ezek. 20.37 Ver. 11. For mine own sake even for mine own sake This is oft repeated that it may once be well observed Bene cavet spiritus sanctus ubique in Scripturis ne nostris operibus salutem tribuamus it is Oecolampadius his Note upon the first verse of this Chapter i. e. The holy Ghost doth everywhere in Scripture take course that we ascribe not our safety to our own works See on chap. 43.13 For how should my Name be polluted As it will be by the blasphemous Heathens who else will say that their gods are fortiores faventiores more powerful and more merciful than the God of the Hebrews Thus the Turkes at this day when they have beaten the Christians cry up their Mahomet as mightier than Christ And I will not give my glory to another Presse this in prayer 't is an excellent argument Exod. 32.12 Josh 7.9 Psal 79.9 10. Psal
de re rust or a countrey be brought forth in one day a Nation be born at once Cardinal Pool abused this Scripture in a letter to Pope Julius 3. applying it to the bringing in of Popery again here so universally and suddainly in Queen Maryes dayes So he did also another when at his first return hither from beyond sea he blasphemously saluted the same Queen Mary with those words of the Angel Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee Ver. 9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth i. e. Shall I set upon a work and not go through with it God began and finished his work of Creation Christ is both Authour and finisher of his peoples faith Heb. 12.2 The holy Ghost will sanctifie the Elect wholly and keep them blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.23 Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus sancti gratia saith Ambrose Otherwise his power and mercy would not equally appear to his people in regeneration as the power and mercy of the Father and the Son in Creation and Redemption Ver. 10. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem As friends use to do with her that is newly made a mother Luk. 1.58 Rejoyce for joy with her Out of the Church there is no solid joy See Hos 9.1 with the Note Others may revel the godly only rejoyce their joy is not that of the mouth but of the heart nec in labris nascitur sed fibris it doth not only smooth the brow but fills the breast wet the mouth but warm the heart c. Ver. 11. That ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolations Zion is not only a fruitful mother but a joyful nurse God giveth her the blessings both of the belly and of the brests and these brests of hers are full-strutting with the sincere milk of the Word that rational milk 1 Pet. 2.2 the sweet and precious promises of the Gospel These brests of consolation we must suck as the babe doth the mothers dug as long as he can get a drop out of it and then sucks still till more cometh Let us suck the blood of the Promises saith one as a dog that hath got the blood of the bear he hangs on and will hardly be beaten off Let us extort and oppress the Promises saith another descanting upon this text as a rich man oppresseth a poor man and getteth out of him all that he hath so deale thou with the Promises for they are rich there is a price in them consider it to the utmost wring it out The world layeth forth her two breasts or botches rather of Profit and Pleasure and hath enow to suck them though they can never thereby be satisfied And shall almamater Ecclesia want those that shall milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Ver. 12. Behold I will extend peace to her This and the following Promises are the delicious milk spoken of before sc pax copiosa pâ—rennis peace as a river as the waters cover the sea joy unspeakable and full of glory Gods fatherly care motherly affection c. all that heart can wish or need require Like a river As Euphrates saith the Chaldee Like a flowing stream Or overflowing as Nilus Claudian Qui cunctis amnibus extat Vtilior Ye shall be born upon her side Humanissime suavissime traÌ„ctabimini ye shall be born in the Churches armes laid to her brests set in her lap dandled on her knees c. Hac Similitudine nihil fierà potest suavius See Num. 11.12 Ver. 13. And as one whom his mother comforteth Her darling and dandling especially when she perceiveth it to make a lip and to be displeased mothers also are very kind to and careful of their children when they are grown to be men A Lapide in Isai 56.20 as Monica was to Austin and as Matres Hollandicae the mothers in Holland of whom it is reported quod prae aliis matribus mirè filios suos etiam grandaevos ament ideóque eos vocant tractant ut pueros See Isa 46.4 with the Note Ver. 14. And when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce Videbitis gaudebitis you shall see that I do not give you good words only but that I am in good earnest ye shall know it within your selves in the workings of your own hearts as Heb. 10.34 And your bones shall flourish like an herb i. e. They shall be filled again with moisture and marrow See Ezek. 37.10 11. you shall be fair-liking and reflourish And the hand of the Lord i. e. His infinite power tantorum beneficiorum in piis operatrix the efficient cause of all these comforts Ver. 15. For behold the Lord will come with fire With hell-fire say the Rabbines here with the fire of the last day say we whereof his particular judgements are as pledges and preludes And with his charrets like a whirlwind As he did when he sent forth his armies the Romans and destroyed those murtherers the Jews and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 And when they would have reedified their City and Temple under Julian the Apostate who in hatred to Christians animated them thereunto balls of fire broke forth of the earth which marred their work and destroyed many thousands of them Ver. 16. For with fire Then which nothing is more formidable And with his sword Which is no ordinary one chap. 27.1 Ver. 17. In the gardens Where these Idolaters had set up Altars offered sacrifices Donec me flumine vivo Abluero Virg. Qui noctem in flumine purgas Pers i. e. nocturnam Venerem and had their ponds wherein when they were about to sacrifice heathen-like they washed and purified themselves one after another and not together which they held to be the best way of purifying This they did also not apart and in private but in the midst ut hoc modo oculos in nudis lavantium praesertim muliercularum corporibus pascerent that they might feed their eyes with the sight of those parts which nature would have hid for your Pagan superstitions were oft-times contrary to natural honesty Behind one tree in the midst Or as others render it after or behind Ahad which was the name of a Syrian Idol Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 23. representing the Sun as Macrobius telleth us calling him Adad Ver. 18. For I know or I will punish their works and their thoughts Or yea their thoughts which they may think to be free See Jer. 6.19 It shall come to passe that I will gather It is easie to observe that this Chapter consisteth of various passages interwoven the one within the other of judgments to the wicked of mercyes and comforts to the godly c. All Nations and tongues A plain Prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the Kingdom of Christ for which purpose the miraculous gift of tongues was bestowed upon the Apostles And they shall come and see
non esse impudentem Aug. that can blush no more then a sackbut We have heard saith a Reverend writer of Virgins which at first seemed modest blushing at the motions of an honest love who being once corrupt and debauched have grown flexible to easie intreaties to unchastity and from thence boldly lascivious so as to sollicit others Dr. Halls Remedy of Prophan p. 179. so as to prostitute themselves to all comers yea as the Casuists complain of some Spanish stews to an unnatural filthiness The modest beginnings of sin will make way for immodest proceeding Let men take heed of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. inverecundia shamelesness that Caligula liked so well in himself and that the heriticks called Effrontes professed 'T is an hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart Ver. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me And is not this extream impudence hast thou a face thus to collogue Hypocritis nihil impudentius hypocrites are impudent flatterers they would if they could cozen God of his heaven Thou art the guide of my youth i. e. My dear husband Prov. 2.17 Fair words are light-cheap and may make fooles fain But God is not to be so courted and complemented Ver. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever Will he not Nah. 1.2 and is there not good reason he should do so so long as you speak and do evil things as you can obstinately persisting in thy sinful practises He that repenteth with a contradiction saith Tertullian God will pardon him with a contradiction Thou repentest and yet continuest in thy sins God will pardon thee and yet send thee to bell There 's a pardon with a contradiction As thou couldest i. e. To thine utmost Nolunt solita peccare saith Seneca of some they strive to out-sin themselves and others Ver. 6. The Lord also said unto me in the dayes of Josiah This is the beginning of a new Sermon as most hold Josiah was a religious Prince and a zealous reformer and hypocrisie raigned exceedingly in his dayes as we see here and as holy Bradford in his letters complaineth that it did likewise in King Edward the sixths dayes who was our English Josiah among the great ones especially who were very corrupt She is gone up upon every high mountain sc Ever since Solomons mind began to be corrupted 1 King 11.4 and now she smarteth for it yet is not Judah warned by her example Ver. 7. And I said after she had done Or yet I said but I lost my sweet words upon her Ver. 8. And I saw That which others could not so easily discern viz. their hypocrisie and hollow-heartednesse their incorrigiblenesse also and refusing to he warned by what had befallen their brethren God looked that Israels corrections should have been Jerusalems instructions and that by their lashes she should have been lessoned which because she was not he is highly displeased and speaks of it here in a very angry dialect Yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not But slighted the kindness of such a caution and despised the counsel that was written to her in her sisters blood But went and played the harlot also Being therefore the worse because she should have been the better of the two Ver. 9. And it came to passe through the lightnesse of her whoredome Or better through the vocalnesse of it the loudnesse of her leudnesse Heb. The voyce or noise of her whoredome the fame and bruit of it for it is talked of far and near And committed adultery with stones and with stocks Haec ferae omnia in coecum erroneum meretrioiumque Papatum apte hodie torqueri possunt Do not Idolatrous Papists even the same Ver. 10. Hath not turned unto me with her whole heart Josiah did but the people did not as soon appeared when in the next Kings raign they fell off as fast as leaves do in Autumn And so they did here when Queen Mary set up Popery Ver. 11. The back sliding Israel hath justified her self That is she is less guilty and faulty of the two because Judah sinned against more means and mercies and because she received not instruction by her sisters destruction Therefore shall she feel what she feared not at a distance therefore shall she taste of Israels rod because she would not hear it she that would not tremble at her sisters divorce must her self be divorced and be judged as women that break wedlock Ezek. 16.38 bearing her own shame for her sins that she had committed more abominable then theirs ver 52. Ver. 12. Go and proclaim these words toward the North i. e Toward Assyria and Media into which Countries the ten tribes had been carryed captive And although they cannot hear thee yet in time this prophecy may be brought to their hearing and the men of Judah mean while may be wrought upon thereby And I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you Heb. I will not make my face to fall I will not further frown upon you or deal hardly with you I will not keep anger for ever Heb. I will not keep for ever There is nothing that a man is more ready to keep than his wrath Therefore the Hebrews put keep for keep wrath so Psal 103.9 Levit. 19.18 See Ver. 5. Ver. 13. Only acknowledge thine iniquity Thus favour is promised to the ten captivated tribes sed per modulum unius poenitentiae but upon condition of their true repentance Facit peccator confitendo propitium quem non facit negando nescium Aug. one part whereof is confession of sin Prov. 28.13 Psal 32.4 When thy sins and Gods wrath meeting in thy conscience saith one make thee deadly sick then pour forth thy soul in confession and as it will ease thee as vomiting useth to do so also it will move God to pitty and to give thee cordials and comforts to restore thee again Ver. 14. Turn O backsliding children See on Zach. 1.3 For I am married unto you And as I hate putting away Mal. 2.16 so I can receive to favour a wise that hath been disloyal ver 1. and after a divorce And I will take you one of a City i. e. Though but a few as Isa 10.11 12. and 17.6 and 24.3 all the rest hardening their hearts by unbelief This hath been principally fulfilled in the dayes of the Gospel Ver. 15. And I will give you Pastours according to my heart God gives faithful Pastours oft for the sake of but a few that are there to be converted vilissimus pagus est palatium eburneum Luth. tom 3. pag. 81. a. in quo est Pastor credentes aliqui saith Luther the poorest village is an Ivory Palace if there be but in it a Pastour and some few beleevers Such Pastours as God here promiseth and more largely describeth chap. 23. and Ezek. 34. are special gifts of God I will give you Pastours David after he had discomfited the Amalekites sent gifts to his
