my glory i. e. In Christ who is the brightness of his Fathers glory and in sending of whom the glory of his truth wisdom power justice and goodness shone forth as the Sun at noon Ver. 19. And I will set a sign among them This sign may very well be that visible pouring out of the gifts of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost under the symbol of wind and fire Scultet Act. 2. together with the signes and wonders whereby the Apostles doctrine was confirmed Others make this signe to be the Profession of the Christian faith Some also the Doctrine of the Gospel and especially the Sacraments And I will send those that escape of them i. e. The Apostles and their fellow-helpers such as were Barnabas Silas Lucas c. To Tarshish Pul To all parts of the Word East West North and South That draw the bow The Mosches or Moscovites say the Septuagint the Turkes saith one of the Rabbines See the Notes on Rev. 9.15 16 17. Ver. 20. And they shall bring all your brethren Now become all your brethren in Christ Sanctior est copula cordis quam corporis Religion is the strongest eye Vpon horses and in charets and in litters i. e. With much swiftnesse and sweetnesse though sick weakly and unfit for travel yet rather in litters than not at all The Apostles became all things to all men that they might gain them to Christ Ver. 21. And I will also take of them for Priests and for Levites For Evangelical Pastors and Teachers who have a distinct function and employment in the Church of the New Testament as the Priests and Levites had in that of the Old to teach instruct and edifie Gods people Ver. 22. For as the new heaven So shall there be a true Church and a Ministry for the good of my people to the worlds end It shall not be taken away as is the Jewish Polity and Hierarchy Ver. 23. And it shall come to passe that from one new-Moon to another God shall be served with all diligence and delight In the Kingdom of Christ here but especially in heaven it shall be holy-day all the week as we say a constant solemnity a perpetual Sabbath Act. Mon. King Edgar ordained that the Lords day should be kept here in England from Saturday nine of the clock till Munday morning The Ebionites kept the Saturday with the Jews and the Sunday with the Christians But here it is foretold and we see it fulfilled that all flesh i. e. all the faithful whether Jews or Gentiles shall not only keep every day holy-day 1 Cor. 5.8 by resting from sin and rejoycing in God but shall also both in season and out of season have their Church-meetings for holy services worshipping God from day to day and from month to month as the phrase is Esth 3.7 in spirit and in truth and having the continual feast of a good conscience Ver. 24. And they shall go forth and look upon the carkasses Rhetoricians tell us that in the introduction to a discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milder affections suit best to insinuate but in the conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passionate passages such as may leave a sting behind them and stick by the hearers This Art the Prophet here useth for being now to period his Prophecy he giveth all sorts to know what they shall trust to The godly shall go forth i. e. salvi evadent liberi abibunt they shall have safety here and salvation hereafter They shall also look upon the carkasses c. they shall be eye-witnesses of Gods exemplary judgements executed on the wicked that would not have Christ to reign over them Rev. 19.21 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord and from the presence of his power 2 Thes 1.9 This the righteous shall see and fear and laugh at them Psal 52.6 giving God the glory of his justice and goodness Some think they shall have at last day a real sight of hell and the damned there Rev. 14.10 and this may very well be Oh that wicked men would in their dayly meditations take a turn or two in hell and so be forewarned to fly from the wrath to come Is it nothing to have the worm of conscience ever grubbing upon their entrails and the fire of Gods vengeance feeding upon their souls and flesh throughout all eternity Oh that eternity of extremity Think of it seasonably and seriously that ye never suffer it The Jewish Masters have in some copies wholly left out this last verse as in other copies they repeat both here and in the end of Ecclesiastes Lamentations and Malachy the last verse save one which is more sweet and fuller of comfort and that for this reason that the Reader may not be sent away sad Amama in Antibarb and so fall into desperation But of that there is no such danger sith most people are over slight in their thoughts of hell-torments regarding them no more than they do a fire painted on the wall or a serpent wrought in Arras And besides Non sinit in Gehennam incidere Gehennae meminisse saith Chysostom to remember hell is a good means to preserve us from it This verse hath sufficient authority from our Saviours citing of it Mar. 9.44 See the Note there Plato also if that be any thing in his description of hell which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fiery lake saith the same as here In Phaed. pag. 400. Inde dictus est Moses Atticus that their worm dyeth not neither is their fire quenched He might possibly have read Isaiah as he had done Moses T is thought Laertius telleth us that he travelled into Egypt where he conversed with some Hebrews and learned much of them And they shall be an abhorring to all flesh i. e. All good men abominate them now as so many living Ghosts walking carkases Eph. 2.2 Prov. 29. ult and shall much more at the last day when they shall arise again to everlasting shame and contempt Dan. 12. Scribendo haec studui bene de pietate mereri Sed quicquid potui Gratia Christs tua est A Commentary or Exposition upon The BOOK of the Prophet IEREMIAH CHAP. I. Ver. 1. THe words of Jeremiah Piscator rendereth it Acta Jeremiae The Acts of Jeremy Verba sive Res. as we say The Acts of the Apostles which Book also saith One might have been called in some sense The Passions of the Apostles who were for the testimony of Jesus in deaths often And the same we may safely say of Jeremy Serm. 4. contra A â—â—nos who although he were not omnis criminis per totam vitam expers which yet great Athanaesius affirmeth of him that is free from all fault for he had his out-bursts and himself relateth them yet he was Judaeorum integerrimus as of Phocion it is said that he was Atheniensum integerrimus a man of singular sanctimony and
being little less than a Monster What so monstrous as to behold green Apples on a tree in winter and what so indecent as to see the sins of youth prevailing in times of age among old decrepit Goats that they should bee capering after capparis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of Capers as the Septuagint and Vulgar render it here Because man goeth to his long home Heb. to his old home scil to the dust from whence hee was taken Or to the house of his eternity that is the grave that house of all living where hee shall lye long till the Resurrection Tremellius renders it in domum saeculi sui to the house of his generation where hee and all his contemporaries meet Cajetan in domum mundi sui into the house of his world that which the world provides for him as nature at first provided for him the house of the womb Toward this home of his the old man is now on gate having one foot in the grave already Hee sits and sings with Job My spirit is spent my daies are extinct the graves are ready for mee Job 17.1 And the mourners go about the streets The proverb is Senex â—os non lugetur An old man dies unlamented But not so the good old man Great moan was made for old Jacob Moses Aaron Samuel The Romans took the death of old Augustus so heavily that they wished hee had either never been born or never died Those indeed that live wickedly dye wishedly But godly men are worthily lamented and ought to bee so Isa 57.1 This is one of the dues of the dead so it bee done aright But they were hard bestead that were fain to hire mourners that as Midwives brought their friends into the world so those widows should carry them out of it See Job 3.8 Jer. 9.17 Vers 6. Or ever the silver cord bee loosed Or lengthened i. e. before the marrow of the back which is of a silver colour bee consumed From this Cord many sinews are derived which when they are loosened the back bendeth motion is slow and feeling faileth Or the golden bowl be broken i. e. The heart say some or the Pericardium the Brain-pan say others or the Piamater compassing the brain like a swathing-cloath or inner rind of a tree Or the pitcher bee broken at the fountain That is the veins at the Liver which is the shop of sangnification or blood-making as one calls it but especially Vena porta and Vena cava Read the Anatomists Or the wheel bee broken at the cistern i. e. The head which draws the power of life from the heart to the which the blood runs back in any great fright as to the fountain of life Vers 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth c. What is man saith Nazianzen but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soul and Soil Breath and Body a puff of wind the one a pile of dust the other no solidity in either Zoroaster and some other antient Heathens imagined that the soul had wings that having broken these wings shee fell headlong into the body and that recovering her wings again shee flies up to Heaven her original habitation That of Epicharmus is better to bee liked and comes nearer to the truth here delivered by the Preacher Concretum fuit discretum est rediitque unde venerat terra deorsum spiritus sursum It was together but is now by death set asunder and returned to the place whence it came the Earth downward the Spirit upward See Gen. 2.7 God made man of the dust of the earth to note our frailty vility and impurity Lutum enim conspurcat omnia sic caro saith one Dirt defiles all things so doth the flesh It should seem so truly by mans soul which coming pure out of Gods hands soon becomes Mens oblita Dei vitiorumque oblita coeno Bernard complains not without just cause that our souls by commerce with the flesh are become fleshly Sure it is that by their mutual defilement corruption is so far rooted in us now that it is not cleansed out of us by meer death as is to bee seen in Lazarus and others that died but by cinerification or turning of the body to dust and ashes The spirit returns to God that gave it For it is divinae particula aurae an immaterial immortal substance that after death returns to God the Fountain of life D. Prest The soul moves and guides the body saith a worthy Divine as the Pilot doth the ship Now the Pilot may bee safe though the ship bee split on the rock And as in a chicken it grows still and so the shell breaks and falls off So it is with the soul the body hangs on it but as a shell and when the soul is grown to perfection it falls away and the soul returns to the Father of spirits Augustine after Origen held a long while that the soul was begotten by the Parents as was the body At length hee began to doubt of this point and afterward altered his opinion confessing inter caetera testimonia hoc esse praecipuum that among other testimonies this to bee the chief to prove the contrary to that which hee had formerly held Vers 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Who chose for his Text this Argument of the vanity of humane things which having fully proved and improved hee here resumes and concludes Vide supra Vers 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise Hee well knew how hard it was to work men to a beleef of what hee had affirmed concerning earthly vanities and therefore heaps up here many forcible and cogent Arguments as First that himself was no baby but wise above all men in the world by Gods own testimony therefore his words should bee well regarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our wise men expound to day said the Jews one to another Come let us go up to the house of the Lord c. Cicero had that high opinion of Plato for his wisdome that hee professed that hee would rather go wrong with him than go right with others Averroes over-admired Aristotle as if hee had been infallible But this is a praise proper to the holy Pen-men guided by the Spirit of Truth and filled with wisdome from on high for the purpose To them therefore and to the word of prophecy by them must men give heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place c. 2 Pet. 1.19 Hee still taught the people knowledge Hee hid not his talent in a Napkin but used it to the instruction of his people Have not I written for thee excellent things or three several sorts of Books viz. Proverbial Penitential Nuptial in counsels and knowledge Prov. 22.20 Synesius speaks of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes that having great worth in them will as soon part with their hearts as with their conceptions And Gregory observeth that there are not a few who being enriched with spiritual gifts
of him delight in him indignation against any that speak or do ought against him The object of zeal is either Man as 2 Cor. 7.7 Coloss 4.17 Basil venturing himself very far for his friend and by some blamed for it answered Ego aliter amare non didici I cannot love a man but I must do mine utmost for him Or Secondly God as John 3.17 2 Cor. 7.11 Rev. 3.19 And here out love will be and must appear to be fervent desire eager delights ravishing hopes longing hatred deadly anger fierce fear terrible grief deep deeper than those black deeps a place so called at the Thames-mouth whereinto Richard the third caused the dead bodies of his two smothered Nephews to be cast Speed 935. being first closed up in lead c. The coals thereof are coals of fire Or fiery darts that set the soul all on a light fire and turn it into a coal or lump of love to Christ The word here used is elsewhere taken for fiery thunderbolts Psal 78.48 and for brass-headed arrows that gather heat by motion Psal 76.4 also for a carbuncle or burning feaver Deut. 32.24 The Church had said before more than once that shee was sick of love here shee feels her self in a feaver as it were or as if her liver were struck through with a love-dart by that spirit of judgement and of burning Isa 4.4 kindling this flame of God as shee calls it here upon the haâ—h of her heart The word signifies the consuming flame of God and zeal may be very fitly so called For as it comes from above even from the father of lights as the fire of the Altar did so it tends to him and ends in him it carries a man up as it were in a fiery Chariot and conformes his corruptions by the way It quencheth also those fiery darts of the devill as the Sun-beams will put out the kitchin fire and sets the tongue a work as the Holy Ghost set on fire the Apostles tongues Act. 2. when as wicked mens tongues full of deadly poyson are yet further set on fire from hell Jam. 3.6 yea the whole man a work for God and his glory as Elias with his Zelando zelavi hee sucked in fire with his mothers breast as some have legended St. Paul is mad for God so some misjudged him 2 Cor. 5.13 as ever hee had once been against him Act. 26.11 Peter was a man made all of fire walking amongst stubble saith Chrysostome And of one that desired to know what manner of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dream a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius such an one is Basil Such also was Savanarola Farel Luther Latimer that bold Tell-troth who when hee was demanded the reason why there was so much preaching and so little practiced answered roundly deest ignis the flame of God is wanting in mens hearts Vers 7. Many waters cannot quench love Water was proved long since to be above fire in that ancient contest between those two Nations about the precedency and precellency of their Gods the one worshipping Fire and the other Water But though there be Gods many and Lords many yet to the Church there is but one Lord and to him shee will go thorow thick and thin thorow fire and water Her love to him is such as no good can match it no evill over-match it it cannot be quenched with any calamity nay it is much kindled by it as fire in the smiths-forge or as lime that is the hotter for the water that is cast upon it Elias would have water poured on the sacrifice covered therewith that the power of God might the more appear in the fire from heaven Semblably Christ suffers the ship of his Church to be covered sometimes with waves of persecutions and afflictions that the strength of their love to him may bee the more manifested and the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Luk. 2.35 It is easie to swim in a warm bath and every bird can sing in a summers day but to swim to heaven as Queen Elizabeth did to her throne through a sea of sorrows to sing as some birds will do in the spring most sweetly then when it rains most sadly that 's a true trial indeed Many will imbark themselves in the Churches cause in a calm that with the Mariners in the Acts will flee out of the ship in a storm Many will own a prospering truth a blessing Ark but hee is an Obed-Edom indeed that will own a persecuted tossed banished Ark an Ark that brings the plague with it God sets an high price on their love that stick to him in affliction 2 Sam. 15.18 as David did on those men that were with him at Gath those Cherethites and Pelethites that stuck to him when Absalom was up And notwithstanding their late mutiny at Ziklag hee takes them to Hebron with him where hee was to bee crowned that as they had shared with him in his misery so they might partake of his prosperity Lo thus likewise deals our heavenly David with all his fellow-sufferers Hee removes them at length from the ashes of their forlorn Ziklog to the Hebron of heaven And at the general judgement in that great Amphitheater of Men and Angels Christ will stand forth and say Ye are they that continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdome c. Luke 22.28 29. Neither can the floods drown it surgit hic afflictio Neh. 1.9 This is not a vain repetition but serves to shew that no persecution tribulation anguish though never so grievous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though the devil should cast out of his mouth water enough to carry us down the stream as Rev. 12.15 shall be able to separate the Saints from the love of Christ Rom. 8.35 If a man would give all the substance of his house c. i. e. To buy this love of me or to get it from me I should cry out with Peter Thy money perish with thee or with Luther Contemptus est à me Romanus favor furor I care neither for Romes favour nor fury When they offered to make him a Cardinal if he would be quiet hee replied No not if I might be Pope And when they consulted about stopping of his mouth with money one wiser than the rest cryed out Hem Germana illa bestia non curat aurum Alack that German beast cares not for money Galeacius Caracciolus His Life by Mr. Crashaw that noble Italian Convert left all for the love of Christ and went to live a poor obscure life at Geneva Where when hee was tempted to revolt for money hee cried out Let their mony perish with them who esteem all the gold in the world worth one daies society with Jesus Christ and his holy Spirit And cursed bee that religion for ever that by such baits of profit pleasure and preferment seeks to draw men aside from the way of truth and
