colours So that thou shalt be a City of pearl having for thy foundation the Lord Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 for thy windows the holy Prophets Dan. 12.3 Apostles and other faithful Preachers by whose ministry thou shalt receive the light of true knowledge and for thy walls and gates the divine protection See Rev. 21.11 21. All this is to be understood of the spiritual excellency of the Church which is begun in this life and to be perfected in the life to come And lay thy foundations with Saphirs Confer Exod. 24.10 where Moses and the Elders are said to have seen the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a Saphir-stone and as it were the body of heaven in its clearnesse To shew that God had now changed their condition their brickes made in their bondage to Saphir their lying and sooting among the pots into the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers of pure gold as Psal 68.13 Ver. 12. And I will make thy windows of Agates Or of Crystal which is purus durus And thy gates of Carbuncles Which are of a flame-colour And all thy borders That is all thy bordering Cities say the Rabbines As Plutarch saith of the neighbour-villages of Rome in Numa's time that sucking in the aire of that City they breathed righteousnesse may be much better affirmed of the Church Ver. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord Outwardly by his Word inwardly by his Spirit and here he explaineth that which he had spoken before concerning gemmes and jewels The glory of the Church consisteth not in outward splendour but in inward virtues and gifts of the Holy Ghost which are found only in Gods Disciples Ver. 14. In righteousnesse shalt thou be established Righteousnesse is here opposed to oppression Regiment without righteousnesse is but robbery with authority For thou shalt not fear Or that thou mayst not fear And from terrour Tyranny is terrible For it shall not come near thee See Psal 32.6 with the Note Ver. 15. Behold they shall surely or sedulously gather together Heb. He shall gathering gather together â—â—mmoâ—abunâ—â—â— i. e. the enemies as one man Some understand it of hereticks and hypocrites who shall dwell together with the Church so they render it but shall be evil-affected toward it but to their own ruine Whosoever shall gather together against thee Qui accolit tecum contra te Such are those Renegado Jesuites that run over to the Lutherans pretending to be Converts when it is only to keep up the bitter contention that is between them and us Ver. 16. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the Coales i. e. The devil say some rather his impes and instruments those kindle-coales and tooles of his And I have created the waster to destroy Those brats of Abaddon I have determined their evil-doings over ruling the same and directing them to a good end Ver. 17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper But shall be as the Poets fain of Aiax his sword which so long as he used against men his enemies served for help and defence but after he began to abuse it to the hurt of hurtless beasts it turned into his own bowels And every tongue thou shalt condemn As the eclipsed Moon by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendour so shalt thou when slandered See Psal 37.6 with the Note This is the heritage Given them freely and for perpetuity And their righteousnesse The clearing up of their wronged innocency CHAP. LV. Ver. 1. HO every one that thirsteth Sitit sitiri Dominus saith Nazianzen Oâ—at 40. in S. Baptis the Lord even thirsteth to be thirsted after he seeketh such to worship him as will worship him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.23 Hence this present Proclamation Ho every one of what Nation soever that is duly affected with the preceding discourse of Christs alsufficiency to save chap. 53. and the Churches glory and safety chap. 54. That thirsteth That being scorched and parched with the sense of sin and fear of wrath brayeth and breatheth after true grace and sound comfort as the hunted Hind doth after the water-brooks Psal 42.1 3. See the Note there as David did after the water of the well of Bethlehem 2 Sam. 23.15 16. as the Lamb of God did when rosted in the fire of his Fathers wrath he cryed aloud Sitio I thirst Joh. 19.28 Psal 22.11 16. Come Non passibus sed affectibus itur ad Christum Repent and beleeve the Gospel Mar. 1.15 Repentance is here set out by a word of activity Come buy c. The frame of a true repenting heart is in an active coming posture fitted for any service when the wicked pine away in their sin Ezek. 33.10 and so perish eternally Psal 9.17 To the waters To Christ the fountain of living water upon which