friends in Judah 1 Sam. 30.26 Great Alexander when he had prevailed at the river Granicum and was now ascended into the upper parts of Asia sent back many gifts to assure them of his love in Macedonia The like doth God to his Church by sending them Pastours with such two adjuncts as are here 1. Adherent his own approbation 2. Inherent skill to teach the people See Eph. 4.8 with the Notes Ver. 16. They shall say no more the Ark c. When the Gospel shall be preached Paulus ea vocat stercora rudera the ancient ceremonies shall be abolished This was not so easily beleeved and is therefore here again and again assured Ver. 17. They shall call Jerusalem i. e. The Church Christian The throne of the Lord The throne of glory chap. 4.21 So Exod. 17.16 because the hand upon the throne of the Lord that is say some Amalecks hand upon the Church which is elsewhere also called the Temple of God Neither shall they walk any more c. i. e. Not at random but by rule Eph. 5.15 Heb. not any more after the sight of their heart i. e. as themselves thought good but as God directeth them Ver. 18. In that day shall the house of Judah walk with the house of Israel All the Elect shall be reunited in Christ unless we shall understand it of the last reduction of the Nation into one Isa 11.13 Ezek. 37.16 22. Hos 1.11 And they shall come together out of the land of the North i. e. Out of the place of their captivity whereby was figured our spiritual captivity c. Ver. 19. But I said How shall I put thee among the children How but by my free grace alone sith thou hast so little deserved it the causes of our Adoption see Eph. 1.5 6. And give thee a pleasant land The heavenly Canaan which is here fitly called a land of desire or delight an heritage or possession of goodliness a land of the Hâ—sts or desires of the Nations And I said thou shalt call me My Father And My Father affectionately uttered is an effectual prayer As Pater I brevissima quidem vex est sed omnia complectitur saith Luther i. e. Ah Father is but a little word but very comprehensive it is such a piece of eloquence as far exceedeth the rowlings of Demosthenes Cicero or whatsoever most excellent Orator Ver. 20. Surely as a treacherous wife c. This ye have done but that 's your present grief and now you look upon your former disloyalties with a lively hatred of them holding that the time past of your life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. 1 Pet. 4.3 Ver. 21. A voyce was heard upon the high places Where they were wont to worship Idols now they weep for their sins and pray for pardon For they have perverted their wayes This is it that now draweth from them prayers and teares See Chap. 31.18 Lam 5.14 Oi nalanu chi chattanu Wo worth us that ever we thus sinned Some understand those words A voyce is heard as shewing Gods readiness to hear penitent sinners so soon as they begin to turn to him even before they speak as the Father of the Prodigal met him c. Ver. 22. Return ye backsliding children Give the whole turn and not the half-turn only So Act. 2.38 Peter said to them that were already prickt at heart Repent ye even to a transmentation and chap. 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Repent not only for sin but from sin too be through in your repentance set it be such as shall never be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 It is not a slight sorrow that will serve Apostates turn it must be deep and down-right And I will heal your back slidings Pardon your sins and heal your natures I will love you freely and cause your broken bones to rejoyce Hos 14.4 Isa 19.22 Oh sweetest promise I what wonder then that their hard hearts were forthwith melted by it into such a gracious compliance as followeth Behold we come to thee See Zach. 13.9 with the Note Ver. 23. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills Heb. Truly in vain from the hills the multitude the mountaines it is like to that Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us neither will we say any more to the works of our hands Ye are our gods See the Notes there Truely in the Lord our God They trust not God at all that not alone Ver. 24. For shame hath devoured the labour of our Fathers That shameful thing Baal hath done it Chap. 11.13 Hos 9.10 he hath even eaten up our cattle and our Children of whom if any be left yet there is nothing left for them And this we now see long and last poenitentia ducti nostro malo edocti having bought our wit and paid dear for our learning And may not many ill husbands amongst us say as much of their drunkenness and wantonness See Prov. 5.9 10 11 12. with the Notes Ver. 25 We lye down in our shame We that once had a whores forehead ver 3. and seemed past grace are now sore ashamed of former miscarriages yea our confusion covereth us as Psal 44.15 because we have sinned against the Lord our God we and our Fathers from our youth unto this day and have not obeyed the voyce of our God Lo here a dainty form and pattern of penitent confession such as is sure to find mercy Haec sanè omni tempore Christiana est satisfactio non meritoria aliqua Papistica atque nugivendula Only we must not acknowledge sin with dry eyes Zegedia but point every sin with a teare c. CHAP. IIII. Ver. 1. IF thou wilt return O Israel As thou seemest willing to do and for very good reason Chap. 2.22 23 24. Thou art but a beaten rebel and to stand it out with me is to no purpose thou must either turn or burn Neither will it help thee to return fainedly for I love truth in the inward parts and hate hypocrisie halting and tepidity If therefore thou wilt return Return unto me Return as far as to me not from one evil course to another chap. 2.36 for that is but to be tossed as a ball from one of the devils hands to the other but to me with thy whole heart seriously sincerely and zealously for Non amat qui non zelat To a tyrant thou shalt not turn but to one that will both assist thee Prov. 1.23 and accept thee Zach. 1.2 And if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight i. e. Thine Idols out of thine house and out of thine heart Ezek. 14.3 4. Then shalt thou not remove But still dwell in the land and do good feeding on faith as Tremellius rendreth that Psal 37.3 Ver. 2. And thou shalt swear The Lord liveth Not by Baal shalt thou swear or other Idols but by the living God or by the
if men go a little faster then others do They who will live godly in Christ Jesus and be set upon 't shall suffer persecution this gate-house might well be the Priests prison whither they used to send such as they took for false Prophets Ver. 3. Pashur brought forth Jeremiah To be judged say some but why then did he first smite him an Officer should retain the Majesty of the Law and not do any thing passionately To set him at liberty say others as perceiving that the Word of God could not be bound nor a Prophets mouth stopped by a prison as Pashur also shall well perceive ere Jeremy hath done with him Act. Mon. Bonner said to Hawkes the Martyr A faggot will make you believe the Sacrament of the Altar He answered No no a point for your faggot God will be meet with you one day So true is that of the Poet Pressa sub ingenâ—i ceu pondere palma virescit Sub cruce sic florent debita corda Deo The Lord hath not called thy name Pashur That is black-mouth as some derive it Junius q d. non Augustus sed angustus non nobilis sed mobâ—lâ—s futurus es Non tumor sed tiimor Daniel Thuan. or diffusing palenesse as others but on the contrary Magor-missabib i. e. Terrour round about or fear on every side a Proverbial form of speech denoting extreame consternation of spirit and greatest distress such as befell Tullus Hostilius King of Rome who had for his gods Pavor and Pallor dignâ—ssimus sanè qui deos suos semper haberet praesentes saith Lactantius wittily i. e. great pitty but this man should ever have had his gods at hand sith he was so fond of them Our Richard 3. and Charles the ninth of France a paire of bloody Princes were Magor-missabibs in their generations as terrible at length to themselves as they had been formerly to others and therefore could never endure to be awakened in the night without musick or some like diversion Ver. 4. I will make thee a terrour Heb. I will give thee unto a terrour i. e. I will affright thy conscience and then turn it loose upon thee so that thou shalt be à corde tuo fugitivus and thy friends shall have small joy of thee or thou help by them See on ver 3. Ver. 5. Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this City Thus Pashur prevailed nothing at all with good Jeremy by imprisoning him to make him give over menacing But as Baruch wrot the roll anew that had been cut in pieces and added besides unto it many like words chap. 36.32 so doth Jeremy here he will not budge to dye for it This was to shew the magnanimity of a Prophetical Spirit Ver 6. There shalt thou be buried In a dunghil perhaps as Bishop Bonner was and have cause enough to cry out as that great Parisian Doctour did from his heir when brought to be buried Parcite funeribus mihi nil prodesse valebit Heu infelicem cur me genuere parentes Ah miser aeternos vado damnatus ad ignes Spare funeral-costs why was I born By hells black feinds now to be torn Ver. 7. O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived From hence to the end of the Chapter the Prophet Iterum more solitâ— causam suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coram Deo agit Oecolamp not without some tang and taint of humane frailty grievously quiritateth and expostulateth with God about the hard usage and ill success he met with in the execution of his prophetical function But as ex incredulitate Thomae nostra confirmata est fides Thomas his unbelief serveth to the setling of our faith and as Peters fall warneth us to look well to our standing so when such a man as Jeremy shall miscarry in this sort and have such out-bursts oh be not high-minded but fear Some render the text Lord if I be deceived thou hast deceived me and so every faithful man who keepeth to the rule may safely say Piscator hath it persuasisti mihi Jehova persuasus sum O Lord thou perswadedst me and I was perswaded sc to undertake this Prophetical office but I have small joy of it some think he thus complained when he was put in prison by Pashur I am in derision dayly every one mocketh me This is the worlds wages The Cynik said of the Megarians long ago Better be their horse dog or Pander then their teacher and better he should be regarded Ver. 8. For since I spake I cryed out i. e. Ever since I took upon me the office of a Prophet I executed it vigorously I cryed with full mouth as chap. 4.5 Isa 58.1 I cryed violence and spoile Sc. will surely befall you by the Chaldees or I cryed out of my misusages Because the Word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me and a derision dayly This was all the recompence I reaped of my good-will to this perverse people and of my paines taken amongst them Few sins are more dangerous then those of casting reproaches upon Gods Word as here of snuffing at it Mal. 1.13 of enviously swelling at it Act. 13.45 of chatting at it Rom. 9.19 20. of stumbling at it 1 Pet. 2.8 of gathering odious consequences from it Rom. 3.8 Ex humano motu metu hoc in mentem incidit A Lap. Pisc Quoque magis tegitur tanto magis aestuat ignis Ovid. Chrysost de Lazaro Hanc legem ex hoc loco dat concionatori ne defatigetur nec ullo tempore sileat sive sit qui auscultet sive non Ver. 9. Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his Name i. e. I will give over preaching This said Latimer in a like case was a naughty a very naughty resolution But his Word was in my heart as a burning fire Ex sensu malae conscientiae propter illud propositum And here was the work of the Spirit against that carnal resolution of his Gods people cannot do the things that they would saith the Apostle Gal. 5.17 As they cannot do the good they would because of the flesh so neither the evil that they would because of the Spirit there is a continual conflict and as it were the company of two opposite armies Cant. 6.13 True grace will as little be hid as fire quis enim celaverit ignem And I was weary with forbearing and could not stay Jeremies service among the Jews was something like that of Manlius Torquatus among the Romans who gave it over saying Neither can I bear their manners nor they my government He began to think with that painful Patriarch that rest was good Gen. 49.15 and with the Olive Vine and Fig-tree in Jothams parable that it was best to enjoy a beloved privacy He was ready to say Bene qui latuit bene vixit And Bene qui tacuit bene dixit c. But this could not hold with him he saw well for