for their own and not emulate others A good man shall be satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 as knowing within himself that whatever he hath here little or much he hath in heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Ver. 26. Vpon this I awaked Out of my prophetike dream And my sleep was sweet unto me i. e. The promises Christ in the promises were sweet unto me and I was as much refreshed therewith as with sound sleep after hard toile or travel Ver. 27. I will sow the house of Israel I will repeople the country and raise up many believers to Christ Ver. 28. Like as I have watched over them I have been sedulous and assiduous To pluck up and break down c. See chap. 1.10 11. 10.12 18.7 So I will watch I will make them a plentiful amends Ver. 29. In those dayes they shall say no more There shall be tersius de operibus Dei judicium a righter judgement passed upon Gods proceedings See of this by-word Ezek. 18.2 Ver. 30. But every one shall dye for his own iniquity i. e. Every unbeliever shall neither shall the Gospel save him Ver. 31. I will make a new Covenant The same for substance with the former made with Adam Noah Abraham Moses and the Israelites in the Wildernesse but new in respect of the form thereof the manner of dispensing it viz. more clearly freely effectually and spiritually now under the Gospel then in those dayes of yore when they saw the Face of God only in that dark glasse of the ceremonies whereas we with open face c. 2 Cor. 3.18 Ver. 32. Not according to the Covenant Not so but a great deal better in regard of larger measures of the Spirit now poured out upon all flesh together with the efficacy thereof in the hearts of Gods Covenanters who have a duplicate of Gods Law written within them ver 33. Lex jubet gratia javat hence it is an everlasting Covenant and the fruits of it are sure mercies compassions that fail not as is here set forth Ver. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts This the Apostle calleth the law in their minds oppsed to the law of their members Rom. 7.23 for the natural man is inversus decalogus he is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be But God putteth into the hearts of his people the counterpant of his holy Law he stamps as it were a decalogue upon their spirits he puts into them an inward aptnesse answering the Law of God without as the lead answereth the mould wax the seal as tally answereth tally or as indenture indenture And I will be their God and they shall be my people This promise is divini mellis alveare as One calleth it The hive of heavenly hony Ver. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour Deest coactie Oecolamp non deerit cohortatio Men shall learn with much lesse adoe because taught of God and lively illightened by his Holy Spirit quando Christus magister quam cito discitur quod docetur saith Agustine when Christ becomes a mans Teacher he must needs be a forwardly Scholar Some make this to be the sense of the words that in Gospel-times the truths of Christ and the knowledge of the Son of God should be so evident that men might get more of themselves without a teacher then with one in the legal administrations as Paul also sheweth 2 Cor. 3. Not that men should have no need of teaching at all in those times for the best know but in part and must daily grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 For they shall all know me All mine Elesh shall know me in some competent measure know the Principles Heb. 6.1 2. and go on unto perfection ib. For I will forgive their iniquities In heaven and in their own consciences also Zach. 3.4 provided that they put this and the like promises in suit by their prayers Mal. 6.11 Augustine Mr. Perkins and Arch-bishop Vsher expired with crying for mercy and forgivenesse Ver. 35. Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun c. For their better security and setlement he borroweth a comparison from the surest things Sun Sea c. Which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar Or who when I trouble the the sea the waves thereof roar but cannot passe their bound which I have set them See Isa 51.15 Ver. 36. If these ordinances depart from before we If they alter their constant course Then shall the seed of Israel cease Then shall the faithful fail and rhe Israelitish nation be utterly abolished Ver. 37. If heaven above can be measured By man for God measureth it with his span Isa 40.12 And the foundations of the earth be searched out If any man can dig or dive to the Center Ver. 38. That the City should be built to the Lord Jerusalem shall be reedified the Church eternally reestablished by Christ From the tower of Hananeel Neh. 3.1 12.39 Zach. 14.10 Vnto the gate of the corner 2 Kings 14.13 Zach. 14.10 Ver. 39. Vpon the hill Garth Versus collem scabiosi toward the hill of the scabby so Tremellius rendereth it and Junius thinks it was so called because thither they used to send their Lepers and Lazars At Geneva in times of Popery there they had a in void place certain cottages set up whereunto they sent their Lepers wherewith that City then abounded through the horrible filthinesse that was there in those dayes committed But from the year 1535. wherein they embraced the purity of the Gospel there hath been not above one Leper seen in that City So restifieth Matthaeus Cottherius in his exposition of the Revelation printed at Sedan in France Anno 1625. And shall compasse about to Goath Alias Golgotha as some think but these places here mentioned as also those Zach. 8. 14. as they were known to the Ancients so to us at this day they are unknown Travellers tell us that Jerusalem is now a poor obscure place governed by a Turkish Sanzak and that Golgotha or Calvary is in the very midst of the town Ver. 40. And the whole valley of the dead bodies Of Rephaim say some of Tophet say others See on ver 39. Shall be holy unto the Lord So is the holy Catholike Church the new Jerusalem which is above especially It shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more for ever This cannot be applyed to the earthly Jerusalem which was plucked up and thrown down by the Romans once and again but especially by Aelius Adrianus the Emperour who laid the whole Country waste almost drove the Jews utterly out of it set a Sow of white marble over the chief gate of Jerusalem in reproach of their Religion and called the City by his own name Aelia commanding the Jews not once to look towards it from any tower or hill It must be therefore meant of tht
neither speak falsely nor rashly but upon due deliberation and undoubted certainty See my True treasure pag. 122. Vers 8. All the words The Rabbine have a saying That there is a mountain of sense hanging upon every tittle of the Scriptures There is nothing froward or perverse in them Some places of Scripture may seem to cross other places but they do only seem so Men may think they are like the accusers of Christ never a one speaking like the other but those that understand them shall finde them like Nathan and Bathsheba both speaking the same things The old Rabbins could not reconcile Ecclesiastes some passages in it to the rest of the holy Scriptures and had therefore some thoughts to conceal it from the people But this was their weakness Kabuenaki and would have been their wickedness Vers 9. They are all plain to him that understandeth Plain in things necessary to salvation for as all duties so all truths do not concern all men God doth not expect or require that every man should bee a Doctor in the chair but those points that direct to duty here and salvation hereafter are clear express and obvious to them that desire to understand them for some there are Bern. qui ut liberius peocent libenter ignorant It was a smart answer which Mr. Durant a witty and learned Minister of the Reformed Church of Paris gave to a Lady of suspected chastity and now revolted When shee pretended the hardness of the Scripture Why said hee Madam what can bee more plain than Thou shalt not commit Adultery Had shee not been failing in the practice of what shee could not but know shee had found no cause to complain of the difficulty of that which shee could not know Vers 10. Receive mine instruction and not money That is Rather than mony as I will have mercy and not sacrifice that is rather than sacrifice Knowledge of the Scriptures is the greatest riches Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christâ— dwell richly in you 1 Cor. 1.5 The Corinthians were inriched in all knowledge Plato gave three hundred flourens for a Book that hee liked Called Sophron Dionysius said that Aristippus was alwayes craving mony of him but Plato desired nothing but Books What spending of money and lavishing out of the bag is there for humane learning And yet Aristotle himself could say that a little knowledge though but conjectural about heavenly things is to bee preferred above much knowledge though certain about inferiour things Vers 11. For Wisdome is better than Rubies See the Note on Chap. 3.15 Vers 12. I Wisdome dwell with Prudence I draw all into practice and teach men to prove by their own experience what that good and holy and acceptable will of God is Of the most that would bee held knowing men it may well bee said as Tully sayes the Proverb went of the Athenians that they used their wisdome as men do artificial teeth for shew onely And that they did scire quae recta sunt sed facore nolle know what was right but had no minde to do accordingly Socrates said there was no difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome and Prudence or Moderation Xenoph. de dictis factis Socrat. Sith hee that knows good things to do them and evil things to avoid them is to bee held a wise man and none else And finde out knowledge of witâ—y inventions Tending to piety Not those toylsome toyes sophismata quae nec ignoranti nocent nec sciâ—ut enâ— juvant Seneca that are hard to come by but of no use or worth proof or profit These are but laborious loss of time as Aristotle hath it like an Olive of Date-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist hard to crack the one or cleave the other but nothing or nothing worth ought when crackt or cloven within either Wisdome findes her Scholars somewhat else to do than to bee so busily idle Witty shee allows them to bee but not wittily wicked not wise to do evil inventers of 〈◊〉 or idle things Walk circumspectly saith shee not as fools but as wise â—â—ing the times understanding what the will of the Lord is and putting it in speedy execution Eph. 5. â—5 16 17. Keep therefore and do it for this is your wisdome c. Deut. 4.6 See the Note there this will speak you far more witty than those Wits of the World who seek out many inventions Eccles 7.28 but all to no purpose and become vain in their imaginations their foolish heart being darkned â—â—m 1.21 Vers 13. The fear of the Lord Which is an high point of heavenly wisdome Chap. 1.7 to the praise whereof this therefore appertaineth There are that make this verse an explanation of the former thus I finde out the knowledge of witty inventing such as are the fear of the Lord the hatred of evil yea of inward evils as Pride Arrogancy c. Odi fastum istius Ecclesiae I hate the pride of that Romish Church said Basil long since I hate vain thoughts But thy Law do I love Psal 119.113 I hate and abhor lying vers 163. Yea I hate every false way both in my self and others vers 104. Thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans which I also hate Rev. 2. Gods people partake of the Divine nature and so have God-like both sympathies and antipathies they not only leave sin but loath it and are at deadly feud with it They purge themselves by this clean fear of God Psal 19.7 from all pollutions not of flesh onely worldly lusts and gross evils but of spirit also that lye more up in the heart of the Country as Pride Arrogancy c. so Perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 There may bee some kinde of pride in sincerity and of humility in hypocrisie But hypocrisies humility is followed with pride and sincerities pride with humility This latter humility is the better And here onely it is seemly for vertue to come behinde vice Hypocrisie is proud because it is humble Sincerity is humble because it is proud And the evil way That is Custome of committing sin Viam pro frequentatione accipiunt Hebraei And this the godly man doth not that hee may appear to do so Velleius sed quia aliter facere non potuit as one falsly and flatteringly said of Cato but because having his heart seasoned with this holy fear hee can do no otherwise Vers 14. Counsel is mine c. Christ is wise in heart and mighty in strength Job 9.4 his Churches both Counsellor Isa 9.6 and Champion Isa 37.23 24. And though shee bee but a Virgin daughter of Zion yet shee despiseth her adversary and laughs him to scorn vers 22. because shee hath one that is in love with her and will fight her quarrel who is De Achille Homeurs De Achille Câ—ullus Tho 2.2 q. 10. aâ—t 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Soles ucidere redire possunt Nobis cum semeÌ„l occidit brevis lux Nox est perpetua una dâ—rmienda Catull. The Sunne doth set and rise But wee contrariwise Sleep after one short light An everlasting night Vers 6. The wind goeth toward the South c. It is a very small thing at first a little vapour rising out of the earth but by circuiting and whirling about it gathers strength now rushing toward the South and anon toward the North Virg. Aneid c. the Original is very lively in expressing the manner of it Vna Eurusque Notusque ruunt c. The restlesness of these insensible creatures and diligence in doing their duties as it taxeth our dulness and dis-affection so it re-minds us of the instability of our states and that we should seek and set up ouâ— rest in God alone All earthly things are to the soul but as the air to the stone can give it no stay till it come to God the center Vers 7. All the Rivers run into the Sea And the nearer they come to the Sea the sooner are they met by the tide sent out as it were to take their tribute due to the Sea that seat and source of waters Surely as the Rivers lead a man to the Sea so doe all these Creatures carry him to God by their circular motion A circle we say is the perfectest figure because it begins and ends the points doe meet together the last point meets in the first from whence it came so shall we never come to perfection or satisfaction till our souls come to God till he make the circle meet A wise Philosopher could say that man is the end of all things in a semicircle that is All things in the World are made for him and he is made for God to whom he must therefore hasten Unto the place from whence the Rivers come Sc. from the Sea through the pores and passages of the earth where they leave their saltness This is Solomons opinion as it was likewise the opinion of the ancient Philosophers which yet Aristotle findes fault with and assigns another cause of the perennity of rivers of their beginning and original Hinc Poetae flugunt Inachum fluvium ex Oceano genitum viz. that the air thickned in the earth by reason of cold doth resolve and turn into water c. This agrees not with that which Solomon here saith by the instinct of the Holy Ghost And therefore Averroes is by no means to be hearkned unto in that excessive commendation he gives Aristotle viz. That there was no errour in his writings Alsted Chronol p. 460. that his doctrin was the chiefest truthes and that his understanding was the utmost that was by any one attainable himself the rule and pattern that Nature invented to shew her most perfect skill c. Vers 8. All things are full of labour Labor est etiam ipsa voluptas Chiron cum ob justitiam Dii permitterent ut perpetuo viverâ—t maluis mori quod offenderetur taedio rerum semper eodem tenure recurrentium Molestation and misery meet us at every turn The whole world is a Sea of glasse for its vanity mingled with fire for its vexation Rev. 4.6 Vota etiam post usum fastidio sunt All things are sweeter in the ambition than in the fruition There is a singular vanity in this splendid misery One well compares it to a beautiful Picture drawn with white and red colours in sackcloth which afarre off is very lovely but near by it is like the filthy matter of a sore or wound purulent rottennesse or the back of a galled horse No man ever yet found any constant contentation in any state yet may his outward appearance deceive others and anothers him Man cannot utter it If Solomon cannot no man can for what can the man doe that cometh after the King chap. 2.12 The eye is not satisfied with seeing Though these be the two learned senses as Aristotle calls them whereby Learning is let into the soul yet no man knows so much but he would know more Herillius therefore and those other Philosophers that placed the happiness of a man in the knowledge of Natural causes and events were not in the right There is a curse of unsatisfiableness lies upon the creature The soul that acts in and by the outward senses flickers up and down as Noahs Dove did but finds no firm footing sharks and shifts from one thing to another for content as the Bee doth from flower to flower for hony and desires still more things in number and new things for manner Hence the particles in the Hebrew that signifie And and Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come of a word that signifieth to desire because the desires of Man would have this and that and that and another and doth also tire it self not knowing whether to have this or that or that or tother so restlesse it is after utmost endeavours of plenary satisfaction which this life affords not Vers 9. The thing that hath been it is that which shall be History therefore must needs be of noble and necessary use because by setting before us what hath been it premonisheth us of what will be again Plato in Cratylo Macrob. Joseph Plin. sith the self-same fable is acted over again in the world the persons only are altered that act it Plato will therefore have History to have its name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of stopping the flux of endless errours and restlesse uncertainties His conceit of a general revolution of all things after thirty thousand years expired is worthily exploded and learnedly confuted by St. Austin De Civ Dei lib. 12. cap. 13. but in no wise confirmed by this text as some would have it and Origen among the rest Plato might haply hint at the general Resurrection called the Regeneration by our Saviour Mat. 19.28 See the Note Vers 10. Is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new Hoc ego primus vidi saith Zabarel But how could he tell that Many men have been so befooled Wee look upon Guns and Printing as new inventions the former found out by Birchtoldin the Monk Anno Dom. 1380. the other by Frier Faustus Anno 1446. But the Chineses are said to have had the use of both these long before Should we then so eagerly hunt after Novelties those meer New-nothings till we lose our selves in the chase Nil admirari prope res est una Numici Get spiritual eyes rather to behold the beauty of the New Creature all other things are but nine dayes wonderment the bravery of the new Jerusalem Yea get this natural itch after novelties kild by the practice of mortification and get into Christ that thou mayst be a new creature So shalt thou have a new name upon thee Isa 62.2 A new Spirit within thee Ezek. 36.27 New alliance