you had turned your backs Jer. 2.13 Ortelius telleth us that in Ireland there is a certain fountain whose water killeth all those beasts that drink thereof but hurteth not the people that usually drink of it Christ also is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Luk. 2.34 his ordinances are a savour of life to some and of death to others 2 Cor. 3.16 And he that hath no money Or moneys-worth Many would come to Christ but they would come with their cost wherefore they run up and down to borrow money of the creatures or of the Ordinances using the means as Mediatours and sharking in every by-corner for comfort but men may be starved before they buy if they go this way to work for these in themselves are broken cisterns empty granaries and Horrea formicae tendunt ad inania nunquam In the Lord Christ is all fulness Joh. 1.16 not of plenty only but of bounty also To this fountain if we bring but our empty vessels well washed Jer. 4.14 we shall return well refreshed and replenished with good things when the proud Self-Justitiary shall be sent empty away and shall not once taste of Wisdomes dainties Prov. 9. Buy Emite i. e. comparate comedâ—te get Christ with all your gettings get him whatever else you go without part with all you have to compass this pearle of price Mat. 13.44 46 and 16.24 25. this gold cannot be too dear bought Rev. 3.18 Heus saeculares comparate vobis Biblia animae pharmaca saith Chrysostome by a like expression And eat That is beleeve hic enim edere est credere and this water this wine may be eaten also nec enim rigat tantum sed cibat Christ is to his water to cool them wine to comfort them milk to nourish them bread to strengthen them he is all that heart can wish or need require They who have once tasted how good the Lord is cannot but thirst after him and be unsatisfiable Optima demonstratio est à sensibus Eat therefore it is a vertue here
up and down prying and spying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes â— 11 and carrying tales and rumors 1 Tim. 5.13 See the note there It is nothing that they can do they will say the more therefore Vers 13. Hee winketh with his eyes Hee is restless in evil and with his odd tricks and gesticulations seeks to spread mischief even there where hee dares not otherwise discover himself Or the sense may bee this Though hee speak froward things though hee slander and detract c. to the hurt of the hearers yet as if hee spake nothing but truth and out of deep affection to the party hee seeks to assure it by the constancy of his countenance by the gravity of his gate and by the motion of his fingers to make beleeve that it is so indeed when as in truth it is neither so nor so Vers 14. Frowardness is in his heart What marvel then though hee solecise with his hand though hee twinkle with his eye and tinkle with his feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When hee speaketh fair beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov. 26.25 Even those seven next mentioned here Vers 16 17 18 19. as Aben-Ezra conceiveth upon that Text. Heâ— deviseth mischief continually Heb. At all times Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting The soul of a wicked man is in a sling restless and violently tossed about by Satan who acts and agitates him 1 Sam. 25.29 Ephes 2.2 See Mic. 2.1 Hos 7.6 Hee soweth discord And so shews himself a true breathing Devil a Disciple of Machiavel whose Maxime was Divide impora make division and get dominion Archb. Abbots Answer to D. Hills three reasons In the year 1579 Allen at Rhemes instructed his Emissary seducers sent over into England to make way for their great project of perdition in eighty eight by dividing the people under the terms of Protestant and Puritan and provoking them thereby to real and mutual both hate and contempt And what labouring there is now by the Jesuitical party to heighten out unhappy differences that they may make themselves Masters of all who seeth not Herein they deal saith Gregory of the like factors for the Devil in his time as the Master of the Pit who oft sets two Cocks to fight together to the death of both that after mutual conquest hee may sup with both their carkasses The Jews before they were banished out of this Kingdome threw bags of poison into the wells and fountains that the people were to drink of and thereby indeavoured to poison them all so do our seeds-men of sedition Vers 15. Suddenly shall hee bee broken without remedy A dismal doom Broken and not bruised onely suddenly broken when they least dream or dread the danger And this without remedy no possibility of peecing them up again or putting them into a better condition See this exemplified in Nabal 1 Sam. 