of perfect deliverance by Christ Ver. 19. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving Mox ubi fides inde prodit laâ— confessio Faith is a fruitful grace the very womb wherein all the rest are conceived Ver. 20. Their children also shall be as aforetime How easily can the Lord turn again the captivity of his people set them statu quo prius Zach. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off See the Note there Ver. 21. And their Nobles shall be of themselves Forreiners shall no more domineer over them but they shall have Governours of their own Nation who shall be more tender of them and careful of their good Some apply all this and well they may to Jesus Christ who is here called Magnificus Dominator Christus Fortis ille Gâ—gat est Oecol his Magnificent or honourable One and his Ruler who also is one of them and proceedeth from amongst them See Deut. 18.18 And I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me Either as God coequal and coessential with me or as Mediatour and so he shall approach unto me by the hypostatical union in respect of which he came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could and by the execution of his Priestly office wherein he intercedeth for my people and reconcileth them unto me For who is this that engaged his heart Who but my Son Christ durst do it or was fit to do it he is a super-excellent person as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze Who this he Ver. 22. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God sc Through Christ and by his mediation As for those that are not in Covenant with God by Christ as the devil will one day sweep them so mean while Ver. 23. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury Sensim sese conglomerans ac demittens in eorum capita the vengeance of God followeth them close at heeles till at length they be wherried away by that terrible tempest at death Job 27.20 Ver. 24. The fierce anger of the Lord See chap. 23.20 In the latter dayes ye shall consider it In the dayes of the Messias but especially at the end of the world when all these things shall have their full accomplishment CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. AT the same time i. e. In the beginning of Zedekiah's raign as before was this word uttered Or rather in those latter times forementioned chap. 30.24 after the return from Babylon but especially in the dayes of the Messiah The modern Jews vainly apply it to the coming of their Messiah quem tantis etiamnum ululatibus exposcunt whom they yet expect but to no purpose Ver. 2. The people that were left of the sword Of Pharaoh's sword who pursued them Fieri dicitur quod tentatur aut intenditur and though he smote them not because the Lord kept him off yet he is said to have done it like as Balac afterwards arose and fought against Israel Josh 24.9 he had a mind so to have done but that he was over-awed he did not indeed because he durst not When I went to bring him to rest i. e. To the land of Canaan after so long trouble and travel I effected that then though it were held improbable or impossible so I will do this promised reduction of my people from Babylon Indaeorum quiritantium verba Zeg Ver. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me This seemeth to be the peoples objection You tell us what was done of old but these are ancient things and little pertaining to us who are now under a heavy captivity jam refrixit obsoleta videtur Dei beneficentia Hereunto is answered Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love I am one and the same I am Jehovah that change not whatever thou mayst think of me because I seem angry at thy misdoings Therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Or Therefore will I draw out loving kindnesse toward thee as Psal 36.10 See the Note there Ver. 4. Again I will build thee See chap. 34.18 Thou shalt he adorned with thy tabrets All shall be haile and merry with thee as heretofore yea thou shalt have spiritual joy which is res severa severe and solid such as doth not only smooth the brow but fill the breast Ver. 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines Profunda pax erit nemo te perterre faciat Thou shalt have plenty peace and security The planters shall plant them and shall eat them as common things i. e. Shall have Gods good leave and liking so to do Heb. Shall profane them i. e. not abuse them but use them freely even to an honest affluence See Levit. 19.23 with the Note Ver. 6. The watchmen upon the mount Ephraim Such as are set to keep those vineyards ver 5. Shall cry Arise ye and let us go up to Zion As the ten tribes first made defection so shall they be forwardest in the Reformation England was the like alate Ver. 7. Shout among the chief of the Nations Heb. neigh unto the heads of the Nations ut illa vobis adhinniant pariter in Christi fide jubilent that they may joyn joyes with you and help to make up the quire Publish ye and praise ye and say O Lord save The Saints have never so much matter of praise but that they may at the same time find cause enough to pray for more mercy Psal 18.3 Ver. 8. Behold I will bring them Here 's a present answer to such a Prayer and this promise hath its performance chiefly in the Kingdom of Christ who will not suffer the least or the weakest of his to miscarry See Esa 35.5 6. Ver. 9. They shall come with weeping Prae gandio inquit flebunt they shall weep for joy having first soaked themselves in godly sorrow by the spirit of grace and of supplications or deprecations poured upon them Zach. 12.10 being sollicitous about their salvation And I will make them to walk by the rivers of waters Heb. To the brooks of waters i. e. to the holy ordinances as Psal 23.3 For I am a Father to Israel I do all of free-grace Ephraim is my first-born And therefore higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord O ye Nations Hear and bear witnesse of the gracious promises that I make to my people for I would have them noted and noticed Ver. 11. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob Redemption is a voluminous mercy an accumulative blessing From the hand of him that was stronger then he sc The Chaldean but especially from Satan Matth. 12.29 Joh. 12.31 Ver. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion i. e. In the Temple shall they celebrate that singular mercy in the Congregation of the faithful And shall flow together i. e. Flock together by troops and caravans flock thither by sholes To the goodnesse of the Lord Or
to the goods of the Lord such as here instanced wheat wine and oyl whereby also better things are figured a confluence of inward and outward mercies is here assured the Saints And their soul shall be as a watered garden Where every good thing comes forward amain mens foecundata est rore coelesti See Isa 58.11 And they shall not sorrow any more at all As those do who have not this contented godlinesse but serve divers lusts to their great vexation Ver. 13. And make them rejoyce from their sorrow Or after their sorrow I will turn all their sadnesse into gladnesse their sighing into singing their tears into triumphs c. Ver. 14. And I will satiate the soul of the Priests with fatnesse i. e. Provide liberally for my Ministers Isa 66.21 they and theirs shall be well maintained Terms taken from the good and fat parts of the Sacrifices which were allotted for the Priests Ver. 15. A voice was heard in Ramah It was once when the poor captives were carried that way to Babylon the mothers bitterly bewayling their Luctuosam foecunditatem It was also another time when Herod barbarously butchered the babes of Bethlehem Mat. 2.16 17 18. But now the case is altered joy is restored c. Rachel weeping for her children Elegans Prosopopeja See the Notes on Mat. 2.18 Ver. 16. Refrain thy voice from weeping Take up in time O Rachel and the rest God comforteth the abject 2 Cor. 7.6 he restoreth comfort to his mourners Isa 57.18 Ver. 17. And there is hope in the end Or for thy posterity Tribulation causeth patience and patience experience and experience hope lively hope such as maketh not ashamed is not disappointed Spes in fundo God can recompense his peoples patience and obedience in their heires and executours Ver. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Heb. hearing I have heard his moans and laments have rung in mine eares So Hos 14 8. I have heard him and observed him This is Gods speech concerning the Christian Church of the Jews for in this Sermon we may easily observe a frequent change of persons tanquam in opere Dramatico as in an Interlude Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised i. e. I was chastised to good purpose taught my duty as Psal 94.12 See there Turn thou me Give me the whole turn that I be not as an untamed sturdy Heifer or as a cake half baked Ver. 19. Surely after that I was turned I repented After that I had turned short again upon my self as those Penitents 1 King 8.47 as Manasseh the Publican Luke 18. and that Prodigal Luke 15.17 And after that I was instructed Post quam ostensum fuerit mihi Tremel In gloss marginal Homer hath it oft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he smot on his thigh Tully hath the like lib. 3. Tuscul After that I knew my self or rather was made known to my self sc by mine afflictions sanctified for Schola crucis schola lucis Afflictions are those pillulae lucis that serve notably to clear the souls eye-sight I smot upon my thigh Sicut mulierculae in puerperio facere solent saith Luther as travelling women use to do T is a token of greatest grief See Ezek. 21.12 I was ashamed yea even confounded Abashed and abased to the utmost my sorrow was deep and downright Because I did bear the reproach of my youth i. e. The brunt and burthen of my reproachful practises in my youth See Job 13.26 Psal 25.7 Ver. 20. Is Ephraim a dear son Is he a pleasant childe q. d. Ey sure is he and never more dear and pleasant then when thus beblubberd like as some faces appear most oriently beautiful when they are most instampt with sorrow Heb. Is he a childe of delight q. d. He may seem to be otherwise by my hard dealing with him but so he is assuredly Behold he whom thou lovest is sick Joh. 11. For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Or so oft as I speak of him I am mindful still of him See Isa 49.14 16. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him Perstrepunt viscera mea My bowels work as that mothers did toward her childe 1 Kings 3.26 as Croesus his dumb sons did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod when seeing a fellow ready to kill his Father he burst out into Kill not King Croesus See Hos 11.8 with the Notes Ver. 21. Set thee up way-markes Statue tibi statuas Mercuriales q. d. I will surely bring thee back by the same way thou wentest hence into captivity therefore take good notice of the way now that thou maiest know it again another time This God saith to quicken their faith and to ascertain them of his love and savour which is not like the winter-Sun which casteth a goodly countenance when it shineth but giveth little heat and comfort c. We must also set up way-markes observe how we fell from the Lord repent and do our first works Set thine heart towards the high-way This is done saith Austin when God is sought for Gods sake sed vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum saith the same Father but this is rearely done Ver. 22. How long wilt thou go about Hunting after humane helps and refusing to set thy heart on the right straight way ver 21. fetch a compasse to thy losse of time and labour O thou backsliding daughter Who wast whilom O virgin of Israel ver 21. For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth Or will create he is even about it Sicut hostis circundat hostem A woman shall compasse a man i. e. Say some the Jewes who are now looked upon as weak women and may say Imbelles damae quid nisi turba sumus shall compasse about and conquer the Chaldees those men of might Or as others sense it The Church Christian how weak soever at first it may seem and inconsiderable yet shall be able by the confession of her faith to resist her most potent persecutours and by faith to overcome them 1 Joh. 5.4 as she did in the Apostles Act. 4. 5. in the noble army of Martyrs and Confessours The text is generally understood of Christs wonderful conception in the womb of his Virgin-mother Ver. 23. Thus saith the Lord of hosts Et haec pertinent ad regnum Christi propriissime These words also to the end of the Chapter do most properly pertain to the Kingdom of Christ saith Oecolamp As yet Or Yet again as ver 5. The Lord blesse thee This prayer is daily made for the Church by all her children Ver. 24. Husbandmen and those that go out with flocks Agricola pecuarii the Citizens of the Church shall be plaine-hearted and profitable persons living together in amity and not jarring as husbandmen and shepheards oft doe Cain and Abel for instance Ver. 25. For I have satiated the weary soul Or I will satiate fill them with my fulnesse so that they shall have enough