a dead lift Yea bee thou like a Roe or a young Hart Come sweetly and seasonably to my relief and succour To set thee a time were to set the Sun by my Dial. But when thine own time is come 2 Sam. 2.29 their come Lord Jesus come quickly bee as nimble as a Roe or young Hart upon the Mountains of Bether called elsewhere Bithron beyond Jordan which mountains were much haunted by Hunters Mountains of division some render it and one descants thus The Spouse of Christ in that heavenly Marriage-Song calleth him a young Hart on the Mountains of Division D. Hall Epist 5. dec 3. Tell mee then whither will you go for truth if you will allow no truth but where there is no division CHAP. III. Vers 1. By night on my Bed I sought him whom my soul loveth SHee had not a name good enough for him shee therefore makes use of this powerful Periphrasis Before hee had been her Beloved but now the love of her soul because now hee had withdrawn himself It was night with her now shee walked in darkness and had no light as Isa 50.10 and as before day break the darkness is greatest so was it now with the woful Spouse Shee was indeed upon her bed of ease but to her in this case it was a little-ease a bed of unrest her soul was tossed and troubled with solitary seeking longing and looking after him whom her soul loved By night therefore or night after night sundry nights together as some read it Shee sought and sought being constant instant and indefaâ—igable in the scarch shee sought him early and earnestly with utmost attention and affection with her whole heart and soul Jer. 29.13 according to the measure of her love to him which was modus sine modo as Bernard hath it Now whatsoever a man loves that hee desires and what hee desires that hee seeks after especially if hee apprehend some singular worth in it In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 Hee is better than Rubias saith Solomon and all the things that may bee desired are not to bee compared unto him Prov. 8.11 Hence the good soul seeks him as eagerly as the Mammonist seeks silver the Ambitionist honour the affamished man bread the condemned prisoner a pardon or as one that seeks for a lost Jewel hee over-looks all till hee hath found it Christ I must have saith shee whatever it cost mee this gold cannot bee bought too dear Shee longeth sore as David did saying Oh that one would give mee of the water of the Well of Bethlehem 1 Chron. 11.17 Oh for a blessed arm-full of the Babe of Bethlehem such as Simeon once had Give mee Christ or else I die None but Christ none but Christ. All is but dung and dross to Christ Phil. 3. God offered Moses an Angel to go along with them in the wilderness Hee would have no Angel nor stir a step unless God himself would conduct them Barak would not march without Deborah c. I found him not i. e. I had not so full a presence nor so fast hold of him as I desired hee had got behinde the wall or the window as in the former chapter and Joseph-like concealed his love out of increasement of love as also that hee may stir up strong affections after him in the hearts of his people for hee well enough knows how to commend his mercies to us as Laban did his daughter Rachel to Jacob by holding us off by suspending us for a season Even barren Leah when unloved and unlookt on becomes fruitful and the drowsie Spouse when shee misseth her Beloved becomes restless till shee have recovered him In their affliction they will seek mee early Hos 5.15 Affliction excites devotion and makes the Saints seek again with a redoubled diligence as here See Psal 78.34 35. It fares with the best sometimes as it did with Saint Paul and his company in the shipwrack Act. 27.20 when they saw neither Sun nor Stars for divers daies and nights together In this dismal and disconsolate condition if they can but cast anchor and pray still for day Christ will appear as here verse 3. and all shall clear up the day will dawn and the day-star appear in their hearts Mourning lasteth but till morning Psal 30. and the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye it will surely come it will not tarry Hab. 2.3 But what shall wee do in the mean while may some say how shall wee sustain our spirits sith hope deferred makes the heart sick Though it tarry wait for it saith the Prophet Have patience and learn to live by Faith The just shall live by his Faith vers 4. Wee are usually too hasty and do antedate the promises neither will any reason satisfie us unless wee may have all Christs sweetness at once and at present Excellent is that discourse that Mr. Bradford the Martyr makes in a consolatory letter to a good woman that was troubled in conscience You are not content saith hee to kiss Christs feet Act. and Mon. 1490. with Magdalen but you would bee kissed even with the kisses of his mouth You would see his face with Moses forgetting how hee biddeth to seek his face Psal 27. yea and that for ever Psal 105. which signifieth no such sight as you desire to see in this present life which would see God now face to face whereas hee cannot bee seen but covered under something yea sometime in that which is clean contrary unto God as to see his mercy in his anger c. How did Job see God but as yee would say under Satans cloak c. You know that Moses when hee went to the Mount to talk with God hee entred into a dark cloud And Elias had his face covered when God passed by Both these dear friends of God heard God but saw him not But you would bee preferred before them See now my dear heart how covetous you are Ah bee thankful bee thankful But God bee thanked your covetousness is Moses covetousness Well with him you shall bee satisfied But when forsooth when hee shall appear c. God would have his people discontentedly contented with what measures of grace and feelings they have attained unto and to know that Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est Bern. the whole life of a good Christian is an holy desire after more and that those very pantings inquietations and unsatisfiablenesses cannot but spring from truth of grace and some taste of Christ Vers 2. I will rise now and go about the City c. The holy City Jerusalem whither the Tribes went up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel Psal 122.4 There was the likeliest place to finde Christ there his Parents found him once after three daies search Luk. 2.46 sitting in the Temple there hee dwelt amongst men there hee gave gifts
serving the Lord with one shoulder Zeph. 3.9 not shouldering one another and striving for precedency but content with a parity and in giving honour going one before another The six branches in the golden Candlestick joyned all in one and the Cherubims in the Temple looked one toward another which some think signified the agreement and oneness that should bee between the Ministers of the Gospel Which came up from the washing 2. Fair and white washed in the Kings Bath of Christs blood famous and eximious for their extraordinary and exemplary holiness It is their office to bee fullones animarum to make and keep white the fleeces of their flocks the peoples souls And therefore themselvs had need bee as Jerusalems Nazarites were Lam. 4.7 Purer than Snow whiter than Milk c. Whereof every one bears Twins Gemelliparae It must bee Ministers care to bring many to God whom they may one day present with Here am I and the children whom thou hast given mee Aarons sonnes by generation are said to bee Moses his sonnes by institution and instruction Numb 3.1 See Gal. 4.19 1 Cor. 4.15 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them Vers 3. Thy lips are like a threed of Scarlet Which hath two comely properties Small and Ruddy A thin lip is a sign of eloquence Job 12.20 Pitho sits upon it as on the other side a thick lip is an uncircumcised lip Exod. 6.12 a polluted lip Isa 6.5 Scarlet or Coralline lips are counted a great grace as white black blewish lips are held no small deformity The Churches lips are her Christian confessions whether to God or men To God when she acknowledgeth his favours and so covereth his Altar with the calves of her lips or confesseth her sins with all the aggravations bringing them forth as they did the vessels of the Sanctuary Ezra 8.34 by tale and by weight bewailing and begging pardon of all their transgressions in all their sins as the words are Levit. 16.21 To man shee confesseth when shee makes a wise and bold profession of the truth not afraid with any amazement 1 Pet. 3.6 but ready to resist even unto blood Heb. 12.4 The Tabernacle was covered over with Red and the Scarlet Whore would fain perswade us that shee takes up that colour for the same intent to note that wee must stand to the profession of the truth even to effusion of blood This confession of the mouth Rom. 10.10 is set forth here by lips red as Scarlet because it must be lively not fady or frigid but full of Faith and died in Christs blood It is also described by a threed of Scarlet because as a threed it must bee drawn out to the full length and not cut off so long as life lasteth for any fear or other by-respect whatsoever Surely as Austin said of the feast of Pentecost Gaudet produci haec solennitas so may wee say of Christian confession It rejoyceth to bee held out to the last breath And as the silk-worm stretcheth forth her self before shee spin and ends her life in her long wrought clew so is it with the faithful Confessour And thy speech is comely Because grave and gracious framed in Scripture-phrase as much as may bee and therefore comly and delectable Loquamur verba Scripturae utamur sermone Spiritus Sancti c. said that incomparable man Peter Ramus Let us speak the very words of Scripture let us make use of the language of the Holy Ghost and for ever abominate those Logodaedali learned Asses that prophanely disdain at the stately plainness of Gods blessed Book and that think to correct the Divine Wisdome and eloquence with their own infancy and sophistry It is the Church onely that speaks handsomely because holily and as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 Shee is as one well saith of Basil suaviter gravis graviter suavis nihil habens affectatae loquacitatis sweetly grave and gravely sweet neither troublesomely talkative nor sinfully silent verborum parca Casaub sententiarum dives as another saith of Livy few words but full of matter Thy Temples are like a peece of a Pomegranate A Pomegranate hath many grains within his case and a little round circle or Crown without upon his head Now these grains being sweet in taste and red in colour are orderly set one by another and point up and as it were look up altogether unto the Crown To intimate thus much say Beda and Haimo that the children of the Church must grow on still toward the mark not onely when they enjoy the sweet taste of pleasant prosperity but also when they bear the red colour of bloody persecution And consenting in a kinde of conformity and perfect peace they must point up all together with the finger of Faith to Christ and look up continually with the eye of love to their head Christ who being first crossed is now come to be crowned with honour and glory Some do explain this peece of a Pomegranate when it is cut to signifie the reverend and modest countenance of the Church as fearing and taking heed lest shee should speak or do amiss or blushing if shee hath failed Others expound it of the good works of Gods people compared vers 9. to an Orchard of Pomegranates beautiful and comely but yet imperfect like as there is no Pomegranate that hath not one rotten grain in it Vers 4. Thy neck is like the Tower of David i. e. Fair and forcible erectum celsum upright and lofty It betokeneth the invincible courage and comfortable carriage of the Church not giving place to her enemies by subjection no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 Many a time have they afflicted mee from my youth may Israel now say yet never have they prevailed against mee c. Psal 129.1 2 c. Neither shall the gates of Hell ever do it Shee shall set her feet in the necks of her enemies but her neck as the horses Job 39.19 shall bee cloathed with thunder so long as with stretcht-out neck shee looks up unto the Hills from whence cometh her help Psal 121.1 Even those everlasting Hills Gen. 49.26 where her David the Lord Christ dwells as in a Tower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence succours her as the people said once to David 2 Sam. 18.3 Besides the fresh supply of his free Spirit Phil. 1.19 fortifying their hearts against the tyranny of sin and terrour of hell hee hath furnished for her a most admirable Armory viz. the Sacred Scriptures with armour that is polished and prepared for most necessary uses Justin So that the Saints are those true Argyraspides as Alexanders old souldiers were called for defence they have besides that privy armour of peace with God Phil. 4.7 and joy in the Holy Ghost Nehem. 8.13 the breast-plate of righteousness the girdle of truth the shield of faith and shooes of patience And for offence they have the sword of the Spirit and darts of Prayer Ephes 6 14
those six Martyrs burnt by Harpsfield Archdeacon of Canterbury when Queen Mary lay a dying One of those six that were then burnt and those were the last John Cornford stirred with a vehement zeal of God when they were excommunicated pronounced sentence of excommunication against all Papists in these words In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of his holy Spirit and authority of his holy Catholick and Apostolick Church wee do give here into the hands of Satan to bee destroyed the bodies of all those blasphemers and hereticks that do maintain any errour against his most holy Word Act. Mon. fol. 1862. or do condemn his most holy truth for heresie to the maintenance of any false Church or feigned religion so that by this thy most just judgement O most mighty God against thine adversaries thy true religion may bee known to thy great glory and our comfort and the edifying of all our Nation Good Lord so bee it Vers 8. I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem Being evill intreated by her enemies shee turns her to her friends those damsels or daughters of Jerusalem See chap. 2.7 3.5 so the Lord Christ being tired out with the untractableness of his untoward hearers turns him to his Father Mat. 11.25 26. Kings as they have their cares and cumbers above other men so they had of old their friends by a specialty as Hushai was Davids friend 2 Sam. 15.37 to whom they might ease themselves and take sweet counsell Psal 55.14 The servants of God are Princes in all lands Psal 45. and as they have their crosses not a few so their comforts in and by the communion of Saints The very opening of their grievances one to another doth many times ease them as the very opening of a vein cools the blood Their mutual prayers one with and for another prevail much if they bee fervent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.26 Prov. 27.17 or thorough-well wrought as in this case they likely will be for as Iron wheâ—s Iron so doth the face of a man his friend And as ferrum potest quod anrum non potest Iron can do that sometimes that Gold cannot An Iron-key may open a chest wherein Gold is laid up so a meaner mans prayer may bee more effectual sometimes than a better mans for himself His own key may be rusty or out of order and another mans do it better Hence the Church is so importunate with the daughters of Jerusalem who were far behinde her in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as appears by that which follows to commend her and her misery to Christ to tell him where ever they meet with him Behold shee whom thou lovest is sick thy Church in whom thy love is concentrate as it were and gathered to an head doth even languish with love and is in ill case Tell him saith shee What shall yee tell him as the Hebrew hath it An earnest and passionate kinde of speech somewhat like that in Hosea Give them O Lord Hos 9.14 What wilt thou give them as if shee should say would you know what you should tell him even that which followeth that I am sick of love See chap. 2.5 Vers 9. What is thy beloved more than another beloved This capital question is here doubled for the more vehemency as also for the strangeness of the matter wherein they desire much to bee better informed and the rather because shee so straightly chargeth or rather sweareth them Something they must needs think was in it more than ordinary sith good people do not use to bee hot in a cold matter But as in the Revelation whensoever heaven opened some singular thing ensued So when the Saints bee so serious in a business sure it is of very great concernment Great matters are carried with great movings as for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart Judg 5.15 16 great impressions great searchings It is a common saying Admiratio peperit Philosophiam Wonderment at the works of God set men a work to enquire into the natural causes of them Semblably these damsells of Jerusalem friends to the Church little knowing the love of the Spouse to Christ which passed their knowledge and yet willing to comprehend with all Saints the several dimensions thereof Eph. 3.18 19 first they acknowledge her amidst all her miseries to be the fairest among women See chap. 1.8 as gold is gold though found in the dirt or cast into the furnace and stars have their glory though we see them sometimes in a puddle in the bottom of a well nay in a stinking ditch Secondly they propound to her two most profitable questions The one concerning his person Whereof wee have here a very lively and lofty description both generally and in his parts The other concerning the place of his abode and where hee may be had chap. 6.1 to the which she makes answer vers 2. and so her faith begins to revive vers 3. which was the blessed effect of this their gracious communication Conference in all arts and sciences is a course of incredible profiting Est aliquid quod ex magno viro vel tacente proficias the very sight Prov. 31.26 Prov. 20.5 nay thought of a good man oft doth good how much more when hee openeth his mouth with wisdome and in his tongue is the Law of kindness And surely it is a fine art to bee able to pierce a man that is like a vessell full of wine and to set him a running Elihu would speak that hee might bee refresht Job 32. It would bee an ease to him it would bee a great benefit to others as the mother is in pain till the childe hath suckt and the childe not at quiet till hee hath done so Foolish and unlearned questions about those things whereof wee can neither have proof nor profit wee are bound to avoid 2 Tim. 2.23 knowing that they do gender strifes and breed crudities fill men with winde and make them question-sick 1 Tim. 6.4 But profitable questions are frequently to bee propounded with a desire to learn and resolution to practice as the Virgin Mary demanded of the Angel Luk. 1.34 the Disciples of our Saviour John 16.17 19. c. and hee resolved them which hee refused to do for the Jews that asked him the same question John 7.35 36. because not with the same mind and desire So that frollick self-seeker with his fair offer of following Christ was rejected when those that had more honest aims and ends heard Come and see Mat. 8.19 20. John 1.46 These daughters of Jerusalem do not therefore ask because they were utterly ignorant of Christ but 1 That they might hear the Church what shee had to say of him as they that love Christ love to hear talk of him his very name is melâ—in ore melos in aure c. 2 That by her discourse they might better their knowledge for