25. and Deeg Psal 52. Vers 16. These six things doth the Lord hate That is hee detesteth damneth punisheth them in the sluggard whose soul is the sink of all these ensuing evils Where note That sin makes wicked men the object of Gods hatred the Saints of his pitty As wee hate poison in a Toad but wee pitty it in a man in the one it is their nature in the other their disease Yea seven are an abomination to him Or That seventh his soul abhorreth that sowing of discord among brethren heightneth and compleateth his hatred of the rest Septimum abominatio anima illius Vers 17. A proud look Heb. Haughty eyes Mens hearts usually and chiefly sit and shew themselves in oculis in loculis in poculis in their eyes purses Profecto oculis animus inhabitat Plin. Ep. ad Evagr. and cups The Latines speaking of an arrogant disdainful person say that hee doth supercilium attollere look loftily Odi fastum istius Ecclesia said Basil I hate the proud stateliness of that Western Church the Church of Rome hee means Quid verum fit neque sciunt neque sustinent discerere Ibid. which even in those purer times began to look big and despise all other in comparison of it self This hee somewhere calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Western eye-brow which occasioned at length that lamentable separation of the Eastern or Greek Church from communion with the Latine The other four Patriarcks dividing themselves from the Bishop of Rome and at their parting using these or the like words Thy greatness wee know thy covetousness wee cannot satisfie D. Field of the Church Gerson Carleton thine intollerable insolency wee can no longer endure live to thy self c. God himself resists a proud person in a special manner 1 Pet. 5.5 and that afar off Psal 138.6 hee cannot abide the sight of him Looks aloof at him For whereas all other vices flye from God saith Boethius Pride lets flye at him Sola Superbia se Deo opponit No wonder therefore though his soul abhor it when it buds especially Ezek. 7.10 and testifies to a mans face Hos 7.10 breaking forth as the Master-pock of the soul in big-swoln words proud gate Bubbles of vanity 2 Pet. 2.18 ridiculous gestures garish attire lofty and haughty looks that hate of Heaven and gate to Hell David could not indure it in any of his Psal 101.5 No more could Queen Elizabeth in the greatest favourite about her Dissension once falling out between her and Essex about a fit man for government of Ireland hee forgetting himself and neglecting his duty uncivilly turneth his back as it were in contempt with a scornful look Shee waxing impatient Camdeus Elisab 494. gave him a cuff on the ear bidding him begone with a vengeance c. For avoiding of all discontents and distempers this way occasioned it were to bee wished that men would first get humble hearts the Apostle Ephes 4. makes humble-mindedness the first virtue as here a proud look is made the first vice the Master-root And then that they would enter into a Covenant as Job did with his own eyes at least Chap. 30.1 such a Covenant as was once made at a meeting of the borderers in the marches between England and Scotland Security was given and confirmed on both sides by Oath according to custome and proclamation made Ibid. 279. saith mine Author that no man should harm other by word deed or look A lying tongue Heb. A tongue of lying viz. That hath learned the trade and can do it artificially A Frier a lier was the old proverb here passing for current of that evil Generation those loud and lewd liers The proud have forged lies against mee Psal 119.69 Assunt mendacium mendacio so the Hebrew hath it they â—ew one lie to another until their iniquity bee found to bee hateful Psal 36.2 A righteous man how much more the righteous God hateth lying But
an House then a Wife and then an Oxe that lustily ploweth and bringeth in much increase Bede applies this text to painful Preachers set forth by Oxen 1 Cor. 9.9 Rev. 4.7 for their tolerance and tugging at the work where these labour lustily there is commonly a harvest of holinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dust a crop of comfort Only they must be dustily diligent Vers 5. A faithful witnesse will not lie Nec prece nec precio he cannot lend an oath for a need before a Magistrate Nay hee will not lye upon any condition See the note on chap. 13.5 But a false witnesse will utter lyes Or he that telleth lyes will be a false witnesse he that makes light of a lye will not stick at Perjury That was a foul blur to the Romans of old if true that Mirrhanes the Persian General chargeth upon them Romanis promittere promptum est Procop. lib. 1. de bel Persi◠promissis autem quanquam juramento firmatis minimè stare The Romans will