out of the deep called upon God whom he found far more facile then these Princes did Zedekiah Thou drewest near saith he in the day when I called upon thee Thou saidest fear not Lam. 3.57 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon And they let down Jeremiah with cords With a murtherous intent there to make an end of him privily ut ibi praefocatus moreretur ille vero usque ad collum mersus ibi manebat saith Josephus that he might there pine and perish but God graciously prevented it And in the dungeon there was no water but mire A typical hell it was worse then Josephs pit Gen. 37. or Hemans lake Psal 88.6 or any prison that ever Brown the Sect master ever came into who used to boast that he had been committed to two and thirty prisons and in some of them he could not see his hand at noon-day Fullers Church-hist p. 168. He dyed at length in Northampton jayle Anno 1630. whereto he was sent for striking the Constable requiring rudely the payment of a rate So Jeremiah sunk in the mire Up to the neck saith Josephus and so became a type of Christ Psal 69.2 Ver. 7. Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian But a Proselyte and a Religious Prince a stranger but as that good Samaritan in the Gospel more merciful then any of the Jewish Nation who gloried in their priviledges See Rom. 2.26 27. One of the Eunuches And Eunuches say the Rabbines are ordinarily more cruel then other men but so was not this Cushite Piety is the fountain of all vertues whatsoever Which was in the Kings house As Obadiah was in Ahabs Nehemiah in Artaxerxes's some good people in Herods Luk. 8.3 and Nero's Philip. 4 22. Cromwel and Cranmer in Henry the eighths The King then sitting in the gate of Benjamin Sitting in judgement where Jeremyes enemies had once apprehended him for a fugitive but durst not try it out with him though Ebedmelech there treated with the King for him in the presence of some of them as it is probable Ver. 8. Ebedmelech Not more the Kings servant so his name signifieth then Gods Joseph of Arimathaea was such another who went boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus Faith quelleth and killeth distrustful fear Ver. 9. My Lord the King these men have done evil What a brave man was this to oppose so many Princes and so potent that the King himself durst not displease them It was Gods holy Spirit that put this mettle into him and gave him the freedom of speech Psal 119.46 And he is like to dye for hunger in the place where he is Or who would have dyed for hunger in the place where he was For there is no more bread in the City Cum panum annona sit pauca parca What need he to be doubly murthered Ver. 10. Then the King commended Ebedmelech A sweet providence of God thus to incline the heart of this effeminate cruel inconstant and impious King to harken to the motion and to give order for the Prophets deliverance from that desperate and deadly danger A good encouragement also to men to appear in a good cause and to act vigorously for God notwithstanding they are alone and have to encounter with divers difficulties Take from hence thirty men with thee Four or fewer might have done it but perhaps the Princes with their forces might have endeavoured to hinder them but that they saw them so strong Ver. 11. So Ebedmelech took the men with him and went The labour of love that this Ethiopian performed to the man of God is particularly and even parcel-wise described for his eternal commendation and all mens imitation Ver. 12. But now these cast-clouts Hence some gather that the Prophet was put into this loathsome hole naked or very ill clad at least The Fathers allegorize this story to set forth the vocation of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jews Ver. 13. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords And God was not unrighteous to forget this their work and labour of love Heb 6.10 Jer. 39.17 18. And Jeremiah remained in the Court of the prison Manacled and fettered as some gather from chap. 40.4 R. David Vatabl. Ver. 14. Then Zedekiah took Jeremiah into the third entry Which was right over against the Kings house this wretched King was so overawed by his Counsellors that he durst not advise with Gods Prophet in their presence or with their privity Ver. 15. If I declare it unto thee It is for the sins of a people that an hypocrite raigneth over them Job 34.30 Such a one was Zedekiah and the Prophet here freely reproveth him for his hypocrisie And if I give thee counsel wilt thou not hearken Or And though I advise thee thou wilt not hearken to me Thou art set and hast made thy conclusion aforehand Ver. 16. So the King Zedekiah sware secretly unto Jeremiah But what credit was to be given to his oath who was notoriously known to be a perjured person as having broken his oath of fidelity to Nebuchadnezzar As the Lord liveth that made us this soul Hence the truth of that assertion is cleared up unto us that mens souls drop not down from heaven nor are propagated by their parents but are created by God and infused into their bodyes I will not put thee to death neither will I c. The former part of the Prophets condition he sweareth to perform but saith nothing to the latter as having no such liking to it So many come now-adayes to hear who resolve to practise only so far as they see good Ver. 17. If thou wilt assuredly go forth Jeremy was semper idem one and the same still no changeling at all but a faithful and constant Preacher of Gods Word Ver. 18. But if thou wilt not go forth See chap. 32.39 Thus Zedekiah hath it both wayes that it may abide by him but he was uncounselable and irreclaimable Ver. 19. Then Zedekiah said unto Jeremiah I am afraid of the Jews Thus hypocrites will at one time or other detect themselves as Zedekiah here plainly declareth that he more feared the losse of his life honour wealth c. then of Gods favour and Kingdom so do the most amongst us Pilate feared how Caesar would take it if he should loose Jesus Herod laid hold on Peter after he had killed James that he might please the people The Pharisees could not beleeve because they received glory from men This generous King cannot endure to think that his own fugitives should flout him but to be ruled by God and his holy Prophet advising him for the best he cannot yeeld Thus still vain men are niggardly of their reputation and prodigal of their souls Do we not see them run willfully into the field into the grave into hell and all lest it should be said they have as much fear as wit Ver. 20. They shall not deliver thee This the good Prophet speaketh from
chieftain among the Jews fell to the Chaldees as it may seem before the City was taken according to Jeremy's counsel and is now set over the land and hath the Prophet Jeremiah committed to his care The son of Ahikam Who had rescued the Prophet chap. 26.24 See the Note there Ver. 15. Now the Word of the Lord Which is never bound 2 Tim. 2.9 but tunneth and is glorified 2 Thes 3.1 Ver. 16. Go and speak unto Ebedmelech the Ethiopian Who yet was an Israelite indeed by his faith and religion as was likewise Jether the Ishmaelite 1 Chron. 7.17 with 2 Sam. 17.25 Thus saith the Lord of hosts Who will not fail to give unto him who sheweth kindnesse to any Prophet of his a Prophets reward Mat. 10. Behold I will bring my words upon this City for evil See chap. 21.16 and 44.27 And they shall be accomplished in that day before thee Thou shalt see it but shalt survive it And this prophecy may be unto us instead of a most certain history Ver. 17. But I will deliver thee in that day From the sword the famine and the pestilence a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right-hand but it shall not come nigh thee Psal 91.7 8. Val. Max. only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked and that the Lord is sure though slow tarditatem supplicii gravitate compensans And thou shalt not be delivered into the hands of those men Zedekiah's Courtiers who do bear thee an aking tooth for thy kindnesse to my Prophet and have vowed revenge Ver. 18. For I will surely deliver thee Heb. delivering deliver thee It would be a great stay of mind if God should say the same to us in particular and by name as he doth here to this Ethiopian And yet he saith no lesse to us in the precious promises which we are by faith to appropriate But thy life shall be for a prey unto thee Pro lucro cessura est for saving my Prophets life thou shall have thine own so sure a gain is godlinesse Because thou hast put thy trust in me What may not faith have at Gods hands Those that trust him do after a sort engage him to deliver them and to doe them good CHAP. XL. Ver. 1. THe Word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah This word what it was Jeremy will shew chap. 42.7 after the circumstances of his enlargement related and other matters of story premised Vatablus rendereth it Actio quam gessit Dominus cum Jeremia After that Nebuzaradan had let him go from Ramah Which was the place of Rendevouz whether Jeremy was also brought with the rest of the Captives and manicled also as he was found in the court of the prison but soon set free and dismissed A difference shall one day at that great day especially be discerned between the righteous and the wicked betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal. 3. ult Jeremy is here by some oversight of the officers contrary to Nebuchadnezzars command chap. 39.11 14. but not without a special providence of God brought bound to Ramah ad opprobrium Gentis in gloriam suam that the Jews now captives and to be carried to Babylon might see their madnesse in persecuting so true a Prophet and persevering in their sinful practices to their so utter undoing against all admonition Ver. 2. And the Captain of the guard took Jeremiah Took him and loosed him as he should have done before Saying The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place Oratio militaris sed bene Theologica A strange speech to come out of such a mans mouth How could the captives present hear it and not be affected with it Thus Baalams Asse sometimes rebuked his Masters madnesse but to little good effect Ver. 3. Now the Lord hath brought it and done according A bad man we see may speak piously Samuel himsef could not have spoken more gravely severely divinely then the feind did to Saul 1 Sam. 28. Well then may lewd men be good Preachers c. Ver. 4. And now behold I loose thee I dismisse thee with all due honour as a true Prophet however undervalued and afflicted by thine unworthy Country-men Come and I will look well unto thee Heb. I will set mine eye upon thee that is I will give thee singular respect and observe thee to the utmost Behold all the land is before thee What could Pharaoh say more to Joseph Gen. 47.6 or Abraham to Lot Gen. 13.9 Ver. 5. Now while he was not yet gone back But yet shewed by his lookes or otherwise that he was not willing to go to Babylon Nebuchadnezzar Ex ipso vultu vel silentio Jeremiae c. who had already set his eyes upon him as ver 4. perceiving it said Go back unto Gedaliah Who shall both protect thee and provide for thee So the Captain of the guard gave him victuals i. e. Necessaries for his journey for he came out of prison nudus tanquam ex mari bare and needy And a reward Or a present fit for a Prophet donum honorarium such as they used to give the Seers 1 Sam. 9.8 1 King 14. and such as he might safely and comfortably take as from God himself who had promised it chap. 15.11 Ver. 6. Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah Blessing himself from the Chaldaeans proffered kindnesse as Luther also did alate from the great Turke 's who invited him to him and promised him to be his good Lord he maketh Moses his choice Heb. 11.25 and Davids Psal 84.10 rather to abide with Gods poor people in the promsed land then to be great in the Court of Babylon How few at this day would have been of his mind Ver. 7. Now when all the Captains of the forces that were in the fields The dispersed Jews with their Captains and Centurions such as had lain lurking during the seige or had fled when Zedekias did and escaped Heard that the King of Babylon had made Gedaliah Whom they knew to be a pious and prudent man and would be a father unto them instead of a King Nebuchadnezzar might have set a Babylonian Governour who would have ruled them with rigour But God in mercy to his poor people moved him to make choise of this man famous for his mildnesse and integrity to whom therefore they resort but not all for the same good end as the sequel shewed for Ishmael was a very Judas Ver. 8. Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah Where Samuel dwelt 1 Sam. 7. not far from Shiloh Even Ishmael Who was of the blood royal chap. 41.1 and envyed Gedaliah his so great preferment whom he looked upon for a transfuga and a traitour for revolting to Nebuchadnezzar which yet he did in obedience to Gods Word by the Prophet Jeremy Ver. 9. And Gedaliah sware unto them viz. That what he spake was from his heart and out of good affection to them all
to leave their old Mumpsimus for the new Sumpsimus so powerful is usage and so sweet our present though perverse opinions and perswasions For then had we plenty of victuals Just so doth the Church of Rome borrow her Mark from the Markets plenty or cheapnesse of all things But one chief reason of that is the scarcity of mony that was in our fathers dayes and the plenty thereof that is in ours by means of the rich mines in the West-Indies not discovered till the dayes of Henry the seventh Hollinshead saith that some old men he knew who told of times in England when it was accounted a great matter that a Farmer could shew five shillings or a Noble together in silver And were well and saw no evil Vbi utilitas ibi pietas saith Epictetus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si ventri bene si lateri Horat. and deos quisque sibi utiles cudis saith Another for profit men will be of any religion If the belly may be filled the back fitted c. modo serveat olla so the pot may boil much will be yielded to It is well observed that the Papists are most corrupt in those things where their profit ease or honour is engaged In the doctrine of the Trinity and other points that touch not upon these they are sound Ver. 18. But since we have left off to burn Incense to the Queen of heaven we have wanted all things This was non-causa pro causa Not unlike hereunto was that grosse mistake of certain Lutheran Ministers Burroughs on Hos tom 1. pag. 465. who not long since consulting at Hamborough about the causes and cure of Germanies calamities concluded it was because their images in Churches were not adorned enough which therefore they would procure done Ver. 19. And when we burnt incense to the Queen of heaven So the Papists also call the Virgin Mary and idolize her as the word here rendered to worship her doth properly signify idoli rejectitii appellationem in eam transferentes Did we make her cakes without our men i. e. Without our husbands privity and approbation But is that a sufficient excuse should not God be obeyed rather then men Plutarch Moral 318. A wife is not to perform such blind obedience to her husband as Plutarch prescribeth when he layeth it as a law of wedlock on the wife to acknowledge and worship the same gods and none else but those whom her husband honoureth and reputeth for gods Ver. 20. Then Jeremiah said unto all the people The Prophet without any speciall command from God moved with a spirit of zeal confuteth that blasphemy of theirs and sheweth plainly that idolatry maketh no people happy but the contrary though this be an old plea or rather cavil answered fully long since by Cyprian against Demetrian Augustine de civt Dei and Orosius Ver. 21. Ye and your fathers your Kings and you Princes This was another thing they stood much upon that their fathers had done it so had their Grandees If men can say