gold that is upon a foundation both fine and firm for gold hardly rusteth or cankereth whence it was likely that Tithonus and his Son Memnon when they built the City of Susa in Persia they joyned the stones together with gold as Cassiodorus writeth Christs power is founded upon his divine Nature and this is the Rock upon which the Church is built and whereby it is set in safety from all miseries and molestations satanical or secular The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Christ and the Father are one Psal 89.19 therefore none shall take her out of his hands God hath laid help upon one that is mighty even upon Emanuel the mighty strong God as hee is called Isa 9.6 declared to bee the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 that your Faith and hope might bee in God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prorsus perpotuo perfecte 1 Pet. 1.21 Trust perfectly therefore to or hope to the end for the grace that is to bee brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus sith hee is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him 1 Pet. 1.13 Heb. 7.25 His countenance is as Lebanon His aspect his look or general view i. e. Whatsoever of himself Christ is pleased to manifest and lay open unto us is pleasant and delightful goodly and glorious excellent and eximious choice as the Cedars that are chosen before other trees and why see the Note on chap. 1.17 Vers 16. His mouth is most sweet Heb. His palat that is his word and promises which are as it were the breath of Christs mouth is all sweet This shee had celebrated before vers 13. but as not satisfied therewith shee repeats it and rolls it again as sugar under her tongue Shee doubles this commendation to shew that that is the chief lovely thing in Christ his Word this fruit shee had found sweet unto her palat chap. 2.3 and shee spareth not to set it forth as here the second time Mallemus carere c. Wee had rather bee without Fire Water Bread Sun Air c. saith a Dutch Divine than that one sweet sentence of our blessed Saviour Come unto mee all yee that are weary c. Yea hee is altogether lovely Totus totus desiderabilis wholly amiable every whit of him to bee desired Moses thought him so when hee preferred the reproach of Christ the worst part of him the heaviest peece of his cross before all the treasures in Egypt that Magazin of the world Heb. 11.26 Those of this world see no such excellency and desireableness in Christ and his waies Psal 22.7 nor can do till soundly shaken Hag. 2.7 I will shake all Nations and then the desire of all Nations that is Christ shall come with stirring affections saying as Isa 26.9 with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within mee will I seek thee early Loe this is the voice of every true childe of the Church and these desires of the righteous shall bee satisfied Prov. 10.24 This is my Beloved c. q.d. You may see I have cause to seek after him neither can you do better than to do likewise howsoever when you see him do my errand to him as vers 7. And here wee have most excellent Rhetorick which in the beginning of a speech requires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 milder affections in the end of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stronger passions that may leaved deepest impressions CHAP. VI. Vers 1. Whither is thy Beloved gone c ALL Christs Disciples are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inquisitive after the truth that is in Jesus Ephes 4.21 and are fellow-helpers to it John 3.8 There is also quid divinum in auscultatione as one well noteth that is a strange and strong energy or forcibleness in hearing whether publiquely or in private conference Christ and his excellencies displayed and discoursed of Let but his name as an ointment bee powred out and the Virgins can do no less than love him Cant. 1.3 These daughters of Jerusalem are by hearing the Church describing her Spouse and painting him out in lively colours fired up to an holy contention in godliness and might they but know where to have him they would bee at any pains to partake of the benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 They wondred at first why shee should make such ado about Christ But when they conversed a while with her and had heard her speak with such affection and admiration they are turned and will now go seek him with her God is pleased many times to water the holy meetings and conferences of his people with blessing beyond expectation or belief Wee should frame our selves to an easie discourse of the glory of Christs Kingdome and talk of his power Psal 145.8 9. Our tongues in this argument should bee as the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 that wee may bee able to speak oft to one another with profit and power in the best thing Mal. 3.10 Little do wee know what a deal of good may bee done hereby Mr. Fox speaking of Gods little flock in the days of Henry the 8. saith in such rarity of good books and want of teachers Act. Mon. fol. 750. this one thing I cannot but marvell and muse at to note in the registers and consider how the word of God did multiply so exceedingly amongst them For I finde that one neighbour resorting and conferring with another eftsoons with a few words of their first or second talk did win and turn their minds to that wherein they desired to perswade them touching the truth of Gods Word and Sacraments c. In all ages such as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts 13.48 after that they had heard the Word of truth they beleeved and were sealed Irridentis vex non interrogantis Contrariwise reprobates either refuse to hear the Church preaching Christ John 8.47 Of else they hear and jear as Pilat with his What 's truth in meer mockage John 18.38 hear and blaspheme Acts 13.45 or at best hear and admire and that 's all they leave the Word where they found it for any thing they will practice They think they do a great chare to sit out a Sermon and then commend it But Wisdoms children will not onely justifie her Mat. 11.19 but also glorifie her Acts 13.48 they will seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore Psal 105.4 Seek him in his holy Temple seek him in and with the Church as here They know that extra Ecclesiam nulla salus The Church is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 in as much as by her ministery the authority dignity knowledge virtue and use of the truth of the Gospel is preserved in the world and held out Philip. 2.16 as the hand holds forth the torch or the watch-tower the light and so the haven to the weather-beaten Mariners
kind of storehouse for advice in matters of Religion We account them the surest Rule of life the divine beam and most exact ballance But the Papists see well enough that whiles the authority of the Scriptures standeth Divina slatera Aug. Exactissima trutina Chrysost the traditions of their Popes cannot be established which they account the touchstone of doctrine and foundation of faith And in favour of their unwritten verities as they call them they tell us but falsly that Christ commanded his Apostles to preach but not to write Lying children and therefore not Gods children chap. 63.8 Ver. 10. Which say to the Seers See net c. strang impudency but in thus reciting their words the Prophet rather expresseth their spirit then their speeches And yet it may be that the Polititians of those times blamed the Prophets Isaiah and the rest â—â—â—â—ragmatical for interposing and medling in State-matters and pressing the Law so strictly sith in cases of necessity as now it was they must make bold to borrow a little Law of the holy one of Israel Speak unto us smooth things Heb. smoothnesses toothless truths and such as may speak you No-medlers Ver. 11. Get ye out of the way If that be the way which you so much insist upon warp a little remit of your rigour Religiosum opertet esse sed non religentem Cause the holy one of Israel to depart from us Desinat ille nos per Prophet as obtundere let 's hear no more of him molest us not with so many messages from him see Mic. 2.6 Ver. 12. Wherefore thus saith the holy one of Israel The Prophet doth on purpose repeat this title so much disrelished by them to cross them Ministers must not be men-pleasers Ver. 13. Therefore this iniquity shall be unto you q. d. your Commonwealth is tumbling down apace and ye are hastening the utter ruin of it as if ye were ambitious of your own destruction which will be as suddain so total ver 14. Ver. 14. And he shall break it as the breaking of a Potters vessel Collige ex hoc loco saith Oecolampadius Gather we may from this text that remediless ruin wil befall such as resist the Holy Ghost and sin against light Ver. 15. The Holy one of Israel A stile much in the mouths of Gods Prophets in those times But how great arrogancy is it in the Pope to take unto him the title of His Holiness In returning and rest shall ye be saved This is the same in effect with that before ver 7. Preachers must be instant stand to their work and not be baffled out of their unpleasing messages The Septuagint here have it Si conversus ingemueris tunc salvaberis Ver. 16. But ye said No we will not return or rest This is a golden rule of life In silentio spe fortitudo vestra but these refractaries would none of it they knew a better way to work then all that came to Politicians are like tumblers that have their heads on the earth and their heels against heaven Cross-gtain'd they are for most part to all good For we will flee upon horses whereof Egypt was full and for which it was famous of old and so is yet for the Mamalukes horses especially Therefore shall ye flie but in another sense sc fusi fugatique ab hoste with the enemy at your heels Ver. 17. One thousand shall flee See Deut. 32.30 with the Note Vntill ye be left at a beacon Heb a mast i. e. a very poor few or all alone shred of all you had This was fulfilled when Sennacherib wasted the Country even to the very walls of Jerusalem Paucitatem salvandorum nobis insinuat saith Oecolamp Ver. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you This it a wonderful condescension i. e. God tarrieth looking for thee to shew thee mercy Serm. of Repent as Mr. Bradford rendreth it if thou wert ripe he is ready But never think that he will lay cordials upon full and foul stomachs faith another grave Divine D. Harris that he will scarf thy bones before they be set and lap up thy sores before they be searcht God chooseth the fittest times to hear and help his suppliants Isa 49.8 with Psal 69.13 opportunitatem opitulandi expectat Be patient therefore brethren untill the coming of the Lord Jam. 5.7 Let your equanimity your longanimity be known to all men the Lord is at hand Phil. 4 5. And therefore will he be exalted He will get up to his tribunal or throne of grace that if ye repent ye may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.16 For the Lord is a God of jugdement i. e. He is a wise God that knoweth best when to deal forth his favours and where to place his benefits Blessed are all they that wait for him Wait his leasure non cerebri sui sectantur consilia and seek not to get off by indirect courses Those though they should die in a waiting condition yet cannot but be happy because God hath said here Blessed are all they that wait for him Ver 19. For the people shall dwell in Zion c. Or For thou the people of Zion that dwell in Jerusalem shalt weep no more Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur At the voice of thy cry Thou shalt pray thou shalt also hear the word of God ver 20.21 and reform thy life ver 22. so shall good be done unto thee When he shall hear it he will answer thee yea before chap. 65.24 before thy prayer can get from thy heart to thy mouth it is got as high as heaven Ver. 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity Though he hold you to hard-meat and give you but prisoners pitrance so much as will keep you alive only and that you eat your meat with the peril of your lives emendicato pane hic vivamus saith Luther in our Fathers house is bread Gods plenty Yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner Non alis se induent they shall not take wing and flie from thee The Ministry is a sweet mercy under what misery soever men do otherwise groan and labour Corporeal wants are not much to be passed on so the spiritual food be not wanting a famine of the word is the greatest Judgement Amos 8. when the Gospel was first preacht there was great scarcity of bodily food Rev. 6.6 Act. 11.28 but that was scarce felt by those holy souls who did eat their meat such as it was with gladness and singleness of heart Greenham accounting that bread and cheese with the Gospel was good chear Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers A description of holy hearers their eyes are intent on the preachers Scultet their ears arrect their whole course conformed to the rule quando lapsus tam in proclivi est ver 21. their dearest sins abandoned ver 22. Oh for such hearers
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.
7.38 39. Vet. 20. The beasts of the feild shall honour me i. e. In their kind they shall so shall brutish and savage persons Lib. 3. de Rep. Lib. 31. Mor. c. 5. when tamed and turned by the word of Gods Grace The malignities of all creatures are in man as Plato also observed in doloso enim est vulâ—es in crudeli leo in libidinoso amica luto sus c. Gregory by Dragons here understands profane and carnal people by Owls or Ostriches hypocrites These being converted shall sing Halleluja's to God but let them take heed that they turn not with the dog to their own vomit again c. 2 Pet. 2.22 For Ver. 21. This people I have formed for my self Even the Gentiles now as well as the Jews They shall shew forth my praise They shall preach forth the virtues or praises of him who hath called them out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Ver. 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob During the captivity they prayed not to any purpose as Daniel also acknowledgeth chap. 9.13 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth Nevertheless of his free Grace God brought them back again But thou hast been weary of me O Israel Accounting my service a burthen Non Mihi sed Deo fictitio and not a benefit See on Mal. 1.13 Ver. 23. Thou hast not brough me c Not Me but a God of thine own framing such a one as would take up with external heartless services formal courtings and complements Ver. 