he drew all men unto him John 12.32 He rode upon his white-horse the Apostles conquering the world and to conquer Rev. 6.2 And hence that sincere Joy in the hearts of his servants far exceeding that of Harvest which is not without great toil or that of Souldiers dividing the spoil which is not atchieved without confused noise and garments rolled in blood ver 2.3 5. By the way of the sea The sea of Tiberias John 21.1 or lake of Genesareth Luke 5.1 Beyond Jordan Or beside Jordan In Galilee of the Gentiles See the Note on Matth. 4.15 Ver. 2. The people that walked in darkness Liberationis lucem promittit See the Note on Matth. 4.16 Ver. 3. Thou hast multiplyed the Nation Or Never since thou multiplyedst this people didst thou give them such joy i e. such matter of joy as now Thou intendest to do Or thus Thou wilt multiply this Nation thou wilt encrease their joy especially by sending thy Son who is called the Gift John 4.10 the Benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 such as wherein all discontents are soon swallowed up Everlasting Joy shall be upon the Heads of the Lords Ransomed ones they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flye away Isa 35.10 They joy before thee Pleasure there must be in the wayes of God because therein men let out their souls into God the Fountain of all good Christs Chariot is paved with Love Cant. 3.9 10. According to the joy in Harvest and a great deal more Psalm 4.7 They do over-abound exceedingly with joy 2 Cor. 7.4 Joyes they have unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 And as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil Wherein the pleasure is usually more then the profit Psal 119.162 and yet the profit oft very great too as 2 Chron. 20.25 and as at the sack of Constantinople at the wealth whereof the Turks themselves wondered and derided their folly that possessing so much they would bestow so little in the defence of themselves and their Countrey Turk Hist fol. 345. Ver. 4. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen i. e. Thou hast disenthralled and delivered thy people from the burthenous yokes of their enemies both corporal and spiritual that taking thine easie yoke thy light burthen upon them they might serve thee without fear in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of their lives Luke 1.74 The Jew-Doctors expound all this of Senacheribs Tyranny and their deliverance therefrom But the Prophet intendeth a further matter ver 6.7 And the staffe of his shoulder Wherewith he was beaten and bastinado'd See chap. 14.5 The Rod of his oppressour Metaphora ab agasonibus a Metaphor from Horse-drivers who lay on without mercy Whipping among the Turks hath been usually inflicted even upon the greatest Bashaws of the Court upon the least displeasure of the Tyrant Ib. 361. especially if they be not natural Turks born The poor Captives met with hard measure this way at Babylon but Satans slaves with much harder Christ fitly noteth here that the Rod wherewith the Devil whippeth sinners is their own lusts and passions yea herewith they punish themselves by his instigation as the Lion beateth himself with his own tail As in the day of Midian beaten by Gideon Judg. 7.22 So the day of Gibea Hos 9.9 The day of Jerusalem Psalm 137.7 The battel of Agin court The Sicilian vespers c. Gideon by the sound of Trumpet and shining of Lamps out of earthen broken vessels overcame those Midianites so by the Trumpet of his Word and light of the Gospel carried through the world by weak Instruments hath Christ confounded his Adversaries 1 John 2.14 as One fitly maketh the comparison See it largely prosecuted in sixteen particulars in Cornelius à Lapide upon the Text. Ver. 5. For every battle of the Warriour c. Great is the wo of war when Death heweth its way through a wood of men in a minute of time from the mouth of a murdering piece when fire and sword waste at pleasure The birth of Christ comforteth against all the miseries of War whereunto therefore it is opposed both here and Mic. 5.1 2. See the Note there Now then as the Israelites frighted and flighted the Midianites with saying Hic Gideon Here 's Gideon so may we our spiritual enemies by crying Hic Jesus Hoc in signo vincemus Here 's Jesus we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us But this shall be with burning i. e. with the fire of the holy Ghost saith Oecolampadius burning up our corruptions as chap. 4.4 and moulding us into a new man Diodate senseth it thus The world shall be filled with blood and wars and at last shall be consumed with fire at the day of Judgement Ver. 6. For unto us a child is born That Child foretold of chap. 7.14 Christ shall be born in the fulness of time as sure as if he were born already This was good tidings of great joy to all people Luke 2.10 The Hebrew Besher for good tidings cometh of Bashar for Flesh because say some Criticks there shauld be a taking of Flesh God manifested in the flesh which should be the best tidings Angels first brought it and were glad of such an Errand Still they pry into this Mysterie prono capite propenso collo 1 Pet. 1.12 and can never sufficiently wonder to see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great God a little child regens sidera sugens ubera that He who Ruleth the stars should be sucking at the breast that the Eternal Word should