We have sinned with our fathers they think t is enough The heretike Dioscurus cried out I hold with the Fathers I am cast out with the Fathers c. yea Hierom once desired leave of Augustine to err with seven Fathers whom he found of his opinion But what saith the Scripture Be not ye the servants of men 1 Cor. 7.23 And what said a great Politician I will not live by example but by rule neither will I pin my faith on anothers sleeve because I know not whither he may carry it Did not the Lord remember them When you thought he had forgot them Sin may sleep a long time like a sleeping debt not called for of many years c. Ver. 22. So that the Lord could no longer bear His abused mercy turned into fury See chap. 15.6 Ver. 23. Because ye have burnt incense c. See chap. 42.21 43.7 Ver. 24. Hear the Word of the Lord Not my word only See on ver 20. Ver. 25. Ye and your wives Who ought to be the better but are much worse the one for the other the devil having broken your head with your own rib We will surely perform our vowes A little better then many Popish votaries and others also not a few do now-a days Erasm Col. in Naufr not unlike him in Erasmus who in a storm promised the Virgin a picture of wax as big as St. Christopher but when he came to shore would not give a tallow-candle Ver. 26. Behold I have sworn by my great name Jehovah my incommunicable name my proper name or by myself and that 's no small oath Ver. 27. Behold I will watch over them for evil I will watch them a shrewd turn as we say I will take my time to hit them when I may most hurt them Ver. 28. Yet a small number Methe mispar men of number a poor few still God reserveth a remnant for royal use Shall know whose word shall stand Because they are so peremtory and resolute I shall try it out with them I shall be as crosse as they yet still in a way of Justice Ver. 29. That I will punish you in this place Which you looked upon as a place of surest security and safeguard and would not harken to me opening my bounties-bosom to you at home Ver. 30. Behold I will give Pharaoh Hophra Called also Vaphres and by Herodotus Apries Antiq. l. 10. c. 11. Hieron in Thren cap. 4. being nephew to Necho who slew Josiah A very proud Prince he saith Apries was slain by Amasis who succeeded him but others gather from this text and from Ezek. 29.19 31.11 15 18. that he was slain by Nebuchadnezzar Josephus also and Jerom say as much CHAP. XLV Ver. 1. THe word that Jeremiah the Prophet spake unto Baruch It is thought that Jeremiah preached his last when he prophecyed in the foregoing Chapter the destruction of Pharaoh Hophra and together with him of the Jewes that were found in Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar He seemed to them to speak stones as the proverb hath it and therefore they stoned him to death as Epiphanius and others report Lapides loquitur This word that he spake to Baruch belongeth to chap. 36. and should have been annexed unto it in a natural order as appeareth both by the date and by the matter Baruch had with much pains and patience first written out Jeremiah's Prophecies and then read them to the people and afterwards to the Princes For this piece of work he expected belike some good piece of preferment as the Apostles also did for their forsaking all and following Christ Mat. 18.19.20 c. Thus flesh will shew it self in the best and in many things we offend all But instead of any such thing Baruch together with his Master Jeremy was sought for to be slaughtered and besides he meets with here a contrary Prophecy wherby before he is comforted he is sharply reproved 1. For a
heaven upon them hereby also God gave men an example of that rule that hainous sins bring hideous plagues as Herodotus also saith of the Fall of Troy Ver. 51. Neither hath Samaria committed half thy sins And yet thou lookest aloof upon her as a far greater sinner then thy self because already carried captive when as thou hast done and spoken evil things as thou couldest Jer. 3.5 outdone her a fair deale And hast justified thy sisters Who may well seem Saints in comparison of thee and yet are as naught as need to be Ver. 52. Thou also which hast judged thy sisters Passed many harsh and rash censures upon them not looking at all to the hinder-part of the wallet Bear thine own shame Thou shalt do it sure enough for where sin is in the saddle there shame is on the crupper Accept therefore the punishment of thine iniquity Levit. 26.43 give glory to God take shame to thy self Ver. 53. When I shall bring again Or if I bring again which I shall never do The Jew doctours indeed would from this verse gather that Sodom and all shall one day be restored again but that is like to be a long day The Jews as they had taken up the opinion of Pythagoras about Transanimation so they had that other of Plato about the great Revolution or Restitution of all things after certain years Then will I bring again the captivity The Jews were never perfectly restored in respect of the glory of the Temple and the state of the Kingdom c. Ver. 54. In that thou art a comfort unto them Chap. 14.22 Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris to have companions in misery is some kind of comfort Ver. 55. When thy sister Sodom and her daughters See on ver 53. The Jews still dream that all this shall be done at the coming of their long lookt-for Messias Hieron in loc and in his raign on earth for a thousand years That then also Jerusalem shall be reedified and made up of gold silver and precious stones c. So apt are they to work themselves into the fooles paradise of a sublime dotage Ver. 56. For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned Thou thoughtest her not worthy to be named in the same day with thee and little dreamedst that thou shouldest be matched with her in misery Or thus Thou wouldest neither hear nor speak of her though I had thrown her forth for an example of divine vengeance Jude 7. In the day of thy pride Heb. Prides for pride buddeth chap. 7.10 and like a great swelling in the body which breaks and runs with loathsom and soul matter it breaks forth into odious practises Ver. 57. Before thy wickednesse was discovered sc By my punishments by my sending the Syrians and Philistines upon thee in the dayes of Ahaz to despoil and despise thee Confer Esa 9.12 Ver. 58. Thou hast born thy leudnesse i. e The punishment of it and yet art little the better See Esa 9.13 Ver. 59. I will even deal with thee I will avenge upon thee the quarrel of my Covenant Lev. 26.25 Ver. 60. Neverthelesse I will remember my Covenant Here beginneth the Evangelical part of the chapter which is for the comfort of the Elect who would be frighted to hear those direful threats like as in an house we cannot beat the dogs but the children will fall a crying Ver. 61. And be ashamed With a saving and savoury shame such as was that of Ezra and of the penitent Publican proceeding from true compunction and producing repentance never to be repented of Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. 2 Cor. 3.3 Heb. 8.8 When thou shalt receive thy sisters Not Sodom only and Samaria but all the Gentiles whom thou hast imitated but now shalt become a worthy example of better things But not by thy Covenant Made with thee in mount Sinai but by a covenant of grace made in mount Sion Ver. 62. And I will establish my Covenant My new spiritual and eternal Covenant grounded upon the Messias and made with the whole Israel according to faith Ver. 63. That thou mayst remember Thy many out-strayes And never open thy mouth To extenuate thy sins or to murmur at thy sufferings but be silent and submissive CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. ANd the Word of the Lord came In the foregoing chapter God had threatened the inhabitants of Jerusalem for violating their covenant with him and here he threateneth them no lesse for breach of Covenant with men In case of disobedience to himself he sheweth much patience many times but in case of disloyalty to a lawful Soveraign against oath especially he is quick and severe in his executions Ver. 2. Son of man put forth a riddle Acue acumen sharpen a sharpening or whet a whetting The Prophet might have expressed Gods mind in fewer words but then it would not have taken so deep an impression Parents must whet Gods Word upon their children Deut. 6.7 Ministers upon their people and Christians upon one another for the increase of love and good works Heb. 10.24 Riddles exercise the wit and parables help the memory and excite both attention and affection Ver. 3. A great Eagle with great wings An Eagle that King of birds is a fit emblem of an Emperour as here it is of Nebuchadnezzar the Great ver 12. See Jer. 48.40 49.22 Monarches Vide Pier. in Hieroglyph as Eagles have quick eyes long talons fly high pitches aime at great matters strive to get above all others chuse themselves high and firm seats c. See Job 39.30 31 32 33. with the Notes Ajax is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eagle in Pindarus so is King Pyrrhus in Plutarch and took delight in that title The Spaniard was well laught at by Captaine Drake and his forces when they took Sancto Domingo 1585. and found in the Town-hall the King of Spaines armes and under them a Globe of the world out of which issued not a well plumed Eagle but a flying horse with this inscription Non sufficit Orbis We could not so well bridle his Pegasus at Sancto Domingo yet we put a stop to him at Jamaica but we have lately pulled his plumes in Flanders to some purpose by gaining from him Dunkirk now held by the English and likewise Berghen another place of great strength now held by the French This was written Jun. 28. 1658. the good news whereof came to us yesterday being June 27. 1658. praised be the holy Name of God for ever Came unto Lebanon i. e. Unto Judaea which lyeth near the forrest of Lebanon which forrest also lyeth in the way from Babylon to Judaea And took the highest branch of the Cedar Taleam the top-branch This was Jechoniah 2 King 24.12 Ver. 4. He cropt off the top of his young twigs i. e. The Nobles carried into captivity with their King Nulâ—a est objectio in lege quae non habet solutionem in latere Omnia Romae vaenalia as is to be
Joh. 11.24 But whether in this world and at this time that was the question The Jew-doctours boldly but groundlesly answer that these dead bones and bodies did then revive and that many of them did return into the land of Israel and married wives and begat children But this is as true as that other dotage of theirs that the dead bodies of Jews in what Country so ever buried do by certain under-ground passages travel into Judaea and there rest untill the general resurrection O Lord God thou knowest And he to whom thou art pleased to reveale it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Russians in a difficult question use to answer God and our great Duke know all this Ver. 4. Prophesie upon these bones Be thou the interpreter of my Will who by mine all-powerful Word do quicken the dead and call things that are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 And say unto them O ye dry bones Together with Gods Word many times there goeth forth a power Luk. 5.17 as when he said Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 So it is in the first resurrection and so it shall be at the last Joh. 5.25 28 29. See the Notes Ver. 5. Behold I will cause breath to enter into you i. e. Into each number of you that belong to each body Neither need the resurrection of the dead be held a thing incredible Act. 26.8 considering Gods Power and Truth The keeping green of Noahs Olive-tree in the time of the flood the blossoming of Aarons dry rod the flesh and sinews coming to these dry bones and the breath entring into them what were they all but so many lively Emblems of the Resurrection Ver. 6. And cover you with skin Superindam that the flesh may not look gastly The word rendred cover is Chaldee and found only here and ver 8. And put breath in you and ye shall live As when man was first created Gen. 2. and cannot God as easily remake us of something as at first he made us of nothing Ver. 7. So I prophesied He might have said why should I speak to these bones will it be to any purpose but Gods commands are not to be disputed but dispatched without sciscitation And there was a noise A rattle perhaps a thunderclap And behold a shaking Perhaps an earthquake as was at Christs resurrection God will one day shake both the heavens and the earth The heavens shall passe away with a great noise 2 Pet. 3.10 the earth also and the workes therein shall be burnt and fall with a great crack Then shall the Lord descend from heaven with a shout c. 1 Thes 4.16 such as is that of Mariners in a storm or of Souldiers when to joyn battle with the enemy Ver. 8. Lo the sinews and the flesh came up upon them The body is the souls sheath Dan. 7.15 the souls suit the upper garment is the skin the inner the flesh the inmost of all bones and sinews Ver. 9. And say to the wind To the reasonable soul that breath of God Gen. 2.7 divinae particula aurae as one calleth it In this better part of man he is not absolutely perfect till after the resurrection for though the soul do in heaven enjoy an estate free from sin pain or misery yet two of the faculties or operations of the soul viz. that of Vegetation and of sense are without exercise till it be reunited to the body Here we have a representation at least of the Resurrection which the Hebrews call Gilgul the Revolution Come from the foure winds O breath i. e. From God that gave you return again at his command to your own numerical bodies wherever they lye And to this text our Saviour seemeth to allude Mat. 24.31 Ver. 10. And the breath came into them Deforas from without as at first they were infused by God so they are still This Austin sometime and for some space of time doubted of and was therefore censured