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane or calamus whereof see Plin. lib. 12. cap. 22. Neither hast thou filled me with the fat The Heathens had a gross conceit that their Gods fed on the steam that ascended from their fat sacrifices And some Jews might haply hold the same thing See Deut. 32.38 Psal 50.13 But thou hast made me to serve with thy sins With thine hypocrisy and oppressions especially Isai 1. The Seventy render it Thou hast stood before me in thy sins as outbraving me Thou hast tried my long patience in seeing and suffering thy sins to my great annoyance so Diodate paraphraseth And hast wearied me Exprimit rei-indignitatem cum iniquitate conjunctam God had not wearied them but they had wearied him sufficiently Some make these to to be the words of Christ to his ungratefull Country-men Ver. 25. I even I am he Gratuitam misericordiam diligentissime exprimit God diligently setteth forth his own free grace and greatly glorieth in it shewing how it is that He freeth himself from trouble and them from destruction viz. for his own sake alone That blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. am blotting out constantly and continually I am doing it As thou multiplyest sins so do I multiply pardons chap. 55.7 So Joh. 1.27 he taketh away the sins of the world Dulcis Metaph. One may with a pen cross a great summe as well as a little it s a perpetual act like as the Sun shineth the Spring runneth Zech. 13.1 Men gladly blot out that which they cannot look upon without grief Malunt enim semel delere quam perpetuo dolere so here we are run deep in Gods debt book but his discharge is free and full For mine own sake Gratis propter me Let us thankfully reciprocate and say as he once did Propter te Domine Propter te For thy sake Lord do I all Peccata non redeunt And will not remember thy sins Discharges in Justification are not repealed or called in again Pardon proceedeth from special love and mercy which alter not their consigned acts Ver. 26. Put me in remembrance sc of thy merits if thou hast any to plead Justitiaries are here called into Judgement because they slighted the Throne of Grace Ver. 27. Thy first Father Adam or Abraham say some And thy Teachers Heb. thine Interpreters Oratours Embassadours that is thy Priests and Prophets Ver. 28. Therefore I have profaned the Princes of the Sanctuary Or of holinesse that is those that under a pretence of Religion affected a kind of Hierarchy as did the Scribes and Pharisees who with the whole Jewish Politie were taken away by the Romans both their place and their Nation as they had feared Joh. 11.48 CHAP. XLIV Ver. 1. YEt now hear Hear a word of comfort after so terrible a Thunder-crack chap. 43.28 But there it is bare Jacob and Israel who are threatned here it is Jacob my servant and Israel whom I have chosen it is Jeshurun or the righteous Nation who are comforted And because we forget nothing so soon as the consolations of God as is to be seen in Christs Disciples and those believing Hebrews chap. 12.5 therefore doth the Prophet so oft repeat and inculcate them like as men use to rub and chafe in Ointments into the flesh that they may enter and give ease Ver. 2. Thus saith the Lord that made thee See on chap. 43.1 7 21. and observe how this Chapter runneth parallel with the former yea how the Prophet from chap. 41. to chap. 47. doth one and the same thing almost labouring to comfort his people against the Babylonian captivity and to arm them against the sin of Idolatry whereunto as of themselves they were over-prone so they should be sure to be strongly tempted amongst those Idolaters And thou Jeshurun Thou who art upright or righteous whith a twofold righteousness viz. Imputed and Imparted The Septuagint render it Dilecte or Dilictule my dearly beloved Ver. 3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty Or upon the thirsty place hearts that hunger and thirst after righteousness Matth. 5.6 See the Notes there I will pour my Spirit and my blessing When God giveth a man his holy Spirit he giveth him blessing in abundance even all good things at once as appeareth by Matth. 7.11 with Luke 11.13 Here are three special operations of the Spirit instanced 1. Comfort 2. Fruitfulness 3. Courage for Christ ver 5. Ver. 4. As willows by the water-courses Not only as the grass but by a further growth as the willows which are often lopped sed ad ipso vulnere vires sumunt Vberius resurgunt altiusque excrescunt but soon thrust forth new branches and though cut down to the bottom yet will grow up again so will the Church and her Children Ver. 5. One shall say I am the Lords When God seemeth to cry out Who is on my side who then the true Christian by a bold and wise profession of the truth answereth as here After the way that they call heresy so worship I the God of my Fathers said that great Apostle We are Christians said those Primitive Professours and some of them wrot Apologies for their Religion to the persecuting Emperours as did Justin Martyr Athenagoras Arnobius Tertullian Minutius Felix and others The late famous
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
only in the Lord saith Paul The pride of Virginity is as foul a sin as Impurity saith Austin so here Ver. 25. That I will punish all them c Promiscuously and impartially That are circumcised Some read it The circumcised in uncircumcision Unregenerate Israel notwithstanding their circumcision are to God as Ethiopians Am. 9.7 Ver. 26. That are in the utmost corners Heb. Praecisos in lateribus polled by the corner Tempora circumradunt which was the Arabian fashion saith Herodotus See chap. 49.32 For all these Nations are uncircumcised sc In heart though circumcised in the flesh as now also the Turks are CHAP. X. Ver. 1. HEar ye the Word which the Lord speaketh Exordium simplicissimum saith Junius A very plain preface calling for attention 1. From the authority of the Speaker 2. From the duty of the hearers O house of Israel The ten Tribes long since captivated and now directed what to do say some The Jews say others and in this former part of the chapter those of them that had been carried away to Babylon with Jeconiah Vide Selden de diis Syris Ver. 2. Learn not the way of the heathens Their sinful customes and irregular religions meer irreligions And be not dismayed at the signes of heaven Which the blind heathens feared and deified and none did more then the Syrians the Jews next neighbours Of the vanity of judicial Astrology see on Esa 47.13 He who feareth God needs not fear the stars for All things are yours saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.21 Muleasses King of Tunis a great star-gazer fore-seeing by them as he said the losse of his Kingdom and life together left Africa that he might shun that mischief but thereby he hastened it Anno 1544. God suffereth sometimes such fond predictions to fall out right upon men for a just punishment of their curiosity For the heathen are dismayed at them Therefore Gods people should not if it were for no other reason but that only See Mat. 6.32 Let Papists observe this Caeremoniae populotum Ver. 3. For the customes of the people are vain Their rites confirmed by custome their imagery for instance a very magnum nihil whether ye look to the Efficient Matter Form or End of those mawmets For one cutteth a tree out of the Forrest See Isa 40.2 and 44.12 17. which last place Jeremy here seemeth to have imitated Ver. 4. They deck it wâ—th silver and with gold Gild it over to make it sightly goodly gods therewhile See Esa 4.4 That it move not Vt non amittat saith Tremellius that it lose not the cost bestowed upon it Ver. 5. They are upright as the Palm-tree Which it straight tall smooth and in summo prosert fructus and beareth fruits at the very top of it Ver. 6. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee None of all these dii minutuli these dunghil deities are worthy to be named in the same day with thee Thou art great God is great Psal 77.13 Greater Job 33.12 Greatest Psal 95.3 Greatnesse it self Psal 145.3 He is a degree above the superlative Think the same of other his names and attributes many of which we have here mentioned in this and the following verses which are therefore highly to be prized and oft to be perused Leonard Lessius a little before his death finished his book concerning the fifty Names of Almighty God Ex vita Lessii often affirming that in that little book he had found more light and spiritual support under those grievous fits of the stone which he suffered then in all his voluminous Commentaries upon Aquinas his summs which he had well-nigh fitted for the Presse Ver. 7. Who would not fear thee O King of Nations Tremble at thy transcendent greatnesse thy matchlesse Majesty power and prowesse See Mal. 1.14 Rev. 15.4 Psal 103.19 with the Notes Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the Nations Who used to deifie their wise men and their Kings Ver. 8. But they are altogether brutish and foolish The wise men are for that when they knew there was but one only true God as did Pythagoras Socrates Plato Seneca c. they detained the truth in unrighteousnesse and taught the people to worship stocks and stones Rom. 1.21 22 23. The Nations are because they yeeld to be taught devotion by images under what pretext soever Considerentur hic subterfugia Papistarum Pope Gregory first taught that images in Churches were Laey-mens books A doctrine of devils Ver. 9. Silver spread into plates See Isa 40.19 Is brought from Tarshish From Tarsus or Tartessus Ezek. 27.12 from Africa saith the Chaldee Idolaters spare for no cost And gold from Vphaz The same with Phaz Job 28.17 Or with Ophir as some Aurum Obzyrum They are all the work of cunning men Quaerunt suos Phidias Praxiteles but how could those give that deity which themselves had not Ver. 10. But the Lord is the true God Heb. Jehovah is God in truth not in conceit only or counterfeit He is the living God and an everlasting King See on ver 6. At his wrath the earth shall tremble The earth that greatest of all lifeless creatures And the Nations shall not be able Lesse able to stand before him then a glasse-bottle before a Cannon-shot Ver. 11. Thus shall ye say unto them Confession with the mouth is necessary to Salvation This verse written therefore in the Syriack tongue which was spoken at Babylon is a formulary given to Gods people to be made use of by them in detestation of the Idolatries of that City The Gods that made not the heaven and the earth The vanity of Idols and heathenish-gods is set forth 1. By their impotency 2. Frailty Quid ad haec respondebunt Papistae aut qualem contradictoriae reconciliationem afferent Ver. 12. He hath made the earth by his power Here we have the true Philosophy and right original of things Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas Almighty God made the earth the main bulk and body of it Gen. 1.1 He alone is the powerful Creatour the provident disposer the prudent preserver of all things both in heaven and in earth therefore the only true God Ver. 13. When he uttereth his voyce Again when he thundereth Ps 29.3 it raineth a main lighteneth in the midst of the rain which is a great miracle and bloweth for life as we say no man knowing whence or whither Joh. 3.8 All which wondrous works of God may well serve for a Theological Alphabet and cannot be attributed to any god but our God And he causeth the vapours to ascend See Psal 135.7 with the Notes Ver. 14. Every man is brutish in his knowledge Or Every man is become more brutish then to know That was therefore an hyperbolical praise given by Philostratus to Apollonius Non doctus sed natus sapiens that he was not taught but born a wise man See Job 11.12 Rom. 1.22 with the Notes Every man is become
performe it but so as that thou Jeremy and such as thou art Daniel Ezekiel Nehemiah c. pray over the promise The Angel told Daniel he came for his prayer-sake chap. 10.12 And shew thee great and mighty things Or abstruse and reserved things Gods praying people get to know much of his mind above others like as John by weeping gat the book opened and Daniel by prayer had the Kings secret revealed unto him in a night vision Dan. 2.18 19. Bene orasse est bene studuisse said Luther who as he had much communion with God by prayer so holy truths were dayly more and more made known unto him he knew not how nor which way as himself said Ver. 4. Which are thrown down by the mounts Or Catapults or engines of demolition used to batter with See chap. 32.24 And by the sword Or mattocks sc after that the enemy had entred the City and cryed as Psal 137.3 Destruite ex imis subvertite fundamentis Down with it down with it even to the ground Ver. 5. They come to fight with the Chaldeans But they fight not in Gods Name for he hath for all their wickednesse hid his face from them therefore they fight with such sorry successe the houses which they would defend are filled with their dead carcasses This whole verse would be hemmed in with a Parenthesis Ver. 6. Behold I will bring it health and cure Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque feret This is Gods usual method and manner of dealing with his people Hos 6.1 as a skilful Physician primo pungit deinde ungit Enecat ut possit vivificare Deus Revelabo 1. vt ipsa exhibebo And I will reveals unto them abundance of peace and truth Why then feri Domine feri such gold as peace and truth cannot be bought too dear The Chaldee here hath it Revelabo eis portam poenitentiae I will reveal unto them the gate of repentance and shew them how they may walk in the way of peace and truth Ver. 7. And I will cause the captivity of Judah As chap. 24.5 and 30.3 and 32.44 they shall be as if I had not cast them off and I will hear them Zach. 10.6 Ver. 8. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity Which must therefore needs be a filthy and loathsom thing else what need cleansing Christ for this cause came by water and blood And I will pardon all their iniquities This clause expoundeth the former and containeth the mother-mercy Ver. 9. And it shall be to me a name of joy i. e. An honour that I shall take singular delight in Iâ— nomen latum 1 laetificum And they shall fear and tremble for all the goodnesse Which bodes no good to them for the Churches welfare is ever joyned with the downfal and destruction of her enemies Ver. 10. Again there shall be heard in this place God loveth to help his people when they are forsaken of their hopes Ver. 11. The voyce of joy See chap. 7.34 and 16.9 The voyce of them that shall say Praise the Lord of hosts for he is good This carmen intercalare the Jews sang joyfully at their return from Babylon Ezra 3.11 and the Saints shall have cause to sing throughout all eternity And of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise Even the calves of their lips giving thanks to his name Heb. 13.15 together with other Evangelical sacrifices as contrition Psal 51.17 Confidence Psal 4.5 Almesdeeds Heb. 13.16 the obedience of faith Rom. 15.16 selfdenial Rom. 12.1 c. The Talmudists say that the sacrifice of praise here mentioned shall continue when all other sacrifices are abolished and this we see verified in the Christian Church Ver. 12. In all the Cities thereof shall be an habitation of Shepherds i. e. Several sorts of buildings yea even sheep-cotes and lodges for Shepherds and their flocks All these promises are Antitheta opposite to those menaces chap. 7.34 and 16.9 and 25.10 See chap. 31.24 Ver. 13. Shall the flocks passe again under the hand of him that telleth them As shepherds use oft to tell their sheep Christ the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls knoweth all his sheep and calleth them by name he hath them ever in numerato for he numbreth the stars also See Joh. 10.3 11 12. Ver. 14 I will perform that good thing Praestabo verbum istud optimum as Tremellius well rendereth it I will perform that best word or promise viz. concerning Christ in whom all the former and future promises are Yea and Amen to the glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 Haec dicendâ— bono sunt bona verba die Ver. 15. I will cause the Branch of righteousnesse See the same chap. 23.5 This sweet promise concerning Christ can never be too often repeated The Greek and German versions have that clause here also as there And a King shall reign and prosper or understand Ver. 16. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord is our righteousnesse Heb. this is that he shall call her Jehovah our Righteousnesse Called the Church shall be by Christs own name which is a very high honour as being his Spouse and making up one mystical body with him Hence she is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all Eph. 1. ult See chap. 23.6 with Ezek. 48.35 Ver. 17. David shall never want a man The Man Christ Jesus Luke 1.32.33 Ver. 18. Neither shall the Priest want a man The same Man Christ Jesus who is as a King everlasting so a Priest for ever after the order of Milchisedech and his sacrificing of himself once is more then equivalent to the daily perpetual sacrificing Whereunto may be added the continuance of an Evangelical Ministry in the Church to the worlds end Mat. 28.20 Eph. 4.11 12 13. Ver. 19. And the Word of the Lord c. Iterum de perpetuitate regni Christi tractat jurat saith Oecolampad Once more he treateth of the perpetuity of Christs kingdom and assureth it as by oath Ver. 20. If ye can break my Covenant of the day God hath hitherto kept promise with nights and dayes that one shall succeed the other and will he not then keep touch with his people Ver. 21. Then may also my Covenant See ver 17.18 The Poet hath somewhat like this Jungantur ansè saeva sideribus freta Et ignis undae tartaro tristi polus Lux alma tenebris râ—scidae nocti dies c. Sen. in Octavia Ver. 22. As the host of heaven See Gen. 13.16 15.5 So will I multiply the seed of David True believers And the Levites godly Ministers See Psal 68.11 Ver. 23. Moreover Or Again Idem repetit the same thing is repeated that it may be the better believed Ver. 24. Consider thou not what this people have spoken This unbelieving misgiving desponding people of mine The two families Judah Israel habentur pro peripsemate Ver. 25. If my Covenant