presently promise any thing but perform no promise though confirmed with an oath Of the Romists at this day it is written by an Italian no stranger to the Court of Rome that their Proverb is Mercatorum est non Regum stare juramentis It is for Merchants not for Princes to stand to what they have sworn Fides cum haeretic is non est servanda is their position and their practice is according They play with Oathes as the Monkey doth with his Collar which he doth slip on for his Masters pleasure and slip off again for his own Pascenius scoffs King James for the invention of the Oath of Allegiance Vers 6. A scorner seeketh wisdome and findeth it not Or he seeketh wisdome and he seeketh it not He seeketh it not seriously seasonably duly he seeks it as a Coward seeks his adversary with a hope he shall not find him or a man seeks his false coyn which he hath no joy to look upon What 's truth said Pilate in a jear to Christ but staid not the answer How can this man give us his flesh to eat said those carnal Capernaites John 6. and away they went who if they had stayed out the Sermon might have been satisfied in the point Herod sought to see Christ but never sent for him nor went to him and when the Lord Christ was brought before him he looked upon him no otherwise than as upon some Jugler to shew him some Tricks and make him sport and is therefore answered with silence But knowledge is easie to him that doth understand In any Science the worst is at first as the root of the Herb Moly in Homer is said to bee black and unsightly but the leaf lovely and the fruit pleasant The more a man sees into heavenly Mysteries the more hee may I love them that love me Prov. 8.17 saith Wisdome and those that seek me early shall find me Provided that they be not proud persons but come with a desire to learn and a resolution to practise Hee that comes to a fountain to fill his pitcher must first wash it and then put the mouth of it downward to take up water So hee that would have heavenly knowledge Deut. 33.3 must first quit his heart of corrupt affections and high conceits Intus existens prohibet alienum and then humble himself at Gods feet every one to receive his words See the Note on Chap. 8.9 Vers 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man If hee bee a proud fool as vers 6. a scorner and derider of good counsel and one that knows not how to lisp out the least syllable of savoury language Break off society with such as soon as may bee for what good can bee gotten by their company or conference Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles They infect the very air they breathe upon Dabhar a word Debher a Pest and are therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pests according to the Septuagint Psal 1.1 their tongues have the very plague in them their breath as fire shall devour you Isa 33.10 Non potest vir ille fine convitiis quenquam à quo dissentit vel in levissimis nominare saith Dr. Rivet concerning Bishop Montague That man hath not the power to forbear railing at any one that dissents from him though in never so small a matter Is there any good to bee gotten by such 2 Tim. 2.17 Do not their words eat as a gangrene Vers 8. The wisdome of the prudent is to understand his way His wisdome begins in the right of himself and ends in the right knowledge of God that hee may walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing worthy of the calling wherewith hee is called that high and heavenly calling Heb. 2.1 to the fruition of high and heavenly priviledges to an Angelical and convincing conversation such as may draw hearts or daunt them Wee use to say of him that knows his place and carries himself accordingly Such a man understands himself well enough So here But the folly of fools is deceit Or is to understand deceit to know the Devils depths to search his skull for carnal arguments that they may cum ratione insanire bee mad with shew of reason and deceive the hearts of the simple This their way is their folly yet their posterity as wise as their fool-fathers approve their sayings abbet their practices Psal 49.13 Vers 9. Fools make a mock of sin A sport or pastime of it Prov. 10.23 See the Note there they dance with the Devil all day and yet think to sup with Christ But what saith the Heathen Historian Nae illi falsi sunt qui diversissim as res expectant ignaviae voluptatem praemia virtutis In good truth they are utterly out that take their swinge in sin and yet look for the reward of vertue No their sweet meat must have sowr sawce God also will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear commeth And then they all shall bee damned that had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.12 