not be able to speak a word that He that should come in the Clouds should appear in clouts Luke 2.12 in vilibus veteribus indumentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Induit sordes nostras He condescended to our rags saith Ladolphus in old tattered rags in such clouts as we cover wounds and beggars sores with all say others Well might Synesius call Christ viscerum ingentium partum the birth of huge Bowels For the time of his birth Christ living just thirty two years and an half saith One and dying at Easter it must needs follow that he was born about the middle of the moneth Tisri which answereth to part of our September at the Feast of Tabernacles c. to which Feast the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.14 probably alludeth Vnto us a son is given That only begotten Son of God John 3.16 begotten of the substance of his Father before all beginnings after an unspeakable manner The Scripture speaketh of it usually by way of circumlocution Col. 1.15 Rev. 19.12 or giveth us only some glimpse by way of similitude as Heb. 1.3 This Eternal Son of God the second Person in Trinity assumed our Nature Heb. 2.17 He overtook it as the Greek word signifieth as the Shepherd doth his sheep that 's run astray A Shepherd with a sheep upon his shoulder engraved upon the Communion-Cup in the Primitive
sincerity and not adulterating and corrupting it as Vintners oft do their Wines or Hucksters their Wares Hence Isaiah also putteth the Prophets and Evangelists in the Feminine gender Mebashereth Isa 52.7 Shee crieth upon c. Shee together with her maids crieth shee puts not off all the business to them but hath a hand in it her self Wee are workers together with God saith Paul Vers 4. Who so is simple and withall perswadeable that have not yet contracted that callum obductum corneas fibras brawny breasts horney heart-strings Shee saith to him It is Christ then that speaketh in his Ministers He that heareth you heareth mee Yee received it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the ever-living God Vers 5. Come eat of my bread Stand not off in a sinful modesty say not I am not worthy c. but come for the Master calls you as they said to the blinde man who therefore came And those reculant guests by not coming when invited might not taste of Christs Supper for they were unworthy Matth. 22. And drink of the wine which I have mingled Loe here a full feast not a dry feast Liranus noteth on this Chapter that the Eucharist was anciently delivered in both kinds But because of the danger of spilling the blood the Church ordained that Lay-men should have the bread onely Caranza The Council of Constance comes in with a Non-obstante against Christs institution with-holding the Cup from the Sacrament Vers 6. Forsake the foolish No coming to this Feast in the tottered rags of the old Adam You must relinquish your former evil courses and companies There are that read the words thus Forsake O foolish ones viz. your own wayes and live And go in the way of understanding Renounce your vices and practice the contrary graces True repentance stands in an intire change of the whole man from all that is evil to all that is good Vers 7. He that reproveth a scorner This with the three next verses may seem to come in by way of Parenthesis And they do not obscurely intimate what manner of hearers Ministers mostly meet with viz. such as our Saviour did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.14 But the Pharisees that were covetous derided or blew their noses at him as One renders it And such as long before him the Prophet Isaiah did Chap. 28.10 Precept upon precept line upon line c. One observeth that that was a scoff put upon the Prophet And is as if they should say Here is nothing but line upon line precept upon precept The very sound of the words in the Original Zau le zau kau lakau carries a taunt as scornful people by the tone of their voyce and riming words scorn at such as they despise Vers 8. Reprove not a scorner See my Common-place of Admonition Look how Dogs prefer loathsome carrion before the sweetest odours and would flâ—e in the faces of such as would drive them from it So is it here And hee will love thee When hee hath well considered he will though for present he may seem to do otherwise As Asa swaggered with the Prophet and put him in prison We read in the Ecclesiastical History that Agapetus Bishop of Rome being sent by Theodatus King of Goths to Constantinople on an Ambassage to Justinian and having obtained a peace hee was earnestly intreated by the Emperour to subscribe and confirm the Heresie of Eutyches This when hee utterly refused to do the Emperour threatned him in case hee did not Agapetus thereto boldly replied I had a desire to wait upon Justinian whom I took to be a most pious Prince but now I perceive him to bee a most violent persecutor a second Dioclesian With this free reproof and Gods blessing withall Justinian was so wrought upon that hee presently embraced the true Faith and banishing Bishop Anthemius a great propagator of the Eutychian Heresie Funcius hee set up Menna an Orthodox Divine in his room whom Agapetus consecrated if Platina may bee beleeved David loved Nathan the better while hee lived for dealing so plainly with him Aug. Comp. And named him a Commissioner for the declaring of his Successor 1 King 1. So Alipius