rather choose to dye said Calvin then comply with those that refuse to submit to Church discipline Quasi boves oestro agitati Theodoret. Monitoribus asperi Hor. Semper in ictu est Plin. l. 8. c. 29. Ferit obliquo ictu inflexu Though bryars or rebels and thorns be with thee Refractarii spinei such as thou canst not handle without hurt deal with without danger 2 Sam. 23.6 Psal 55.21 58.10 Mic. 7.4 catching they are and scratching as sharp-pointed thorns Num. 32.55 And thou dost dwell among scorpions Which are most venemous and perilous creatures joyned with fiery serpents Deut. 8.15 Pliny saith that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting to do mischief It is also a crafty creature occultis machinationibus ferit The Churches enemies are cruel-crafties Neh. 4.11 Be not afraid of their words Their bubbles of words Nor be dismaid at their looks Their swellings and brow-beatings Though they be a rebellious house A race of rebels Ver. 7. And thou shalt speak my words Gods Word must be spoken however it be taken Whither they will hear See ver 5. Christ once at least preached away the most of his hearers Joh. 6.66 Beza so delivered himself with that evidence and efficacy of truth in Colloquio Possiaceno that Cardinal Lorrain wished that either he had been dumb or that his hearers had been deaf Too many of ours are so c. For they are most rebellious Heb. rebellion in the abstract as if they had been transfomed into sins nature Ver. 8. Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house It is no hard matter to symbolize with sinners See Isa 6.5 with the Note to dwell among them is dangerous for sin is catching and oft Epidemical Precious therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the Apostles counsel Rom. 12.2 Lawyers tell us that we must not look so much what men do at Rome as what they ought to do Eat that I give thee i. e. The roul ver 9. that is whatsoever I shall henceforth dictate unto thee do thou get it by heart disgest it propound it to the people work it first upon thine own and then upon the affections of thine hearers See Rev. 4. and observe how alike the Lord dealt with Ezekiel and John the Divine Ver. 9. Behold a hand was sent A hand from heaven A hand is index rei instrumentum operationis Palmoni hammidabber Dan. 10. And loe a roul of a book The Jews folded or rouled up their books upon a cedar stick to preserve them from dust and other dangers See on Isa 8.1 Ver. 10. And he spred it before me Till Christ unfold heavenly mysteries men understand them not Rev. 5.5 Matth. 11.27 1 Joh. 1.18 15.15 He is the excellent Interpreter And it was written within and without To shew abundance of miseries coming on the Jews and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gemitus sicut coâ—â—mbae Isa 38.14 Lamentation and mourning and wo Foretold all along this volume till Chapter 40. sad songs doleful ditties CHAP. III. Ver. 1. SOn of man eat that thou findest Eat this roul or volume without tergiversation or so much as sciscitation yeild simple obedience to the heavenly vision It was in vision doubtlesse that the Prophet did eat the roul Act. Mon. and not in very deed as the foolish Patient did the Physicians Recipe or as Mr. Lewis of Manchester made the Bishops Summoner eat the citation which he brough for his wife a Martyr in Queen Maries dayes by setting a dagger to his heart and to drink to it when he had done It was non reipsa sed spiritu saith an Interpreter See ver 10. Eat this roul and go speak unto the house of Israel First learn and then teach others that thou maist utter my mind readily dexterously and affectionately speaking à corde ad cor and digging thy discourses out of thine own bosom as it is said of Origen and after him of Petrus Comestor who merited that title Ex intimo cordis affectu because by his often allegations of the holy Scripture he seemed to have eaten it up and disgested it Ver. 2. So I opened my mouth Without delayes or consults Alsted Chronol 347. I obeyed Christ's command hausi quodammodo donum prophetiae and yielded to become a Prophet This was well but not long after Ezekiel through infirmity of the flesh would have declined the office and therefore sought to lurk among his countrymen-at Thelabib ver 15. till Christ called him out again and new-employed him v. 16. And he caused me to eat that roul See on ver 1. Ver. 3. Cause thy belly to eat and fill thy bowels i. e. Deeply and duely ponder and practise those holy truths thou hast to presse upon others preach thine own experiences c. See 1 Tim. 4.15 And it was in my mouth as hony for sweetnesse So was Gods Law to good David Psal 119.29.103 to Austin Scripturae tuae sunt deliciae meae saith he Thy Scriptures are my delight to Alphonsus King of Arragon who professed he had rather lose his Kingdoms then be without the knowledge of Gods blessed book which he had read over above a dozen times together with such Commentaries thereupon as those times afforded See Rev. 10.10 Ver. 4. Go get thee unto the house of Israel This was a hard task Vbi mel ibi fel. all things considered but hard or not hard there was a necessity of going on Gods errand Necesse est ut eat non ut vivat as he once said And speak with my words unto them But see they be mine and then I 'l bear thee out then also they will the sooner take impression Speak as the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 Ver. 5. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language Heb. deep of lip and heavy of tongue as Jonas was so sent Qui strident sermone quast è profundo gutture barbarum loquuntur and those that now preach to the Natives in New-England in their own language not without some good successe But to the house of Israel Amongst whom thou must use vulgari vernaculo sermone who also are well seen in the Scriptures they are indeed Gods Library-keepers which is no small priviledge Rom. 3.2 and therefore the better to be dealt with Ver. 6. Surely had I sent unto them they would have hearkened Or If I had sent thee to them would they not have hearkened unto thee It may seem by the Ninivites that they would for they repented at the preaching of Jonas Matth. 12.41 at one single Sermon made by a meer stranger who sang so doleful a ditty to them that their City should be shortly destroyed c. Vatabus rendreth this text Dispeream nisi te audissent si ad eos te misissem And couldest thou but skill of forraign languages thou couldest not easily be without
Doeg may set his foot as far within the Sanctuary as a David And sat before me Demurely and to see to devoutly But why could they not stand to hear the Word of God for reverence sake Balac did so Num. 23.18 though a King And Eglon though unweildy Judg. 3.20 and a better man then they both Constantine the Great as Eusebius recordeth and further telleth us that being pressed after long time of hearing to sit down De vâ—ta conâ— with a stern countenance he answered It were a great sin in me not to hear with utmost attention when God is speaking Ver. 2. And the word of the Lord came Lest the Prophet seeing these seniors coming thus unto him should favour them too far God uncaseth them as he doth mostly such grosse hypocrites in this present life Jerobâ—am and his wife Ananias and Sapphirah Simon Magus and others for instance How else indeed should the name of such wicked wretches rot as they must Prov. 10. Ver. 3. These men have set their Idols in their hearts Though they would seem to abhor idols yet the devil is at inne with them and their hearts are no beter then so many Idol-temples as thou wouldest easily perceive hadst thou but my fiery eyes and couldest see their insides as I do Piscat Sustulerunt stercoreos deos suos super cor suum they have laid their dungy-deities upon their very hearts a place where I only should be by right for it is the bridal-bed And put the stumbling-block of their iniquity i. e. They are impudent sinners as the Scholiast interprets it and resolved of their course whatever comes of it Hoc significat crassum Dei contemptum quali professam rebellionem Should I be enquired of at all by them q. d. No never I scorn the motion I abhor such ludibrious devotion as this is Away with it Piscator rendereth the words An ergò seriò interrogor ab eis Thinkest thou that I am seriously sought unto by these q. d. Nothing lesse Ver. 4. I the Lord will answer him Or as I am the Lord oath-wise I will answer him but with bitter answers According to the multitude of his idols i. e. As by his abominations he hath well deserved or concerning the multitude of his idols that 's a sin he shall be sure to hear of and to suffer for Ver. 5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart Vt deprehendam or as others ut reprehendam that I may convince their consciences of their impieties and sting them to the heart with unquestionable conviction and horrour Because they are all estranged from me And fallen in with the devil who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as saith Synesitu a great promoter of idolatry Idola sunt prima saliva Oecolamp initium deficiendi à Deo Idolatry paveth the way to utter Apostacy Ver. 6. Repent and turn your selves Or turn others for true converts will be converting their brethren They like not to go to heaven alone And turn away your faces Alii dicunt uxores vestras saith Lavater here your wives which are according to your hearts like as in water face answereth to face Wean them from their idols and win them over to the true God Ver. 7. For every one of the house of Israel The same over again and yet no vain repetition duris enim illis capitibus res non potuit satis inculcari to these dizzards nothing could be said too much Or of the stranger But proselyted to the Jewish religion as Jethro who was the first of that kind that we read of Which separateth himself from me As an harlot doth from her husband See Hos 4.14 9.10 I the Lord will answer him by my self Non verbis sed verberibus not with words but with blows Or according to my most holy Truth and Justice Or by my self sc do I swear that I will do it See ver 4. Ver. 8. And I will set my face against that man I will look him to death Or Vultuosè torveque illum intuear laying aside all other businesse I will see to it that he be soundly paid And will make him a sign and a proverb That when men would expresse a great punishent upon any Ier. 29.22 Tantalus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut vult Plato they shall resemble it to his as the Jews did to Ahab's and Zedekiah's that naughty couple and the Heathens to that of Tantalus and Tityus And I will cut him off from the midst of my people This is yet a further and a more formidable menace this is far worse then to be a by-word to the people Ver. 9. I the Lord have deceived that Prophet I had not only a permissive but an active hand in that imposture not as a sin but as a punishment of other sins See 1 Kings 22.20 Job 12.16 Jer. 4.10 2 Thes 2.11 And I will stretch out mine hand upon him i. e. Upon that false-prophet who although he hath thus acted not without my providence yet hath sinned against my Law which is the rule men must walk by or else suffer for their transgression Aut faciendum aut patiendum Now God hath long hands as we use to say of Princes neither may any think to live out of the reach of his rod. Ver. 10. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity Neither shall excuse other but as they have sinned together so shall they suffer together quia volentes scientes errabant they wilfully went astray Quandoquidem hic populus vult decipi decipiatur they shall infallibly perish An evil Pilot may easily drown himself and all that are with him on the same bottom Ver. 11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray Thus when Gods Judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Isa 26.9 Those elect that were bad will become good and they that were good will be made better Paena ad paucos metus ad omnes Ver. 12. The Word of the Lord came again to me The utter destruction of this perverse people is once again denounced and declared to be inevitable Ver. 13. Son of man See on chap. 2.1 When the land sinneth against me i. e. The Inhabitants of the land not as if the land it self were alive and endued with reason as Origen doated and as Plato held that the Spirit of God was the soul of the world Hom. 4. in loc By trespassing grievously Praevaricando perfidè by doing evil as men could Then will I stretch out my hand See ver 9. And will break the staff See chap. 4.16 5.26 And I will send famine Extream famine a heavy Judgement as hath elsewhere been shewed out of sacred and profane history Ver. 14. Though these three men See on Jer. 15.1 Noah Daniel and Job What could not these three so mighty with God have done if the matter had been feâ—sible Daniel was now
ancient high-places Or the everlasting Altitudes Judaea lay high the Church is much higher Are ours in possession Thus the Edomites triumphed before the victory So did the Spaniards in 88 and God heard them as chap. 35.13 for he is All-ear All-eye c. He is jealous for his people Zach. 1.14 and jealousy is quick-sighted quick-conceited Ver. 3. Because they have Heb. Because and Because importing earnestnesse and heat of indignation So Levit. 26.43 And ye are taken up in the lips of talkers Heb. Ye are made to ascend upon the lip of the tongue and upon the evil fame of the people God takes it extream ill that his people should be traduced and diffamed which yet hath been their lot in all ages but he will not fail to vindicate them and to avenge them Ver. 4. Therefore thus saith the Lord God to the mountains For men there were hardly any left or not very fit to be dealt with See ver 1. Which became a prey To those man-eaters ver 3. qui diruerunt devoraverunt who did eat up Gods people as they eat bread Psal 14.4 making themselves merry with their misery Ver. 5. Surely in the fire of my jealousy Jealousy is hot as hell Cant. 8 6. it is implacable Prov. 6.34 35. and very vindictive See Zech. 1.14 with the Notes Here God swears he will be even with these Edomites Which have appointed my land This the Lord hath never done with so ill he took it Ver. 6. Say unto the mountains and to the hills To those lifelesse creatures he directeth his speech to shew that every creature groaneth and waiteth for the redemption of our bodies It fareth the better also in this life present for the Elects sake as it was once cursed for mans sin and hath lain bed-ridden as it were ever since Because ye have born the shame of the Heathen This the Lord could not bear with any patience Ver. 7. I have liftd up mine hand Sworn solemnly Men when they sweare do so as taking God to witnesse Three fingers they do oft lift up and hold down two to signify saith Lavater that God who is Three in One hath prepared a place in heaven for such as swear rightly but will thrust down to hell those that forswear themselves They shall bear their shame They shall be paid home in their own coyn be overshot in their own bow be covered with their own confusion Ver. 8. Ye shall shoot forth your branches Re-flourish and fructify the Christian Churches those spiritual mountains shall especially Rev. 22.2 For they are as hand to come To come home out of Captivity or to return to God by repentance The fall of Antichrist cannot be far off Ver. 9. For behold I am for you Or I come to you and I come with a Cornucopia in mine hand Ver. 10. All the house of Israel even all of it The Israel of God in the Kingdom of the Messiah totum totum quantum quantum not one of them shall be missing Ver. 11. And will do better unto you This must necessarily be understood of spiritual blessings by Christ for temporals they never had the like to those in the dayes of Joshua David Solomon Hezekiah c. Ver. 12. Thou shalt be their inheritance Yea a type and pledge of that heavenly inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 Rev. 21. 22. And thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them Provoke God to bereave them Terra abortiens populos Ver. 13. Thou land devourest up men sc By pestilence famine sword evil beasts thou art an unlucky land an unblest country Girald Cambrens feral and fatal to thine inhabitants Hesiod saith the like of his country Ascrâ— and Another of St. David's in Wales that it is a place neither pleasant fertile nor safe Strabo saith the like of Judaea but with a despightful mind as ver 5. Those malevolent Spyes said no less Numb 13. Ver. 14. Neither bereave thy nations any more Either by consuming them or spewing them out as Levit. 18.28 20.22 26.20 22. See what is said of heaven Rev. 22.3 4 5. Ver. 15. Neither will I cause men to hear I will cut off all occasions and remove all such stumbling-blocks as whereat the nations dash and split themselves Ver. 16. Moreover the word See chap. 18.1 Ver. 17. When the house of Israel Vbique Scriptura vindicat gloriam Dei maxime autem hoc loco Oecol This place of Scripture doth singularly set forth the glory of Gods grace whilst it sheweth that mans destruction is wholly of himself his help only of God As the uncleannesse As a menstruous clout abhorred by all Ver. 18. For the blood which they had shed These two grosse sins are instanced viz. murther and idolatry lest they should plead as Jer. 2.35 I have not sinned or as Hos 12.8 In all my works they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin Ver. 19. And I scattered them among the Heathen Whose idols they had worshipped and whose manners they had imitated Ver. 20. These are the people of the Lord And these are the fruits of their religion Are these the holy people c. Lactantius complaineth of his times Lactant. de opific. Dei. prâ—aem Erasm in Lactant. that Gods Truth was evil spoken of by the Heathen because Christians lived loosly and leudly Whereupon Erasmus cryeth out O rem miseram Oh lamentable Even in those purer times the piety of Christians was so much abated that the Gospel was therefore evil spoken of for the evil lives of many that professed it What marvel then saith he that Turkes cry out upon us that the banks of blasphemy are broken down in persons disaffected to the power of godliness Ver. 21. But I had pitty for my holy name So he hath still or else it would be wide enough with us Some render it I spared or tendered mine holy name and to free it from those imputations I freely forgave my people and reestablished them Ver. 22. I do not this for your sakes To do good without respect of desert is royal yea it is divine But for mine own holy names sake God maketh our utter unworthiness a foile to set forth the freenesse of his love in makiâ—g us worthy whom he found not so Ver. 23. And I will sanctifie my great Name I will recover my reputation among the heathen by declaring my justice in your punishment and my mercy in your restauration God as he is moved by his own grace to do his people good so he aimeth therein at his own glory Ver. 24. For I will take you c. I will effectually call you out of darkness into my marvellous light and cull you out from this wicked world And this is the first thing that God here promiseth to his Covenanters More then this he promiseth them in the following verses Justification Sanctification and Preservation or Provision of temporal blessings that nothing may be wanting to them that may make them