yea double-damned because they jeared when they should have feared 2 Pet. 2.13 But among the righteous there is favour That though they sin of infirmity yet for as much as they are sensible and sorrowful for their failings and see them to confession God will never see them to their confusion Homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Man repenteth and God remitteth yea hee compasseth his returning people with favour as with a shield hee re-accepts them with all sweetness through Christ who is the propitiation for their sins 1 Joh. 2.2 Vers 10. The heart knoweth his own bitterness None can conceive the terrors and torments of a heart that lyes under the sense of sin and fear of wrath A little water in a leaden vessel is heavy Some can bear in their grief better than others But all that are under this affliction have their back burden Jobs stroak
mouth If the Canaanites beat us what shall become of thy great name Interpone quaeso tuas preces apud Deum pro me Scultet Annal. or a Christum cujus est causa haec ut mihi adsit quam si obtinuerit mihi obtenta erit sin vero causa exciderit nec ego eam obtinere potero atque ita ipse solus ignominiam reportabit Prethee pray for mee saith Luther to a friend of his that feared how it would fare with him when hee was to appear at Ausborough before the Cardinal pray for mee to Jesus Christ whose the cause is that hee would stand by mee for if hee carry the day I shall do well enough As if I miscarry hee alone will undergo the blame and shame of it By the flock of thy companions Why should I have fellowship with thy pretended fellows 1 Thes 5.23 and so incur the suspition of dishonesty Christians must abstain from all appearance of evil shun and bee shy of the very shews and shadows of sin Quicquid fuerit male coloratum as Bernard hath it whatsoever looks but ill-favouredly 2 Cor 8.20 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providing for things honest not onely in the sight of the Lord but in the sight of men and avoiding this that no man should blame us avoiding it as ship-men shun a rock or shelf with utmost care and circumspection Joseph would not breathe in the same air with his Mistress nor John the Evangelist with the Heretick Cerinthus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb but sprang out of the bath assoon as hee came into it St. Paul would not give place by subjection to those false brethren no not for an hour lest the truth thereby should suffer detriment Gal. 2.5 Constantine would not read the Arians Papers but tear them before their eyes And Placilla the Empress besought her Husband Theodosius senior Sezom li. 7. c. 7. not once to confer with Eunomius lest being perverted by his speeches hee might fall into heresie Memorable is the story of the children of Samosata that would not touch their ball but burnt it because it had touched the toe of an heretical Bishop as they were tossing it and playing with it Vers 8. If thou know not O thou fairest among women So Christ is pleased to style her who erst held and called her self black and Sun-burnt vers 5. Nothing more commends us to Christ than humility and lowly-mindedness 1 Pet. 3.5 The daughter of Zion for this is likened to a comely and delicate woman her enemies to Shepheards with their flocks Jer. 6.2 3. False Prophets also have their flocks seducers drag Disciples after them Act. 20.30 Faciunt favos vespae faciunt Ecclesias Marcionitae saith Tertullian Wasps also have their hony-combs Apes imitate mens actions These Conventiclers the Church must studiously decline and not viam per avia quaerere seek truth by wandring thorow the Thicket of Errours as Junius saith one in his time did who confest hee had spent two and twenty years in trying Religions pretending that Scripture Prove all things The Spouse is here directed by the Arch-shepheard to repair to the foddering-places to frequent the publick Assemblies to tread in that Sheep-track the foot-steps of the flock the Shepheards tents There Christ hath promised to feed his Lambs that have golden fleeces Exod. 33.12 7. Acts 10.1 2. precious souls to call them by name as hee did Moses Cornelius c. to teach them great and hidden things such as they knew not Jer. 33.3 to give them spiritual senses ability to examine what is doctrinally propounded to them Joh. 10. to try before they trust for all Christs Sheep are rational they know his voice from the voice of a stranger to bee fully perswaded of the truth that they take up and profess Col. 2.2 Luk. 1.1 to feel the sweetness and goodness the life and power of it within themselves Col. 1.9 Job 32.8 to hate false doctrines and those that would perswade them thereunto Psal 119.104 buzzing doubts into their heads Rom. 16.17 John 10.5 So that though man or Angel should object against the truth they have received they would not yeeld to him 1 Cor. 11.15 Gal. 1.8 9. They know that Satan can and doth transform himself into an Angel of light and can act his part by a good man also as hee did by Peter once and again Matth. 