loved Austin for reproving him Vers 9. Give admonition to a wise man This is an Alms that the poorest may give and bee never the poorer but the better For by instructing another a man engageth himself lest hee hear Physician heal thy self Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum See my common place of Admonition Vers 10. The fear of the Lord See the Note on Chap. 1.7 Here it is given as a reason why wise men are the better for sharp and seasonable admonition because the fear of the Lord is in them This makes them when they are reproved of all fall upon their faces worship God and say God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.26 What shall wee say unto my Lord What shall wee speak How shall wee justifie our selves God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants c. Gen. 44.16 And the knowledge of the holy That is of the holy God Holy is here in the plural number importing the Trinity of Persons as likewise Josh 24.19 Howbeit wee may well take in here holy Angels and Saints whose Kingdome is in Daniel said to bee the same with the Kingdome of God Dan. 7.22 27. and whose knowledge is the right understanding of Gods will revealed in his Word Vers 11. For by mee thy daies This verse depends upon vers 6. See the Note on vers 7. Those that embrace wisdome shall bee paid for their pains either in mony or monies-worth Either they shall dye as Abraham did with a good gray-head or else with Josiah they shall live long in a little time and then live for ever in Heaven Henoch had the shortest life of any of the ten Patriarchs But then hee was recompenced in the longest life of his Son Methusalah but especially in that God took him to glory Besides that though hee departed the world soon yet fulfilled hee much time as Mr. Hooker hath it Eccles posit l. 4. p. 168. And the year of thy life shall bee encreased Heb. They shall encrease the years of thy life That is they that survive thee shall perpetuate thy memory thy good name shall never dye Some live to bee their own Executors for their good name and yet they see them not honestly buried before themselves dye Nay many are as those Job 27.15 23. hissed and kickt off this Stage of the World buried before they are half dead There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carkass On the other side a good mans name is oft-times the heir to his life Or if obscured for a time as the Martyrs were yet as the Sun breaks through the cloud that masketh it so God shall bring forth their righteousness as the light and their judgement as the
noon-day Psal 37.6 Vers 12. If thou bee wise thou shalt The benefit shall bee thine own Plutarch reports of the Palm-tree that it yeelds to the Babylonians 360. several commodities And is therefore in great esteem amongst them How should men esteem of found wisdome sith there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it 1 Tim. 4.8 a thousand commodities to bee reaped by it Thou alone shalt bear it Thy scorning shall not as thou thinkest hurt him that tendereth thy salvation For as the air when beaten is not hurt no nor so much as divided but returns to his place and becomes thicker Ita animus recti conscius ad optima erectus non admittit irridentium flatus nec sentit saith One so an honest heart set for Heaven slights the contempts of graceless persons and pitties them that jeer when they should fear as much as good Lot once did his prophane Sons in Law His words to such are like those of the Prophet Bee not yee mockers lest your bands bee increased Isa 28.22 with 10. See vers 7. of this Chapter Vers 13. A foolish woman is clamorous This woman is Folly as that woman sitting in the Epah is wickedness Zach. 5.7 Lavater is of opinion that as by Wisdome is meant Christ so by this foolish woman here is meant Antichrist to whom therefore hee finely fitteth and applieth all the following words Is clamorous Folly is full of words and of a lavish tongue her factours are extreme talkative and usually lay on more words than the matter will bear A great deal of small talk you shall usually have from them A fool also is full of words Eccles 10.14 saith Solomon and this fond custome of his is there expressed by way of imitation in his vain tautologies A man cannot tell what shall bee and what shall bee after him who can tell Eccles 10.24 The basest things are ever the most plentiful Some kinde of Mice breed a hundred and twenty young ones in one nest whereas the Lion and Elephant bear but one at once so the least wit yeelds the most words Aristophanes and Lucian when they describe fools they call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gapers or Open-mouthed Guiltiness is ever clamorous and the most lewd are most loud Act. 7.27 28. Vers 14. For shee sitteth at the door In a Harlots habit to see and bee seen the guise and garb of Harlots Tully wittily compareth the Greek tongue to an ambitious strumpet quae multo luxu superfluat which overlasheth in too much bravery But the Latin tongue to an honest and modest Matron cui nihil deest quod ad honestum pertineat mundiciem That wants nothing pertaining to a necessary neatness Such a like comparison between Wisdome and Folly is here made by Solomon Mat. 24. Vers 15. That go right on their way Shee fights at the fairest seeks to seduce the forwardest They shall deceive if it were possible the very