being so advanced in that Court And gave him many great gifts This Porphyry that Atheist snarleth at viz that Daniel received these rewards and honours But why might he not sith the gifts he could bestow upon the poor Captives his fellow-brethren and the honours he could also improve to their benefit himself did neither ambitiously seek them nor was vainly puffed up by them A noble pair of like English spirits we have lately had amongst us D. Vssier and D. Preston Contemporaries and intimate friends to one another The former when he was consecrated Bishop of Meath in Ireland D. Bern. in his life had this Anagram of his name given him James Meath I am the same The latter when he might have chosen his own mitre but denied all preferment that courted his acceptance had this Anagram made of him Johannes Prestonius En stas pius in honore Mr. Fuller Church-hist fol. 119. Ver. 49. Then Daniel requested of the King Acquainting him likely that by their prayes also in part the secret had been brought to knowledge ver 18 19. But Daniel sat in the gate of the King As chief Admissional so the Civilians call it without whose leave and license none might come into the Kings presence Himself mean-while had an excellent opportunity of treating with the King upon all occasions of such things as concerned the Churches good and this priviledge no question but he improved to the utmost CHAP. III. Ver. 1. NEbuchadnezzar the King made animage of gold Having taken Tyre which was that great service spoken of Ezek. 29.18 subdued Egypt which was his pay for his pains at Tyre and overthrown Niniveh as Nabum had foretold he was so puffed up with his great successe that he set up this monstrous statue of himself to be adored by all on pain of death That it was his own image which he here erected for such a purpose as did also afterwards C. Caligula the Roman Emperour it is gathered 1. Because he did not worship it himself 2. Because ver 12. it is distinguished from his Gods 3. Because this was long since foretold of him Isa 14.14 that Lucifer-like he should take upon him as a god which because he did he was worthily turned a grazing amongst beasts chap. 4. Mean-while take notice here of the inconstant and mutable disposition of thâ—s proud Prince as to matter of Religion Velâ—x oblivio est veritatis saith Hierom the truth is soon forgotten Nebuchadnezzr who so lately had worshipped a servant of God as a god and not being suffered to do so declared for the one only true God and advanced his servants to places of greatest preferment is now setting up idolatry in despite of God and cruelly casting into the fire those whom he had so exalted because they dissented Daniel its likely withstood this ungodly enterprize so far as he might and left the rest to God Whose height was threscore cubits The ordinary cubit is a foot and half but the Babylonian cubit saith Herodotus was three fingers greater then the common cubit Plin. l. 34 c. 7. so that this image might be Sixty seven ordinary cubits high The Rhodian Colosse was yet bigger then this for it was Fourscore cubits high made of brasse in the form of a man standing with his two legs striding over an haven under which Ships with their sails and masts might passe The little finger of it was as big as an ordinary man being the work of twelve years made by Chares of Lindum Theop. Pâ—zel Mell. hist and worthily reckoned for one of the worlds seven wonders It was afterwards sold to a Jew who loaded 900 Camels with the brasse of it for it had been thrown down by an earthquake This image of Nebuchadnezzar was thus great to affect the people with wonderment so they wondered after the beast Rev. 13.3 and thus glorious guilded at least if not of solid gold to perstringe their senses and with exquisite Musick to draw their affections The Papacy is in like sort an alluring tempting bewitching religion Hierom compareth heresy to this golden image Irenaeus worldly felicity which the devil enticeth men to admire and adore He set it up in the plain of Dura In a pleasant plain mentioned also by Ptolomy the Geographer quò statua commendatior habeatur Lib. 6. Geog. that it might be the more regarded Ver. 2. Then Nebuchadnezzar the King sent to gather together the Princes Satrapas not so called quia sat rapiant as Lyra doateth for it is a Persian word signifying such as were near the Kings person Superstition first looks to wind in great Ones Ezr. 8.11 the vulgar are carried away to dumb idols like as they are led 1 Cor. 12.2 They are sheepish and will follow a leader as well into a penfold as a pasture they also feed most greedily on the grasse that will rot them Ver. 3. Then the Princes the Governours These envying the new favourites and fearing that the King by his late confession chap. 2.47 had too good an opinion of the Jewes Religion came readily to this dedication and probably had contrived it for a mischief to those three Worthies as those chap. 6. did to Daniel Ver. 4. To you it is commanded Chald. they command i. e. The King and his Council as Esth 1.13 15. But what said the Heathen Eurlp in Phoeniss Obediemus Atridis honesta mandantibus we will obey Rulers if they command things honest but not else The Bishop of Norwich asked Roger Coo Martyr in Queen Maries days whether he would not obey the Queens laws He answered as far as they agree with the Word of God I will obey them The Bishop replyed whether they agree with the Word of God or not we are bound to obey them if the Queen were an Infidel Act. Mon. fol. 1550. Coo answered If Shadrach Meshac and Abednego had done so Nebuchadnezzar had not confessed the living God Ver. 5. That at what time ye hear See on ver 1. The allurements of pleasure are shrewd enticements to idolatry 2 Pet. 2.18 Sr. Walter Rawleigh said Were I to chuse a religion to gratify the flesh I would chose Popery The Catholikes in their Supplication to King James for a Toleration plead that their religion is inter caetera so confortable to natural sense and reason that it ought to be imbraced A proper argument I have read of a Lady in Paris that when she saw the bravery of a Procession to a Saint she cryed out Oh how fine is our religion beyond that of the Hugenots That at what time ye heare the sound So in the Papacy when the Ave-Mary-bell rings which is at Sun-rising at noon and at Sun-setting all men in what place soever house field street or market Spec. Europ do presently kneel down and send up their united devotions by an Ave-Maria Ye fall down and worship This is all is required de certa confessionis forma imperata ne gry Ver. 6. And
2. and this Angel is accordingly strengthened by Michael ver 21. that is by Christ Which set me upon my knees In a praying posture but yet he continued trembling ver 11. and was not raised and restored but by certain degrees the better to frame and fit him to a religious attention and docility Ver. 11. O Daniel a man greatly beloved Such shall know Gods secrets Prov. 3.32 See chap. 9 23. Stand upright Heb. stand upon thy standing God by his Grace and Word will raise up those that humble themselves in his presence Dejicit ut relevet Ver. 12. Fear not Daniel Disquieting and expectorating sears should be laid aside 1 Joh. 4.18 For from the first day See on chap. 9.23 Let us but find a praying heart and God wâ—ll presently find a pittying heart though he may delay for a season to send in an answer Though Danel heard nothing of his prayers for three-weeks space yet was the Angel at work all that while for the removal of impediments Daniel in the mean-while wrought hard with God as it is elsewhere said of Jonathan 1 Sam. 14.45 And I am come for thy Word Brought hither by thy prayers God will come but he will have his peoples prayers lead him into the field as it were Ver. 13. But the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me By this Prince of Persia some understand wicked Cambyses Melancthon Osiander Pappus Others an evil Angel that by his suggestions swayed Cambyses to oppose and retard the reedifying of the Temple There is a principal devil Prince of this world and there are as some hold Princes or Principal spirits in Countries and Nations under him Eph. 6.12 But loe Michael one of the chief Princes i. e. Christ the Lord of Angels head of the Church chap. 12.1 Rev. 12.7 By these chief Princes may be understood the three Persons in Trinity or the created Angels The Septuagint translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chearful ones who serve the Lord readily freely and joyfully in his wars making Sion as dreadful to all her enemies Psal 68.17 as those Angels once made Sinai at the delivery of the Law And I remained there with the Kings of Persia With Canmbyses and his Councellors to represse their rage and to blast their designs against the Church which when it is opposed the holy Angels interpose Psal 34.7 Ver. 14. Now I am come As it were with wearinesse of flight as chap. 9.21 See there Comfort will come at length Heb. 10.37 In the latter dayes Toward the end of their politie and not long before the coming of the Messiah who shall begin another age and as it were a new world Ezek. 38.8 Heb. 2.3 Ver. 15. I set my face toward the ground and I became dumb Cohorrui totus vox faucibus haesit See how deeply Gods darlings are eftsoones affected at the hearing of his holy Word Hâ—bâ—k 3.16 Ver. 16. And behold one like the similitude i. e. The Angel in humane shape as ver 10. Touched my lips Restored unto me my speech Good affections wanting expression shall have Gods furtherance And said unto him that stood before me i. e. To Christ whom he had seen ver 5 6. My sorrows are turned upon me Heb. my bowels which are even strained and straitened And I have retained no strength It is ordinary with Gods people in their prayers to complain much of their own weaknesse Jer. 31.18 Ver. 17. For how can the servant of thâ—s my Lord Qui tantulus sum tam imbecâ—llis Gods praying servants use to speak as broken men They well understand 1. Their Distance 2. Dependance Talk with this my Lord Prayer is a holy interparlance with the divine Majesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.1 Neâ—ther is there breath in me I am hardly able to bear up or breathe Humane frailty cannot endure Gods presence without fainting Rev. 1.17 Ver 18. Then there came again and touched me Not all at once but by four degrees was Daniel raised 1. He is set upon his knees and palms of his hands ver 10. an Emblem or Prayer 2. He is caused to stand upon his feet though trembling and silent ver 11.15 3. His mouth is opened to speak though not without much weaknesse fears and sorrows ver 17. 4. He is fully strengthned here Park God loves to hold his praying people long in request He is also a God of Judgement Isa 30.18 one that well understandeth when and how to bestow his favours Blessed are all they that waâ—t for him Ver. 19. Be strong yea be strong Holy Angels are ready to strengthen such as are ready to faint in holy duties Ver. 20. Knowest thou wherefore I came unto thee q.d. I told thee that before ver 14. and I look thou shouldest remember it I will return to fight with the Prince of Persia To defeat and prevent his tyranny and cruel intents against thy people see ver 13. not without the devils hand and help And when I am gone forth sc Out of Persia Loe the Prince of Graecia Great Alexander whom I will fetch in so that the Persians shall have henceforth little leisure or mind to meddle with the Jews There were other Grecian Captains also before Alexander who found the Persians somewhat to do as Leonides Miltiades Themistocles but he overturned their Monarchy Ver. 21. In the Scripture of truth i e. Ex usu sorensi In Gods infallible and unchangable decree which for our apprehension are here compared to court rolles and Records And Gods Providence which is nothing else but the carrying on of his decree is that Helm which turneth about the whole ship of the Universe And there is none but Michael your Prince But how many reckon we him at as that King once said of himself to his fearful soldiers He alone is a whole army of men Van and Rear both Isa 52.12 CHAP. XI Ver. 1. ALso I i. e. I Gabriel the Angel glad of such an office for the good of Gods people whereunto also I was sent by Christ ch 10 9 10. In the first year of Darius the Mede Who now began to think of sending home the captive Jews but had some hesitations and fluctuations of mind about it I stood to confirm and to strengthen him Angels cannot inlighten the mind or powerfully incline the will of man for so the Holy Ghost only doth but as instruments of the Holy Ghost they can stir up phantasms of the Word read or heard they can also propose truth and right to the mind advise and perswade to it as Counsellors and inwardly instigate as it were by speaking and doing after a spiritual manner suggesting good thoughts as devils do evil Yea they can strangely wind themselves into mens imaginations so as to appear to them in their dreams Matth. 1. Ver. 2. And now I will shew thee the truth The plain naked truth in proper and downright terms dealing with thee more like an
such an affliction Rebecca was weary of her life by reason of the daughters of Heth brought in to her by Esau Gen. 27.45 If they lye lusking at home mothers have the misery of it if they do worse abroad the worst is made of it to the mother at home by fame that loud lyer Vers 2. Treasures of wickedness Our Saviour calls it Mammon of iniquity Luke 16. â— that next odious name to the Devil Most mens care is how to grasp and get wealth for their children rem rem quocunque modo rem Virtus post nummos c. But what saith a grave Author Mr. Bolton Better leave thy childe a Wallet to beg from door to door than a cursed heard of evil-gotten goods There is for most part lucrum in arca damnum in conscientia gain in the purse August but loss in the conscience But righteousness delivereth from death Piety though poor delivereth from the second death and from the first too as to the evil of it For as Christ took away the guilt of sin not sin it self so hee hath taken away not death but the sting of death from all beleevers making it to such of a curse a blessing of a punishment a benefit of a Trap-door to hell a Portal to heaven a Postern to let out temporal life but a Street-door to let in eternal life Vers 3. The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous That refuseth to inrich himself by evil arts and to rise by wicked principles For it might bee objected If I strain not my conscience I may starve for it Ob. Sol. Fear not that saith the Wise-man Faith fears not famine Necessaries thou shalt bee sure of Psal 37.25 26. Psal 34.11 Superfluities thou art not to stand upon 1 Tim. 6.8 The Hebrews by righteousness in the former verse understand Almsdeeds as Dan. 4.24 27. See the Note on Matth. 7.1 and so the sense here may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The righteous though hee give much to the poor shall â—â—e never the poorer sith not getting but giving is the way to thrive See my Common-place of Alms. But hee casteth away the substance of the wicked For either they lose it or live beside it and are little the better for it Hee that gotteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the middest of his dayes and in his end bee a fool God will make a poor fool of him quickly Quo mihi divitias queis non conceditur â—ti Jer. 17.11 And the like may bee said of the illiberal and tenacious person See the Note on Chap. 3.27 Niggards fear to lose their wealth by giving but fear not to lose their wealth and souls and all by keeping it Ob. Sol. Vers 4. Hee becometh poor Lest any should say If God do all wee need do the less Doing you must bee saith the Wise-man or else the beggar will catch you by the back Labour also you must with your hands working the thing that is good that yee may have to give to him that needeth Ephes 4.28 But the hand of the diligent Or of the nimble that do motitare saith Kimchi are active and agile that will lose nothing for looking after but take care of smallest matters that all go right being frugal and parcimonious of time husbanding the opportunity of thriving and plenty How did Boaz follow the business himself How were his eyes in every corner on the servants and on the Reapers yea on the Gleaners too Hee doth even lodge in the midst of his husbandry Ruth 2. and 3. as knowing well the truth of that proverbial sentence Columel Procul à villa sua dissitus jacturae vicinus Hee that is far from his business is not far from loss Vers 5. Hee that gathereth in Summer A well-chosen season is the greatest advantage of any action which as it is seldome found in haste so it is too often lost in delay The men of Issachar were in great account with David because they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do and when to do it 1 Chron. 12.32 So are they in great account with God for their wisdome who observe and use the season of well-doing But hee that sleepeth in harvest i. e. That lets slip his opportunity as Plutarch writes of Hannibal that when hee could have taken Rome hee would not when hee would hee could not And as its storied of Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem that hee was called Carolus Cunctator Charles the Lingerer not in the sense as Fabius because hee stayed till opportunity came but because hee stayed till opportunity was lost Vers 6. Blessings are upon the head Plentifully and conspicuously they shall abound with blessings Prov. 28.20 As the fear of the Lord is not onely in them but upon them 2 Chron. 19.7 so blessings of all sorts a confluence of all spiritual and temporal comforts and contentments shall bee not onely with them but upon them so that nothing shall hinder it See Gal. 6.16 They are blessed and they shall bee blessed Gen. 27.33 Neither shall any roaring or repining Esau bee able to reverse it But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked They shall bee certainly shamed condemned executed as Haman whose face they covered Esth 7.8 and shortly after strangled And as Sir Gervaise Ellowayes Lieutenant of the Tower hanged on Tower-hill for poysoning Sir Thomas Overbury his prisoner This Sir Gervaise being on the Gallows freely confessed that hee had oft in his playing at Cards and Dice wished that hee might bee hang'd if it were not so and so and therefore confessed it was just upon him Vers 7. The memory of the just is blessed Demetrius had a good report of the truth 3 Joh. 12. In the Hebrew tongue the same word signifieth a good name and a blessing This is one of those blessings mentioned vers 6. that shall bee heaped upon holy men Holy and reverend is his Name Psal 111.9 How comes Gods Name to bee reverend but by being holy Bee good and do good so shall thy name bee heir to thy life yea when thou art laid in thy grave thy stock remains goes forward and shall do till the day of Doom But the name of the wicked shall rot and stink as putrified flesh Hypocrites then must bee detected though they carry it never so clearly how else shall they bee detested and stink above ground Simon Magus so handled the matter that Philip mistook him for a Beleever and baptized him but Peter soon smelt him out and laid him open in his colours Hee that perverteth his wayes shall bee known Prov. 10.9 The Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity for all their cunning contrivances Psal 125.5 Vers 8. The wise in heart shall receive Commandement i.e. Submit to Gods holy Word without replies and cavils This is check to the brave gallants of our age which exercise their ripe heads and