16.23 Gal. 2.13 and as hee did in our remembrance by Mr. Archer a holy man who yet held and broached hellish opinions Swenchfeldio non defuit cor bonum sed caput regulatum saith Bucholcerus Swenchfeldius had a good heart but a wilde head and so became a means of much mischief to many silly shallow-headed people whom hee shamefully seduced This to prevent Christ hath given gifts to men Pastours and Teachers after his own heart Guides to speak unto them the word of God Heb. 12.7 to set in order for them acceptable words words of truth that may bee as goads and as nails fastened by those Masters of the Assemblies which are given from one Shepheard Eccles 12.10 11. in fine to take heed to themselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made them Over-seers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his own blood Act. 20.28 that they might go in and out and finde pastures such as will breed life and life in more abundance John 10 9 10. Go thy way forth by the foot-steps of the flock Add indeavour to thy desire up and bee doing for affection without action is like Rachel that antient Shepheardesse beautiful but barren Get thee forth therefore by the foot-steps of the flock tread in the same track that good old Abraham Isaac Jacob David Paul c. did who followed the Lamb whithersoever hee went Keep to that good old way the way that is called Holy and yee shall finde rest to your souls Walk in the foot-steps of faithful Abraham Jer. 6.16 and yee shall one day rest in the bosome of Abraham Walk in the same spirit in the same foot-steps with Paul and Titus 1 Pet. 1.9 2 Cor. 12.18 so shall you shortly and surely receive the end of your faith the salvation of your souls And feed thy Kids The Church also is a Shepheardesse as were Laban's and Jethro's daughters and hath a little little flock of young Goats that is of green Christians who are to bee fed with the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 Beside the Shepheards tents Turn to the Under-shepheards the godly Ministers and so return to the great Shepheard and Bishop of your souls 1 Pet. 2.25 Hold you close to these and hold fast the form of wholesome words 2 Tim. 1.13 and linger not after unsound and unsavoury doctrines so rife abroad those murthering morsels that fat men indeed but it is to the day of slaughter Silly sheep do eat no grass
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
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
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
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
way of truth and holiness The Papists propose rewards to such as shall relinquish the Protestant religion and turn to theirs as in Ausborough where they say there is a known price for it of ten Florens a year In France Spec. Europ where the Clergy have made contributions for the maintenance of runagate Ministers Stratagema nunc est Pontificum ditare multos ut pii esse desinant saith one that was no stranger to them Joh. Bapt. Gell. dial 5. It is a cunning trick that the Popes have taken up to enrich men that they may rob them of their religion And though Luther would not swallow that hook yet there are those that will not a few Tell men a tale of Utile promise them preferment and you may perswade them to any thing Fac me Pontificem ero Christianus said one Pammachius an Heathen once to the Pope Make mee a Bishop and I 'le turn Christian But as one said of Papists that they must have two conversions ere they come to heaven one from Popery and another from prophaneness like as corn must be first threshed and then winnowed so this money-merchant this preferment-proselyte might have been a Christian at large had hee had his desired Bishoprick but Christ never favoured any such self-seeking followers See Mat. 8.20 John 6.26 their love hee knows to be no better than meretricious and mercenary It is a sad thing that any Augustine should have cause to complain Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum that scarce any man loves Christ but for his rewards like the mixt multitude that came up with Israel out of Egypt for a better fortune Or those Persians that in Mordecai's daies for self-respects became Jews All Gods people should bee like those Medes in Isaiah that regarded not silver and as for gold they delighted not in it chap. 13.17 Christs love should bee better to