elect Flies settle upon the sweetest perfumes when they are cold and corrupt them Mat. 7. Vers 16. Who is simple Wisdomes own words vers 4. Take heed saith our Saviour they come unto you in sheeps cloathing but trust them not for with fair words and flattering speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. Samuel himself could not have spoken more gravely severely divinely to Saul than the fâ—iend at Endor did when the Devil himself puts on gravity and religion who can marvel at the hypocrisie of men Vers 17. Stollen waters are sweet Forbidden pleasures are most pleasing to Sensualists who count no mirth but madness no pleasure unless they may have the Devil to their play-fellow Venison is nothing so sweet they say as when it is stolen Ovid. Quod licet ingratum est quod non licet acrius urit Sic interdictis imminet ager aquis Men long to bee medling with the murthering morsels of sin which nourish not but rent and consume the belly that receives them Many eat that on earth In terris manducant quod apud inferos digerant Augustin that they digest in Hell Vers 18. That the dead are there See the Notes on Chapter 2.18 and 7.27 CHAP. X. Vers 1. The Proverbs PRoperly so called See Chap. 1.1 For the nine former Chapters are a kind of common places or continued discourses premised as a Preface to these ensuing wise and grave sentences tending much to the information of the mind and reformation of the manners and containing things profitable for all sorts of people They are not unfitly compared by a Divine to a bag full of sweet and fragrant spices which shuffled or shaken together or taken single yeeld a sweet odour Or to stars in the firmament each in it self glorious and independent of another yet all receive their light from the Sun A wise Son maketh a glad Father Children are certain cares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. but uncertain comforts Every Son should bee an Abner that is his Fathers light and every Daughter an Abigail her Fathers joy Eve promised her self much in her Cain and David did the like in his Absolom Sed fallitur augario spes bona saepe suo they were both deceived Samuel succeeds Eli in his cross as well as his place though not in his sin and had cause enough to call his untoward children as Augustus did tres vomicas tria carcinomata so many ulcerous sores mattery impostumes Vertue is not as Lands inheritable All that is traduced with the seed is either evil or not good Let Parents labour to mend by education what they have marred by propagation And when they have done all pray God perswade Japhet lest else they bee put to wish one day as Augustus did Sueton. c. 6. O that I had never married or never had children And let children cheer up their Parents as Joseph Samuel and Solomon did and as Epaminondas who was wont to say Corn. Nepos Se longe maximum suarum laudum fructum capere quod â—arum spectatores haberet parentes that hee joyed in nothing more than that his Parents were yet alive to take comfort in his brave atchievements For otherwise God will take them in hand as hee did Abimelech to whom hee rendred the wickedness done to his Father Judg. 9.5 And as hee did Absolom whom hee trussed up in the height of his rebellious practices with his own immediate hand Or else hee will punish them in and by their posterity which shall either bee none Prov. 20.20 compared with 2 Sam. 14.7 or worse than none as hee Mr. Fullers Holy-state who when his aggrieved Father complained that never man had so undutiful a childe as hee had yes said his son with less grace than truth my Grandfather had The heaviness of his mother The Mother is mentioned though the Father haply as heavy first as most faulted it her children miscarry Prov. 24.15 Next as most slighted by them Prov. 15.20 And lastly as most impatient of
ictus ictus vulnera saepe vulnera morâ— consequitur Wrath stirs up strife strife causeth ill words ill words draw on blows bloodshed and losse of life sometimes But hee that is slow to anger appeaseth strife Is as busie to stint strife as the other to stir it brings his buckets to quench this unnatural fire betwixt others and puts up injuries done to himself as Jonathan did when his Father flung a Javelin at him hee rose from Table and walked into the field David also though provoked yet hee as a deaf man heard not and was as one dumb in whose mouth there was â—â— reproof Such peaceable and peace-making men are blessed of God and â—â—ghly esteemed of men when wranglers are to be shunned as perilous persons Make not friendship with an angry man saith Solomon Prov. 22.24 And they are not much to bee regarded that with every little offensive breath or disgraceful word are blown up into rage that will not bee laid down without revenge or reparation to cure their credits Vers 19. The way of a slothful man is as a hedge of thorns Perplexed and let some so that hee gets no ground makes no riddance hee goes as if hee were shackled when hee is to go upon any good course so many perils hee casts and so many excuses hee makes this hee wants and that hee wants when in truth it is a heart onely that hee wants being wofully hampered and inthralled in the invisible chains of the Kingdome of darkness and driven about by the Devil at his pleasure This will bee a bodkin at these mens hearts one day to think I had a price in my hand but no heart to make use of it I foolishly held Germani dicunt Anser est in porta that a little with ease was best and so neglected so great salvation shifting off him that spake to mee from Heaven Heb. 12.25 and pretending some Lion in the way some Goose at the gate when I was to do any thing for my souls health Never any came to Hell saith one but had some pretence for their coming thither Vâ—a strata But the way of the righteous is made plain Or Is cast up as a Causey a Gabbatha John 19.13 a rode raised above the rest There seems to bee an allusion to that bank or causey that went from the Kings house to the Temple 1 Chron. 