fresh wits in wrestling with the truth of God and take it for a glory to give it a foil The Athenians encountred with Paul and had argument for argument against him that Christ was not the Saviour of the world that hee was not risen from the dead c. This shewed they were not wise in heart though reckoned chief among the worlds wisards But a prating fool shall fall Or Bee beaten such a fool was Diotrephes 3 Joh. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. Who prated or trifled against Saint John with malicious words and might have been therefore sirnamed Nugax as Rodulphus that succeeded Anselm in the See of Canterbury was Godw. Catal. Vers 9. Hee that walketh uprightly walketh surely Because keeping within Gods Precincts hee keeps under his protection as the King undertakes to secure him that travels the high way and betwixt Sun and Sun Hee is tutus sub umbra lâ—onis safe under the hollow of Gods hand under the shadow of his wing Psal 91.1 Shall bee known All shall out to his utter disgrace See vers 7. Or hee shall bee known by some exemplary judgement of God inflicted upon him for a terrour to others as one that is hanged up in Gibbets Vers 10. Hee that winketh with the eye That is loath to stand to those truths that shall bring him to suffering Or hee that winketh wiles for all winking is not condemned See Joh. 13.34 Causeth sorrow scil To his own heart sinneth against his own soul or causeth sorrow i. e. sin for so sorrow is taken for sin Eccles 11.10 But a prating fool shall fall Hee that runs himself upon needless danger shall come to ruine See Prov. 28.25 and the Note above vers 8. Vers 11. The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life Vena vitae â—s justi A fountain runs after it hath run so doth a good mans mouth uncessantly utter the words of truth and soberness more perennis aquae Act. 25.26 See the reason hereof Psal 37.30 31. The Law of his God is in his heart that Law of his mind Rom. 7.23 that counterpane of the written Law Heb. 8.10 that good treasure Matth. 12.35 that is daily drawn out and yet not diminished Salienti aquarum fonti undas si tollas nec exhauritur nec extennatur sed dulcescit Take water from a well it loses nothing but becomes better and sweeter But violence covereth See the Note on vers 6. Vers 12. Hatred stirreth up strifes Especially when hatred is grown from a passion to an habit which is when the heart is so setled in an alienation and estrangement from the person hated that it grows to wish and desire and seek his hurt I could like that exposition well if it were not Calvins said Maldonat and that reformed Religion if Luther had not had a hand in it said George Duke of Saxony But love covereth all sins See the Note on 1 Pet. 4.8 and on 1 Cor. 13.4 Love hath a large mantle If I should finde a Bishop committing Adultery said Constantine the great I would cover that foul fact with mine Imperial Robe rather than it should come abroad to the scandal of the weak Euseb and the scorn of the wicked Love either dissembleth a trespass if it bee light or by a wise and gentle reproof seeks to reclaim the offender claps a plaister on the sore and then covers it with her hand as wee have seen Chirurgions do See the Note on Levit. 19.17 Lutherus commodius sentit quam loquitur dum effervescit said Cruciger So Melancthon Sciebam horridius scripturum Lutherum quam sentit The sayings doings of others are reverenter glossanda to have a reverent a fair and favourable gloss put upon them as one said once of the Pontifician Laws This is love Vers 13. In the lips of him c. Grace is poured into his lips as Psal 45.2 and hee poures it out as fast for the good of others who do therefore admire him as they did our Saviour Luk. 4.22 But a Rod is for the back That sith hee will not hear the word hee may hear the Rod and smart for his uncounsellableness Mic. 6.9 Hee that trembleth not in hearing shall bee broken to peeces in feeling saith Bradford Vers 14. Wise men lay up knowledge To know when to speak and when to bee silent It is a great skill to bee able to time a word Isa 50.4 to set it upon the wheels Prov. 25.11 How forcible are right words Job 6.25 But the mouth of the foolish An open mouth is a purgatory to the Master Nemo stultus tacere potest Eccles 10. saith Solon A fool tells all saith Solomon And Vt quisque est dissolutissima vitae ita est solutissimae linguae saith Seneca A fools bolt is soon shot and as soon retorted oft-times upon himself Vers 15. The rich mans wealth c. Wealthy worldlings think themselves simply the better and the safer for their hoards and heaps of riches The best of us are more ready to trust in uncertain riches than in the Living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 Surely this should humble us that riches that should bee our rises to raise us up to God or glasses to see the love of God in our corrupt nature useth them as clouds as clogs c. yea sets them up in Gods place and saith to the fine gold Thou art my confidence Job 31.24 The destruction of the poor is their poverty They are devoured by the richer Cannibals Psal 14.4 as the lesser fish are by the greater Men go over the hedge where it is lowest Poor and afflicted are joyned together Zeph. 3.12 So are to want and to bee abased Phil. 4.12 Vers 16. The labour of the righteous c. If the righteous man may but sweat out a poor living get enough to bear his charges home to Heaven have enough to serve his turn here bee it but food and raiment hee is content Cibus potus sunt divitiae Christianorum The true Christian desires but meat and drink 1 Tim. 6.8 The fruit of the Wicked Or the revenues of the wicked are wasted upon their lusts which to seek to satisfie is an endless labour besides the danger of fathomless perdition 1 Tim. 6.4 Vers 17. Hee is in the way of life Rich fools refuse reproof hold themselves above admonition Tange montes fumigabunt and are therefore by the just judgement of God led through a fools Paradise into a true Prison Divitibus ideo amicus deâ—st quia nihil deest Rich men have few faithful counsellors Vers 18. Hee that hideth hatred c. These are dangerous creatures that thus lye at the catch and wait advantages to do a man mischief as Cain dealt by Abel Absolom by Amnon Joab by Amasa Judas by Jesus Tuta frequensque via est c. And hee that uttereth a slander is a fool Because hee hath no command of his
of his Queen Cleopatra Antiochus as an inraged Lyon falleth upon forrain countries as Hellespont Chersonesus Eubaea Rhodes Cyprus Samos Colophon c. He marched also with his army into Greece being stirred up thereunto by Hannibal who being vanquished in Africa by Scipio had fled to Antiochus into Asia and there hatched what mischief he could against the Romans But a Prince for his own behalf i. e. Scipio the Roman Consul or as some will M. Acilius their General Shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease i. e. Shall recover the countries that he had taken from the Roman State and shall also drive back again down his throat those contumelies and opprobrious speeches that he had thrown out against the Romans who afterwards overcame him thrice by sea and land forced him to accept of very hard conditions shred him of a great part of his Kingdom Liv. Dec. 4. l. 8 Appian in Syriac and called him in contempt Antiochus sometime the Great Ver. 19. Then he shall turn his face Not accepting the aforesaid hard conditions till beaten again by the Romans he was forced so to do he fled into the utmost parts of his Kingdom of Syria and there kept him in forts not daring to wage war any more But he shall stumble and fall and not be found He and his Army shall be hewn in pieces by the rude rabble in the Elymeans Country Strabo lib. 16. whilst he went about to rob the Temple of their Jupiter Belus Ver. 20. Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes Heb. one that causeth an exactour to passe over who shall gather no less sums of curses then of coyn This was Seleucus Philopator son to Antiochus the great and his fathers darling whence also he had his sirname but not the peoples darling as Scipio was at Rome whom they called Corculum or sweet heart For this Seleucus King of Syria being the Romans tribute-gatherer to whom he was to pay according to his fathers agreement a thousand talents by the year he was hated of the people and poysoned by Heliodorus a great man about him in favour of Antiochus Epiphanes his brother and successour in the Kingdom Ver. 21. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person This was his true title as Wicked was Hamans Illustrious Esth 7.6 though he affected to be called Epiphanes or Famous and Josephus reporteth that the Samaritans to curry favour with him when he tormented the Jews stiled him Antiochus the mighty god O detestable surely that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 But the bramble thinketh it a goodly thing to raign so doth not the Vine and Figtree Judg. 9. A good man honoureth them that fear the Lord but contemneth a vile person Psal 15 4. Mr. Fox when one asked him saying Do ye not remember such an honest poor man for whom you did something yes said he I forget Lords and Ladyes to remember such And again when a great Lord and wicked met him in the streets and asked him How do you Mr. Fox he said little do you not know me said the great Lord No not I said Mr. Fox I am such a one said he Sir I desire said Mr. Fox to know none but Christ and him crucified To whom they shall not give the honour of the Kingdom But he shall take it whether the Nobles will or not and so might well have been called as his father sometimes was Antiochus Hierax the Hawk or Puttock for his swooping and ravaging But he shall come in peaceably Under pretence of a Protector to his nephew Demetrius as did our Richard the third And shall obtain the Kingdom by flatteries Winning mens hearts by presents curtesies and secret practises Ver. 22. And with the armes of a flood shall they be over flown The Egyptians shall by the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes who in the minority of his sister Cleopatra's son Ptolomy Philometor invaded Egypt and overthrew his two Captains Euleus and Leneus as with a storm or flood Yea also the Prince of the Covenant Tryphon the chief contriver of a Covenant betwixt the two Kings after the former overthrow He was made away by Antiochus that himself might do what he lifted in Egypt during the non-age of his nephew Philometor Ver. 23. He shall work deceitfully Outwitting the wisest among the Egyptians who yet were held great Politicians See Esa 19.11 13. And shall become strong with a small people He shall come in as Protector and coadâ—utor to his nephew Philometor with a small number left the Egyptians should be affrighted but being thus gotten in he shall play his pranks to some purpose Ver. 24. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the Province i. e. Upon Memphis in the very heart of the Country And he shall do that which his fathers have not done i. e. Rob and spoile as never any of his Ancestors did before in Egypt Ptolo. hypom lib. 1. 5. And he shall scatter among them the prey Throwing handfuls of mony among the vulgar as he went along the streets and all to ingratiate and to steal away their hearts Absolom did the like at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 20. And he shall forecast his devices against the strong-holds By sowing dissension betwixt Philometor and Physcon his younger brother The devil was as great a Master then as since with his Dâ—vide impera make division and get dominion Ver. 25. And he shall stir up his power and his courage Antiochus shall himself being stirred up by the devil that restless spirit who continually maketh adoe in the world Fuit etiam Antiochus ingenio inquieto versatili turbido vago vario unde multa machinatus est pauca ad felicem exitum perduxit Howbeit in this second expedition against Egypt he prospered Ver. 26. Yea they that feed of the portion of his meat His own Courtiers Captains and Pensioners corrupted by Antiochus betrayed Philometor see 1 Mac. 1. In trust I have oft found treason said Queen Elizabeth Ver. 27. And both these Kings hearts shall be to do mischef Philometor being beaten shall seek agreement give great gifts to Antiochus and feast him sed reconciliatione vultirâ but with a fox-like and fained amity each of them still reâ—â—ining their ancient hatreds Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsheard covered with silver-dresse Prov. 26.23 And they shall speak lyes This is ordinary with the wicked Psal 62.9 but it is the property of the godly man to speak the truth from his heart Psal 15. For yet the end shall be at the time appointed i. e. The end of those wars shall be when God seeth good and hath predetermined it Ver. 28. Then shall he return into his land with great riches But little content Gain when it is either the Mammon of unrighteousnesse or wages of wickednesse is true losse And his heart shall be against the holy Covenant
i. e. Against the Jews Gods Covenanters and against the true religion The Church is haeres crucis saith Luther the truth goes seldom without a scratcht face Ver. 29. At the time appointed After two years And come toward the South Toward Egypt 1 Mac. 1.30 But it shall not be as the former Expedition ver 25. Or as the latter Mentioned ver 40. God oft crosseth the wicked in the height of their hopes Job 20 6. Ver. 30. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him i. e. Publius Popilius the Roman Legat shall come in Italian or Grecian ships and shall Joseph l. 12. c. 6. Liv. dec 5. l. 5. â—pplan in Syr. â—ustin in the name of the Senat and people of Rome command Antiochus to depart with his army out of Egypt and that forthwith So true found Antiochus that of the Poet Omne sub regni graviore regnum est Therefore he shall be grieved and return And reck his teen upon the poor Church of God turning his rage against the Jews And have intelligence with them that forsake the Covenant None are so dangerous and desperate enemies to the truth as Apostates and Renegado's such as were here Jason Menelaus c. 2 Mac. 4. who privily pack'd with Antiochus against the City and people Ver. 31. And arms shall stand on his part i. e. Antiochus his Princes and Commanders whom he sent to spoil Jerusalem such as were Philip the Phrygian Andronicus Apollonius Bacchides c. who made havock of Gods people and revelled in their ruines And they shall place the abomination of desolation The abominable idol of Jupiter Olympius The like whereunto was done here in England in those Marian times of abhorâ—ed memory which yet lasted no longer then those of Antiochus sc five or six years Ver. 32. And such as do wickedly against the Covenant Apostates sin not common sins as Karab and his complices dyed not common deaths Forsakers of the Covenant ver â—0 will soon become wicked doers against the Covenant as here till they become altogether filthy Psal 53.3 See 1 Pet. 2.20 22. Matth. 12.43 45. Luke 9.62 non debet aeratro Sedulius Dignum opus ixercens vulium in sua terga referre But the people that do know their God The faithful Hassideans and zealots Irritamenta Terriculamenta who know and worship their Gâ—d aright these shall persevere and overcome all Allurements and Affrightments of the World Ver. 33. And they that understand c. God shall provide in the worst of times that his people shall have Teachers and faithful Monitors I find in the registers and wonder at it saith Mr. Fox that in Queen Maryes dayes one neighbour resorting to and conferring with another Act. Mon. eftsoones with a few words of their first or second talk did win and turn their minds to that wherein they desired to perswade them touching the truth of Gods Word and Sacraments Yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame The Instructers especially shall Of this persecution the Apostle seemeth to speak Heb. 11.35 37. Ver. 34. They shall be holpen with a little help With the valiant Asmonians or Maccabees who were but a handful and yet did great exploits against the Antiochians so did the Hussites in Bohemia against the Pontificians But why were they holpen with a little help that through weaker means they might see Gods greater strength But many shall cleave to them with flatteries So did the false Samaritans See on ver 21. And so the Donatists went to the Gothes when the Arians prevailed Hypocrites will not sail in a storm Something they will do for God but little or nothing t is they will suffer Ver. 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall Depth of divine knowledge and height of holinesse is no target against persecution the best fall under it soonest None out of hell have ever suffered more then Saints To try them As hard weather tryes what health hang heavy weights on rotten boughs and they suddenly break Withered leaves fall off in a strong wind not so the green that have sap Act. Mon. And to purge and to make them white As foul and stained cloathes are whitened by laying abroad in cold frosty nights Black sope maketh white cloathes so said that Martyr doth the black crosse help us to more whitenesse if God strike with his batteldors You know the vessel before it be made bright said John Careles the Martyr in a letter to Mr. Philpot another Martyr is soyled with oyle and other things that it may scour the better Oh happy be you that you be now in this scouring house Ib. 1743. for shortly you shall be set upon the celestial shelf as bright as Angels c. Refiners of sugar saith Another Author taking sugar out of the same chest D. Goodwin some thereof they melt but once other again and again not that it hath more drosse in it but because they would have it more refined so dealeth the Lord with his best children c. Ver. 36. And the King shall do according to his will In Judaea he shall though in Egypt he could not because the Romans trumped in his way ver 30. put a stop to his rage there But the Jews were looked upon by the proud Romans as a despicable people and of the God of the Jews Cicero speaketh basely not holding him worthy to be compared with Bacchus or Venus Orat. pro. Flacco c. And he shall exalt himself c. A type and picture of the Pope of Rome 2 Thes 2.4 Till the indignation be accomplished Till God have avenged the quarrel of his Covenant and the set time of deliverance be come Ver. 37. Neither shall he regard the God of his Fathers He shall disannul his own ancient religion caring neither for the old Mumpsimus nor the new Sumpsimus as they say but shewing himself to be a rank Atheist See 1 Maccab. 1.43 Nor the desire of women sc in an honest lawful way of matrimony But be addicted to vagrant lust yea and to the sin against nature with women as some sense it à Deo prohibito perdito in which case the Turkish women when so abused by their husbands those filthy beasts may sue a divorce St. Henry Blounts voy into the Levant which they do by taking off their shooes before the Judge and holding them the soles upward but speaking nothing for the unnameablenesse of the fact Nor regard any God See my Common place of Atheism Ver. 38. But in his estate shall be honour the God of forces Or As for the Almighty God in his seat he shall honour yea he shall honour a god whom his fathers knew not c. that is in Gods holy Temple at Jerusalem Antiochus shall set up Jupiter Olympius who was none of the dii Syri for the Syrians worshipped Apollo Diana Atargatis Geog. l. 16. as Strabo testifieth See 2 Maccab.