boldly but unadvisedly by one Vincentius Victor as Chemnitius relateth it And they lived and stood up upon their feet As life will shew it self by sense and motion Live things will be stirring Arida etiam peccatorum corda Deus gratia vitali vegetabit Ver. 11. These bones are That is they signifie and betoken And here we have the Accommodation or Application of the preceding Parable or Type where also we may soon see that this chapter is of the same subject and method with the former only that which is there plainly is here more elegantly discoursed viz. the deplorable condition of the Israelites in Babylon together with their wonderful deliverance and restitution in this and the three next verses Our bones are dryed We lye in Babylon as in a sepulchre we are buried alive as it were we are free among the dead free of that company We are cut off for our parts q. d. Let them hope as hope can we have hanged up all our hopes now that the City and Temple are destroyed Thus carnal confidence as it riseth up into a corky frothy hope when it seeth sufficient help so it sitteth down in a faithless sullen discontent and despair when it can see no second causes Ver. 12. Behold O my people God owneth them still though they had little deserved it Shall mens unbelief make the faith of God without effect Rom. 3.3 Tumulos desperationis aperit he openeth the graves of desperation and lets in a marvellous light So the Lord did for his poor Church by this blessed Reformation begun by Luther whose book de Captivitate Babylonica did abundance of good Scultet Annal. dec 2. ep dedic As for that wrought here in England a forreiner saith of it that it is such as the ages past had despaired of the present worthily admireth and future ages shall stand amazed at O beatos qui Deum ducem è spirituali Babylonia eos educentem secuti sunt Ver. 13. And ye shall know that I am the Lord Ye shall experiment it The Reformed Churches have done so abundantly Gloria Deo in excelsis When I have opened your graves This is spoken over and over for their confirmation who were apt to think the news was too good to be true Ver. 14. And shall put my spirit in you Even my Spirit of Adoption that soul of the soul this was more then all the rest Thrice happy are they that are thus spirited they shall live and live comfortably Ver. 15. And the Word of the Lord See chap. 18.1 Ver. 16. Take thee one stick A cleft stick which is res vilis exilis a poor business in it self but if God please to make use of so slender a thing it may serve for very great purpose as here by the uniting of two sorry stickes in the hand of the Prophet is prefigured the uniting of Judah and Israel yea of Jews and Gentiles in the hand of the Lord that is in Christ Jesus who is the hand the right hand and the Arm of God
above measure with the abundance of the revelations For at the time of the end shall be the vision i. e. That this vision of the daily sacrifice intermitted for so many years and the abomination of desolation the picture of Jupiter Olympius set up in the Sanctuary shall be toward the end of the Greek Monarchy Ver. 18. I was in a deep sleep In a Prophetical ecstasy or Traunce wherein I was laid up fast losing for the time all manner of action and motion that my soul might be more free to receive divine revelations But he touched me and set me upright Heb. made me stand upon my standing who was yet all the while in a deep sleep The touch of the Angel kept him from reeling to and fro and made him stand firmly Ver. 19. In the last end of the indignation In the final end of the Greek-persecution which shall not passe the Lords appointed time Ver. 20. The ram which thou sawest See ver 3. Ver. 21. And the rough-goat Hircus hircus See on ver 5. Ver. 22. Now that being broken See ver 8. Ver. 23. And in the latter time of their kingdom In the 137 year of the Greek-Monarchy When the transgressours are come to the full Heb. are accomplished when the Jewes are grown stark naught This was the reason why God set over them such a breathing-devil as was Antiochus for a punishment of their open impiety and formal Apostasie When Phocas the traytour had slain Mauricius the Emperour there was an honest poor man saith Cedrenus who was earnest with God in prayer to know why that wicked man so prospered in his design To whom answer was returned by a voice that there could not be a worse man found and that the sins of Christians and of Constantinople did require it A King of fierce countenance Heb. hard of face that is brazen-faced impudent and withal Acutus astutus acute subtile and of a deep reach Antiochus Julian the Duke of Alva were such Ver. 24. Not by his own power but by his policy-rather and by the persidy of others Dan. 11.23 And he shall destroy wonderfully Mirificentissime In three dayes he slew fourscore thousand in Jerusalem forty thousand were put in bands and as many sold And shall prosper and practise Shall do whatsoever he listeth as if he were some petty-god within himself And shall destroy the mighty So the Jews are called because stout and undaunted and whiles they kept close to God insuperable as when otherwise weak as water See Hos 13 1. with the Note And the holy people Federally holy at least Versâ—tulus varsatilis Ver. 25. And through his policy also Incumbens intelligentiae suae leaning on his own wit and that great Elixar called Reasan of State which can make for a need Candida de nigris de candentibus atra And by peace shall destroy many Undoe them by promises of prosperity and preferment which are dangerous baits Marke 4.9 they were sawn asunder they were tempted Heb. 11.37 Julian the Apostate went this way to work and prevailed to make many Apostates He shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes God almighty by destroying the daily sacrifices and by setting up idolatry in the Temple Tâ—tro morbo But he shall be broken without hand i. e. By the visible vengeance of God See 1 Maccab. 6.8 c. and 2 Maccab. 9.5 c. who laid upon him a loathsom disease and wrapt him up in the sheet of shame Ver. 26. And the vision of the evening See ver 14. Lyra by the the morning would have understood the time of Antiochus by the evening the time of Antichrist who was prefigured by Antiochus Is true Heb truth and so plain that I need say no more of it Wherfore shut thou up the vision Keep it to thy self in sacred silence and reserve it in writing for posterity See chap. 12.49 Isa 8.16 For it shall be for many dayes i. e. For about 300 years hence The Lord would have visions concealed till toward the accomplishment Ver. 27. And I Daniel fainted and was sick So deeply affected was he with the vision and should we be with the word preached it should work upon our very bowels and go to the hearts of us Jer. 4.19 Acts 2.37 Afterwards I rose up and did the Kings businesse Viz. King Belshazzar's with whom though he was out of grace yet not out of office under him and will not therefore be indiligent Malo mihi malè esse quam molliter Seneca Let us not neglect the work of the Lord though lesse able to perform it A sick childs service is double-accepted But none understood it Daniel dissembled his sorrow for Sion before scorners Esth 5.1 Taciturnity is no contemptible vertue CHAP. IX Ver. 1. IN the first year of Darius i. e. Of Darius Priscus who together with Cyrus the Persian took Babylon and with it the kingdom or Monarchy of the Chaldaeans chap. 5.31 by the consent of Cyrus who married his daughter and had the Kingdom of Media with her for a dowry after Darius his death Cyrop l. 8. as Xenophon testifieth The son of Ahasuerus Called Cyaxares by the Greek historians Both these names signify a great Prince an Emperour like as now we say the Great Turk the Great Cham of Cataia c. Ver. 2. I Daniel understood by books Consideravi in libris Daniel was a great student in the Scriptures and well knew that there was no readier way to speed in heaven then by putting the Promises in suit The like also was done by Jacob. Gen 32.9 12. See the Notes there by David 2 Sam. 7.19 25. by Eliah 1 Kings 18.42 and others If we speak in our Prayers no otherwise then the Lord doth in his Promises there shall be a sweet consort of voice begun by the Spirit in the Promises seconded in the spirit of faith by the Saints prayers and answered by God in his gracious Providences Daniel here took this course and had not only what he begged but a revelation concerning the Lord Christ beyond expectation Ver. 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God i. e. Toward the habitation of his holinesse at Jerusalem but especially in heaven I looked up unto the hills 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence I looked for help This Daniel did dayly chap. 6.10 but now with more then ordinary intention and devotion he presenteth an inwrought prayer as St. James calleth it chap. 5.16 edged with fasting and downright humiliation He doubteth not thereby to set God to work as David did Psal 119.126 He knew that a long look toward God speedeth Psal 34.4 5. Jon. 2.4 7. how much more an extraordinary prayer Ver. 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession The Saints themselves when they sin against God are suspended from the Covenant hence it is their custom when they seek the Lord for any special mercy to begin with
more greedily than that which rots them But thou O man of God flye these things and from such stand off 1 Tim. 6.5 11. Vers 9. I have compared thee O my love c. My Pastoral-love or Shepheardesse-companion my Fellow-friend or familiar Associate in the function of spiritual feeding My Neighbour or Next as the Greek renders it For the Saints are not onely like unto Christ 1 John 3.2 but also next unto him Luk. 22.30 yea one with him John 17.21 and so above the most glorious Angels Heb. 1.14 as being the Spouse the Bride whereas Angels are onely servants of the Bridegroom and as being the Members of Christ and so in a nearer union than any creature This the Devil and his Angels stomacked and so fell from their first principality To a company of horses Or to my troop of horses in the Chariots of Pharaoh The Palfreys His the Chariots Pharaohs saith an Interpreter What is this but that the Spirit of strength and speed it is Christs Clapham and the untoward flesh which is to be drawn by the same Divine Spirit it is of the world and the very Chariot of Satan Soul and Body as wheels and axletree do run which way the Devil drives till the stronger Man Jesus have freed our Charret-nature from that power of hell and joyned himself by his own Spirit unto our nature that so with Ezekiels Charret it may go forth and return as his Divine Spirit directeth Thus hee Vers 10. Thy cheeks are comely i. e. Thy whole face by a Synecdoche though the cheeks are instanced as being the seat of shame facedness modesty Omnium hominum pulcherrimus Aenil Prob. Aeliat 12. cap. 1. and beauty such as was found in Esther whose son Artaxerxes Longimanus was held the fairest man alive Aspasia Milesia the wife of Cyrus who was stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fair and wise and the Lady Jane Gray whose excellent beauty was adorned with all variety of virtues as a clear sky with stars saith the Historian as a Princely Diadem with Jewels Sir John Heywood Hence shee became most dear to King Edward the sixth who appointed her his successour But nothing so dear to him nor so happy in her succession as the Church is to Christ who lively describes her inward beauty which hee looks upon as a rich pearl in a rude shell or as those tents of Kedar aforementioned vers 4. which though course and homely for the outward hiew yet for the precious gemms jewels and sweet odours that were couched in them were very desirable With rows of Jewels A metaphor from fair women richly adorned Holy women may bee costly attired Gratior est Pulchro c. though Seneca thinks that hee was in an errour that said so sith virtue needs no garnish but is magnum sui decus corpus consecrat it s own greatest glory and consecrates the body wherein i◠dwelleth St. Peter also prescribes Ladies an excellent dress 1 Pet. 3.3 4. Tertullian comes after with his Vestite vos serico pietatis c. Cloathe your selves with the silk of Piety with the sattin of Sanctity with the purple of Purity Taliter pigmentatae Christum habebitis amatorem Being thus arrayed and adorned you shall have Christ to bee your Suter Thy neck with chains scil Of pearl or precious stones that is of heavenly graces drawn all upon that one threed of humility which is the ribband or string that tyes together all those precious pearls Humility is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil the treasuresse of the rest of the virtues It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome the bond of all good things the bond of perfection as St. Paul saith of Charity Hence St. Peters word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.5 Bee yee cloathed with humlity comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a knot and it signifies not onely alligare to knit the graces together and to preserve them from being made a prey to pride but also innodare say some to tye knots as delicate and cutious women use to do of ribbands to adorn their necks or other parts as if humility was the knot of every virtue and the ornament of every grace On the contrary Pride is said to compass evil men about as a chain Psal 73.6 which oh how ugly and unseemly is it on the neck of beauty back of honour head of learning Vers 11 Wee will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver Wee the whole Trinity will joyn together as wee do in all our works ad extra in framing for thee these glorious ornaments in putting upon thee our own comeliness Ezek. 16.11 12 13 c. in increasing and imbellishing thy graces thy pure gold of holiness with silver speks studds or imbroiderie Thus the Spouse promiseth to make his Bride though hee finde her fair and fine much fairer and finer by an addition of more and more graces and gifts both ordinary and extraordinary till shee bee transformed into the same image from glory to glory Hee will spare for neither gold nor silver to beautifie her such is his abundant love unto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3 Hee cloathes her with the party-coloured Garment of multivarious graces and this hee borders with gold and bespangles with silver Her cloathing is of wrought gold far more stately and costly than that of Esther in all her beauty and bravery than that of Dionysius whose mantle was sold to the Carthaginians for an hundred and twenty talents Athenaus than that royal Robe of Demetrius King of Macedony that was so massie and magnificent that none of his successours would ever wear it propter invidiosam impendii magnificentiam for the unparalleld sumptuousness thereof Vers 12. While the King sitteth at his table c. Heb. at his round table or Ring-sitting In accubitu circulari in orbem enim antiquitus ad mensam sedebant 1 Sam. 16.11 Send and fetch him for wee will not fit round till hee come hither Turk-hist The manner of the Turks at this day is to sit round at meat on the bare ground with their leggs gathered under them By the King is here meant Messias the Prince Dan. 9.25 Christ the Lord Act. 2.36 Et omnes sancti in circuitu ejus all his Saints sit round about him Psal 76.11 as the twelve Tribes were round about the Tabernacle Numb 2.2 as the four and twenty Elders are round about the Throne Rev. 4.4 they are a people near unto him Psal 148.14 they are those Blessed that eat and drink with him in his Kingdome first of grace and then of glory Luk. 14.15 And whiles they thus sit with their King a sign of sweetest friendship and fellowship it was held a great honour and happiness to stand before Solomon in his circled session 1 King 10.8 My spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Saith the Church that is my faith is actuated and all mine other graces