them than wine Cant. 1.2 and when in exchange for it the devill doth offer them this worlds good they should answer him as the witch of Endor did Saul 1 Sam. 28.9 Judg. 9.11 Wherefore laiest thou a snare for my soul to cause mee to dye or as the vine and fig-tree in Jonathans Parable answered the rest of the trees Should I leave my fatness and sweetness derived unto mee from Christ and so go out of Gods blessing into the worlds warm Sunne God forbid that I should part with my patrimony as Naboth said take an apple for paradise as Adam did lose the love of Christ for the worlds blandishments c. Vers 8. Wee have a little sister Thou Lord and I have such a sister sc the Church of the Gentiles known to thee and fore-appointed to conversion as James speaketh in that first Christian counsell Act. 15.18 from the beginning of the world unknown to mee more than by hear-say from the holy Prophets 1 Pet. 1.10 who prophecied of the grace that should come unto her but not unloved or undesired Now therefore as a fruit of my true love unto thee such as no floods of troubles can quench or drench no earthly commodity can compass or buy off I desire not onely to deliberate with thee about the enlargement of thy Kingdome by the accession of the elect Gentiles thereunto but also by making as I may say large and liberal offers set forth my care and study for their eternal salvation See the like affection in St. Paul toward his country-men the Jews proceeding from that full assurance that hee found in himself Rom. 8.38 39. with chap. 9.1 And learn wee to pray as earnestly for their conversion as they have done for ours longing after them from the very heart-root in Jesus Christ as Philipp 1.8 and turning to the Lord that they may the sooner finde compassion It is Hezekiah's reason and a very remarkable one 2 Chron. 30.9 And shee hath no breasts i. e. Shee is not yet Nubilis apta viro marriageable and fit for Christ to bee presented as a chaste Virgin unto him shee wanted such paranymphs as Paul was to do it for her 2 Cor. 11.2 Shee had not a stablished Ministry to nurse up her children withall And at this same pass was the old Church at first not onely small but unshapen Ezek. 16.7 8. A society of men without the preaching of the Word is like a mother of children without breasts All the Churches children must suck and bee satisfied Isa 66.11 they must desire the sincere milk of the Word and grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 not like the changeling Luther speaks of ever sucking never batling Such shall be made to know that their mother hath verbera as well as ubera rods as well as dugges Their father will also repent him as once David did of his kindness to Nabal and take up his old complaint Isai 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The ox knoweth his owner c. the most salvage creatures will bee at the beck and check of those that feed them disobedience therefore under means of grace especially is against the principles of nature It is to bee like the horse and mule yea like the young mulet which hath no sooner done sucking her dammes teats but shee turns up her heels and kicks her What shall wee do for our sister Love is not more cogitative than operative and delights to bee doing for the beloved I love the Lord c. What shall I render unto him I will pay my vows c. Psal 116. Jonathan will disrobe and strip himself even to his sword and girdle for David because hee loved him as his own soul 1 Sam. 18.3 4. Shechem will do all that can be done for his beloved Dinah The Macedonians will over-do for their poor brethren Pauls love to the Jews was like the Ivy which if it cleave to a stone or an old wall will rather die than forsake it Rom. 9.3 He tells his Hebrews of their labour of love Heb. 6. all love is laborious In the day when shee shall bee spoken for Or wherein speech shall he had concerning her viz. for an husband for her how wee may best prefer her in marriage The care of disposing young people to fit yoke-fellows lay upon their parents and other kindred The Church as an elder-sister shews her self solicitous and propounds the matter to Christ as the onely best husband for her the partition-wall being broken down Vers 9. If shee be a wall wee will build upon her c. Christ answers If she be as she ought to be strong and well-grounded in the faith able to bear a good weight laid upon her as a wall pillar and ground of truth not sinking or fainting under the heaviest burden of these light afflictions which are but for a moment but patient and perseverant in the faith unto the death then will I do all for her that may bee done to make her happy This speech is somewhat like that of Solomon concerning Adonijah