Champion as Christ who is in love with her and will take her part fight her quarrel and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn Isa 54.17 As the ecclipsed Moon by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendour So it shall bee with the Spouse Yea shee shall bee able to answer those that reproach and cast dirt upon her for her keeping close to Christs colours and suffering hardship for him as the Emperour Adrian did the Poet Florus who sate on an Ale-bench and sang Nolo ego Caesar esse Ambulare per Britannos Rigidas pati pruinas c. The witty Emperour replied upon him assoon as hee heard of it Melanchthon in Chron. Carion Nolo ego Florus esse Ambulare per tabernas Latitare per popinas Pulices pati rotundos Vers 5. Stay mee with flaggons Not with cups or bowls onely but with flaggons larger measures of that Wine that was set before her in Christs Wine-house Comfort mee with Apples such as fall from Christs Apple-tree spoken of in the former verse the precious mellifluous promises which are sweet like the Apples of the Garden of Eden as the Chaldee here hath it Boulster mee up with these for I am even sinking and swooning with an excess of love with an exuberancy of spiritual joy in God my Saviour such as I can hardly stand under Stay mee therefore saith shee to the Ministers Poly. hist cap. 56. Smells are applied to the nostrils of them that faint those pillars to support the weak Gal. 2.9 and to comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Stay mee or sustain mee with flaggons comfort mee with Apples Solinus tells of some near the River Ganges that live odore pomorum sylvestrium by the smell of Forrest Apples which is somewhat strange For I am sick of love Surprized with a love-qualm as an honest Virgin may bee meeting her Love unawares enjoying him in the fulness of joy and fearing the loss of his company for a long season Lomb. Seâ—t lib. 3. distine 34. Vide August Epist 121. ad Hoxorâ— This is timor amicalis which Lombard thus describeth ne offendamus quem diligimus ne ab eo separemur The fear of love is lest wee should offend him whom our soul loveth and so cause him to withdraw Hic timor transit in charitatem saith Gregory This fear passeth into love and overwhelms the spirit sometimes This was it that made Jacob when hee saw nothing but visions of love and mercy cry out How dreadful is this place This made that mixture of passions in those good women that coming to look Christ Gosr in Vit. Bern. departed from the grave with fear and great joy From this cause it was that Bernard for a certain time after his conversion remained as it were deprived of his senses by the excessive consolations hee had from God Cyprian writes to his friend Donatus that before his conversion hee thought it impossible to finde such raptures and ravishments as now hee did in a Christian course Epist l. 1. Confess l. 6. c. 22. Hee begins his Epistle thus Accipe quod sentitur antequam discitur c. Augustine saith the like of himself What unconceiveable and unutterable extasies of joy then may wee well think there is in Heaven where the Lord Christ perpetually and without intermission manifesteth the most glorious and visible signs of his presence and seals of his love Hee pours forth all plenteous demonstrations of his goodness to his Saints and gives them eyes to see it minds to conceive it and then fills them with exceeding fulness of love to him again so that they swim in pleasure and are even overwhelmed with joy a joy too big to enter into them they must enter into it Mat. 25.21 Oh pray pray with that great Apostle that had been in Heaven and seen that which eye never saw that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened Verbis exprimi non potest experimento opus est Chrys you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes 1.18 3.19 A glory fitter to bee beleeved than possible to bee discoursed An exceeding excessive eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Such a weight as if the body were not upheld by the power of God it were impossible but it should faint under it How ready are our spirits to expire here when any extraordinary unexpected comfort befalls us The Church is sick of love Jacobs heart fainted when hee heard of Josephs life and honour in Egypt The Queen of Sheba was astonied at Solomons wisdome and magnificence so that shee had no spirit more in her Viscount Lisley in Henry the Eighths time died for joy of an unexpected pardon What then may wee think of those in Heaven and should not wee hasten in our affections to that happy place Oh do but think saith one though it far pass the reach of any mortal thought what an infinite inexplicable happiness it will bee to look for ever upon the glorious body of Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty far above the brightest Cherub and to consider that even every vein of that blessed body bled to bring thee to Heaven Think of it I say and then exhale thy self in continual sallies as it were of most earnest desires to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is far the better Phil. 1.23 As in the mean while let thy soul sweetly converse with him in all his holy Ordinances but especially at his Holy Table where hee saith unto thee as once to Thomas Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and bee not faithless but beleeving Let thy soul also there reciprocate and say My Lord and my God! Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth Psa 73.25 none in comparison of thee Rabboni Come quickly Vers 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace mee As if shee should have said I called unto you my friends to relieve and raise mee falling into a spiritual swoon but behold the consolation that is in Christ Phil. 2.1 2 the comfort of love the fellowship of the Spirit the bowels and mercies of my dear Husband hee hath fulfilled my joy hee hath prevented your help or at least hee hath wrought together with the means and made it successeful You have stayed mee with flaggons Psal 23.2 but hee hath restored my soul You have bolstered mee up with Apples but when that would not do hee hath put his left hand under my head as a pillow to rest upon and with his right hand hee hath embraced mee as a loving Husband cherisheth his sick wife and doth her all the help hee can Ephes 5.29 The whole virtue and power of the Ministry cometh from Christ They do their worthy indeavour to stay and under-prop our Faith but
that notwithstanding wee shall soon fall to the ground if Christ put not to both his hands to keep us up Wee stand in need of whole Christ and having him to support us wee cannot fall finally because fall wee never so low wee shall arise for the Lord puts under his hand Psal 37.24 his goodness is lower than wee can fall hee circleth his Saints with amiable embracements and none can pull them out of his hands Jacob under-bare Rachel till shee died upon him died on his hand Gen. 48.7 The good Shunamite held her Son till hee died on her lap But the love-sick Church Rom. 14.8 whether shee lives or dies shee is the Lords and who so liveth and beleeveth on him cannot die eternally But as when Christ himself died though soul and body were sundred for a season yet neither of them were sundred from the Godhead whereunto they were personally united So is it here death may separate soul and body but cannot separate either of them from Christ And as Christ being raised from the dead dies no more Rom. 6.9 Col. 3.1 so neither doth any one that is risen with him Christ may as easily die at the right hand of his heavenly Father as in the heart of a true Beleever Vers 7. I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem A vehement obtestation or rather an adjuration I charge you and that by an Oath taken from the manner of Country-speech For in this whole Chapter the Allegory is so set as if the feast or meeting were made and represented in a Country-house or Village These Daughters of Jerusalem therefore the particular Congregations and all faithful men and women as Luk. 23.28 are straightly charged and as it were in conscience bound by the Church the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 not to disease or offend much or little her Well-beloved Spouse that resteth in her love Zeph. 3.17 and taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his Servants Psal 35.27 until hee please that is not at all for hee is not a God that taketh pleasure in wickedness Psal 5.4 his holy Spirit is grieved by it Ephes 4.30 Or until hee please that is till hee waken of his own accord bee not over-hasty with him for help but hold out faith and patience let him take his own time For hee is a God of Judgement Isa 30.18 and waiteth to bee gracious If through impatience and unbeleef you set him a day or send for him by a Post hee will first chide you before hee chide the waves that afflict you as hee dealt by his Disciples that wakened him ere hee was willing Mark 4.37.40 Those that are suddenly roused out of a deep and sweet sleep are apt to bee angry with those that have done it Great heed must bee taken by our selves and Gods charge laid upon others that nothing be spoken or done amiss against the God of Heaven Dan. 3.39 Their sorrows shall bee multiplied that hasten after another God Psal 16.4 The Lord shall trouble thee thou troubler of Israel 1 Cor. 10.22 Josh 7.25 Do yee provoke the Lord to wrath are yee stronger than hee will yee needs try a fall with him Psal 18.26 Hath ever any yet waxed fierce against God and prospered Job 9.4 Surely as Ulysses his companions told him when hee would needs provoke Polydamas so may wee say much more to those that incense the Lord to displeasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. Had men the feet of Roes and Hindes of the field they could not out-run his wrath witness Jonah Or if they could yet the Roes and Hindes those loving creatures Prov. 5.19 would bee swift witnesses against them for their baseness and disloyalty sith they do such things as those poor creatures would not see Deut. 30.19 Isa 1.2 Bee thou instructed therefore Oh Jerusalem lest Christs soul bee dis-joynted from thee lest as well as hee loves thee now hee make thee desolate a land not inhabited Jer. 6.8 Let him bee that Love of thine as shee here emphatically calls him that taketh up thy whole heart soul and strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a love not onely of Desire but of Complacency with a God-like love True it is that wee cannot neither are wee bound to love God in quantum est diligibilis so much as hee is loveable for so God onely can love himself but wee must love nihil supra aeque or contra nothing more or so well or against God Other persons wee may love with his allowance but it must bee in him and for him as our friends in the Lord our foes for the Lord Other things wee may also love but no otherwise than as they convey love to us from Christ and may bee means of drawing up our affections unto Christ This true love will keep us from doing any thing wilfully that may disease or displease him it will also constrain the Daughters of Jerusalem to abide with the Roes and with the Hindes of the field so some read this Text as Rachel did by her Fathers Herds to glorifie Christ in some honest and lawful vocation and not to vex him by idleness and unprofitableness sith as punishment hath an impulsive so love hath a compulsive faculty 2 Cor. 5.14 Vers 8. The voice of my Beloved Behold An abrupt passage proceeding from a pang of love whereof shee was even sick and now lay languishing as it were at Hopes Hospital lingering and listening hankering and kearkening after her beloved Of the ear wee use to say that it is first awake in a morning Call one that is asleep by his name and hee will soon hear and start up Christ calls all his sheep by their name John 10.3 and they know his voice vers 4. so well are they versed in his Word and so habitually are their senses exercised Heb. 5.14 yea they know his pase for Behold hee cometh viz. to make his abode with mee according to his promise John 14.23 to fulfil with his hand what hee had spoken with his mouth as Solomon phraseth it in his prayer 1 King 8.15 Christ sends his voice as another John Baptist a forerunner and this no sooner sounds in the ear and sinks into the heart than himself is at hand to speak comfort to the conscience Psal 51.8 Hee thinks long of the time till it were done as the Mothers breast akes when it is time the childe had suck Hee comes leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the Hills Look how the jealous Eagle when shee flieth highest of all from her nest and seems to seat her self among the clouds yet still she casts an eye to her nest where are her young ones and if shee see any come near to offend presently shee speeds to their help and rescue So doth the Lord Christ deal by his beloved Spouse Neither mountains nor hills shall hinder his coming neither the sins of his people
as the motion of the heart and lungs is ever beating and t is a pain to restrain it to hold the breath so here Strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat intus Ovid. Trist Cogitur vires multiplicare suas Ver. 10. For I heard the defaming of many fear on every side This passage is borrowed from Psal 31.13 See the Note there Some render the text I heard the defamation of many Magor-missabibs many of his complices and Coryphaei spies set a work by him to defame and bespattle me Report say they and we will report Calumniare audacter broach a slander and we will blazon it set it afoot and we will set it afloat give us but some small hint or inkling of ought spoken by Jeremy whereof to accuse him to the King and State and we desire no more Athanasius was about thirty times accused and of no smal crimes neither but falsly The Papists make it their trade to belye the Protestants their chieftaines especially They reported of Luther that he dyed despairing of Calvin that he was branded on the shoulder for a rogue of Beza that he ran away with another mans wife c. And for their Authors they alledge Baldwin and Bolsecus a couple of Apostates requested by themselves and as some say hired to write the lives of these Worthies their profest enemies But any thing of this kind serves their turn and they cite the writings of these runnagates as Canonical All my familiars Heb. every man of my peace from such there is the greatest danger Hence one prayed God to deliver him from his friends for as for his enemies he could better beware of them Many friends are like deep ponds clear at the top but all muddy at the bottom Ver. 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one Instar Gigantis robusti Vt formidabilis heros Pisc as a strong Giant and mine only champion on whom I lean Here the Spirit begins to get the better of the Flesh could Jeremy but hold his own But as the ferry man plyes the oar and eyes the shoar homeward where he would be yet there comes a gust of wind that carryeth him back again so it fared with our Prophet See ver 14.15 c. Ver. 12. But O Lord of hosts See chap. 11.20 and 17.10 Let me see thy vengeance on them Some pert and pride themselves over the Ministery as if it were a dead Alexanders nose which they might wring off and not fear to be called to account therefore but the visible vengeance of God will seise such one day as it did Pharaoh Ahab Herod Julian For unto thee have I opened my cause Prayer is an opening of the souls causes and cases to the Lord. The same word for opened here is in another conjugation used for uncovering making bare and naked Gen 9.21 Gods people in prayer do or should nakedly present their souls causes without all cover-shames or so much as a ragge of self or flesh cleaving to them Ver. 13. Sing unto the Lord praise ye the Lord Nota hic alternantis animi motus estusque Here the Spirit triumpheth over the flesh as in the next verses the flesh again gets the wind and hill of the Spirit Every good man is a divided man For he hath delivered the soul of the poor i. e. Of poor me as Psal 34.4 Ver. 14. Cursed be the day wherin I was born What a suddain change of his note is here out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethren saith James these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.10 But here humane weakness prevailed and this part of the Chapter hath much of man in it The best have their outbursts and as there be white teeth in the blackest Blackmore and again a black bill in the whitest swan so the worst have something in them to be commended and the best to be condemned See on ver 7. Some of the Fathers seek to excuse Jeremy altogether but that can hardly be neither needeth it Origen saith that the day of his birth was past and therefore nothing now so that cursing it he cursed nothing This is lâ—ke those amongst us who say they may now without sin swear by the Masse because it is gone out of the Country c. Isidor that Jeremie's cursing is but conditional if any let that day be cursed c. Ver. 15. Cursed be the man Let him have a curse for a reward of his so good news Thus the Prophet in a fit of impatiency carrieth himself as one who being cut by a Surgeon and extreamly pained striketh at and biteth those that hold him or like him in the Poet Aeneid l. 2. Quem non incusavi amens hominumque Deumque Surely as the bird in a cage because pent up beats her self so doth the discontented person Look to it therefore Satan thrusteth in upon us sometimes praying with a cloud of strange passions such as are ready to gallow us out of that little wit and faith we have Resist him betimes The wild-fire of Passion will be burning whilst the incense of Prayer is in offering this scum will be rising up in the boyling pot together with the meat See Jon. 4.1 with the Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jon. 4.4 Ver. 16. And let that man be A most bitter curse but causelesse The devil of discontent where it prevaileth maketh the heart to be for the time a little hell as we see in Moses Job David Jeremy men otherwise made up of excellencies These sinned but not with full consent A godly man hath a flea in his ear somewhat within which saith Dost thou well to be angry Jonah Ver. 17. Because he slew me not c. Why but is not life a mercy a living Dog better then a dead Lion See on Job 3.10 10.18 19. Vincet aliquando pertinax bonitas Rev. 2 10. Ver. 18. Wherefore came I forth c. Passions are a most dangerous and heady water when once they are out That my dayes should be consumed with shame Why but a Christian souldier may have a very great arrear 2 Tim. 4.7 8. CHAP. XXI Ver. 1. THe word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord This History is here set down out of course For Jerusalem was not besieged till chap. 32. and Jehoiakim reigned Chapter 25. It was in the ninth year of Zedekiah that this present Prophecy was uttered Est hic hysterologia sive praeposterus ordo 2 King 25.1 2. This Zedekiah was one of those semiperfectae virtutis homines as Philo calleth some Professours cakes half-baked Hos 7.8 no flat Atheist nor yet a pious Prince Of Galba the Emperour as also of our Richard the third it is recorded that they were bad men but good Princes We cannot say so much of Zedekiah Two things he is cheifly charged with 1. That he brake his oath and faith plighted to the King of Babylon
Ezek. 17.16 2. That he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord 2 Chron. 36.12 13. Hitherto he had not but now in his distresse he seeketh to this Prophet yea sendeth an Embassage Kings care not for souldiers said a great Commander till their crowns hang on the one side of their heads Sure it is that some of them slight Gods Ministers till they cannot tell what to doe without them as here Kingdomes have their cares and Thrones their thornes Antigonus cried out of his diadem O vilis pannus O base rag not worth taking up at a mans feet Julian complained of his own unhappinesse in being made Emperour Dioclesian laid down the Empire as weary of it Thirty of the ancient Kings of this our Land saith Capgrave resigned their crowns such were their cares crosses and emulations Zedekiah now could gladly have done as much But sith that might not be He sendeth to Jeremiah whom in his prosperity he had slighted and to gratifie his wicked Counsellours wrongfully imprisoned He sent unto him Pashur Not that Magor-missabib chap. 20.1 but another of his name though not much better as it afterwards appeared when seeing Jeremies stoutnesse for the Truth he counselled the King to put him to death Chap. 38. And Zephaniah the son of Maasciah Of whom see further chap. 29.25 29. 37.3 Ver. 2. Enquire I pray thee of the Lord for us He seeketh now to the Lord whom in his prosperity he regarded not so doth a drowning man catch at the tree or twig which before he made no reckoning of Rarae fumant felicibus arae In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. ult When he slew them then they sought him and enquired earely after God Psal 78.34 Pharaoh when plagued calleth earnestly for Moses to pray for him and Joab when in danger of his life runneth to the horns of the Altar If so be the Lord will deal with us according to his wondrous works Or it may be the Lord will deal with us c. sc As he did not long since with Hezekiah when invaded by Sennacherib Thus wicked wretches are willing to presume and promise themselves impunity See Deut. 29.19 with the Note Ver. 3. Then said Jeremiah unto them He answereth them modestly and without insultation but freely and boldly as a man of an heroik spirit and the Messenger of the King of Kings Ver. 4. Behold I will turn back the weapons of War i. e. I will render them vain and uselesse as it is God who in battel ordereth the ammunition chap. 50.25 and maketh the weapons vain or prosperous Isa 54. ult Jer. 50.9 This was plainly seen at Edge-hill-fight Ver. 5. And I my self will fight against you This was heavy tidings to Zedekiah and his Courtiers Optassent sibi Prophetas qui dixissent laeta saith Oecolampadius they could have wished for more pleasing Prophecies but those that do what they should not must look to hear what they would not Such bitter answers as this they must look for who seek to God only in a time of necessity silence or else sad answers they shall be sure of Ver. 6. They shall dye of a great Pestilence See chap. 16.4 18.21 Hippocrates calleth the Pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divine disease Sr. Jo. Heyw. Life of Edw. the sixth because there is much of Gods hand in it like as there was here in the sweating sicknesse wherewith the English only were chased not only in England but in all Countries Ver. 7. And afterward saith the Lord This is noted by the Hebrew Criticks for a very long verse as having in it two and forty words which consist of one hundred and threescore letters and it sounds very heavily all along to the Courtiers especially Potentes potenter torquebuntur Ver. 8. Behold I will set before you the way of life and the way of death They should have their option but a very sad one Saved they could not be from their enemies but by their enemies nor escape death but by captivity which is a kind of living death and not much to be preferred before death Only life is sweet as the Gibeonites held it and therefore chose rather to be hewers of wood and drawers of water then to be cut off with the rest of the Canaanites Ver. 9. His life shall be unto him for a prey And lawful prey or booty is counted good purchase Isa 49.24 He shall save his life though he lose his goods And it should not be grievous to any man to sacrifice his estate to the service of his life why else did Solomon make so many hundreds of targets and sheilds of gold Ver. 10. For I have set my face against this City I have looked this City to destruction I have decreed it and will do it When our Saviour set his face to go towards this City Luke 9.51 he was fully resolved on it and nothing should hinder him See Levit. 17.10 20.5 Ver. 11. And touching the house of the King of Judah say i. e. His Courtiers and his Counsellours which probably were now as bad or worse then they had been in his Father Josias dayes Zeph. 3.3 Her Princes within her were roaring Lions her Judges evening wolves See the Notes Ver. 12. O house of David But much degenerated from the piety of David So Mic. 2.7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob are these his doings c. See the Notes there To be a degenerate plant of so noble a vine is no small discommendation Thus saith the Lord After that the Court had sent to him he is sent to the Court with these Instructions Execute justice in the morning As David your Progenitour and pattern did Psal 101.8 Be up and at it betime and make quick dispatch of causes that poor men may go home about their businesses who have other things to do besides going to Law It is a lamentable thing that a suit should depend ten or twenty years in some Courts Oecolamp quo saturentur avarissimi rabulae omnia bona pauperum exugentes through the avarice of some Pleaders to the utter undoing of their poor Clients This made one such when he was perswaded to patience by the example of Job to reply Mane i. e. Maturè What do ye tell me of Job Job never had any suits in Chancery Jethro adviseth Moses Exod. 18. to dismsse those timely whom he cannot dispatch presently Ver. 13. Behold I am against thee I who alone am a whole army of men Van and Reare both Isa 52.12 and may better say then any other How many reckon you me at O inhabitant of the valley i. e. Of Jerusalem called elsewhere the valley of vision It stood high but yet was compassed about with mountains that were higher Psal 125.2 See there And rock of the plain The bulwark and beauty of the whole adjacent Country Pliny saith that it was the most famous of