26.16 18. 1 King 10.5 2 Chron. 9.11 And the sense is that the godly by much practice of piety having gotten an habit dispatch duty with delight and come off with comfort See Isa 40.31 Vers 20. A wise Son maketh a glad Father See the Note on chap. 10.1 Vers 21. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of understanding See the Note on chap. 10.23 But a man of understanding walketh uprightly And hee doth it with delight as the opposition implies Christs burden is no more grievous to him Sinceritas screnitatis mater siâ—e qua tranquillitas omnis tempestas est Isidor than the wing is to the bird Matth. 11.30 1 John 5.3 His sincerity supplies him with a serenity the joy of the Lord as an oyl of gladness makes him lithe and nimble in waies of holiness And this spiritual joy in some is an habitual gladness of heart which constantly after assurance is found in them though they feel not the passions of joy but in others there are felt at sometimes the vehement passions of joy but not any constant gladnesse Vers 22. Without counsel purposes are disappointed The word here rendred Counsel signifies Secret because counsel should bee kept secret which to signifie the old Romans as Servins testifieth built the Temple of Consus their God of Counsel sub tecto in Circo in a publick place but under a covert And it grew to a proverb Romani sedendo vincunt The Romans by sitting in Counsel conquer their enemies But what a strange man was Xerxes and it prospered with him accordingly who in his expedition against Greece called his Princes together but gave them no freedome of speech Val. Max. lib. 9. cap. 5. nor liberty of Counsel Lest said hee to them I should seem to follow mine own counsel I have assembled you And now do you remember that it becomes you rather to obey than to advise Daniels Hist Such another was that James that reigned in Scotland in our Edward the fourths time Hee was too much wedded saith the Historian to his own opinion and would not endure any mans advice how good soever that hee fancied not hee would seldome ask counsel but never follow any See the Note on chap. 11.14 Vers 23. A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth It reflects comfort upon a man when hee hath spoken discreetly to the benefit and good content of others Some degree of comfort follows every good action as heat accompanies fire as beams and influence issue from the Sun which is so true that very Heathens upon the discharge of a good conscience have found comfort and peace answerable A word spoken in due season how good is it One seasonable truth falling on a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation Galeacius was converted by a similitude used by Peter Martyr reading on 1 Corinth Junius was reduced from Atheism by conference with a country-man of his Luther having heard Staupicius say that that is kinde repentance which begins from the love of God ever after that time the practice of repentance was the sweeter to him Also this speech of his took well with Luther Melch. Adam Doctrina praedestinationis incipit à vulneribus Christi The doctrine of predestination begins at Christs wounds Melancthon tells how that one time when Luther as hee was naturally passionate fell into a great distemper upon some provocation he quickly quieted him by reciting this verse Vince animos iramque tuam qui catera vincis At the hearing hereof Luther curbs in his passion and smiling said Non volumus de his amplius sed de aliis colloqui Joban Manâ— loc com Wee 'l talk no more of these matters Vers 24. The way of life is above to the wise Hee goes an higher way than his neighbour even in his common businesses because they are done in Faith and Obedience Hee hath his feet where other mens heads are and like an heavenly Eagle delights himself in high-flying Busied hee may bee in mean low things but not satisfied in them as adequate Objects A wise man may sport with children but that is not his business Domitian spent his time in catching flyes and Artaxerxes in making hafts for knives but that was the baseness of their spirits Wretched worldlings make it their work to gather wealth as children do to tumble a snow-ball they are scattered abroad throughout all the land as those poor Israelites were Exod. 5.12 to gather stubble not without an utter neglect of their poor souls But what I wonder will these men do when Death
iniquity as sure as the coat is on their back or the heart in their body Vers 16. The man that wandreth out of the way Let him wander while hee will that deviateth from the truth according to godliness hee cannot possibly wander so far as to miss of Hell God hath sworn in his wrath that no such vagrants shall enter into his rest Isa 50.11 Psal 95. Nay This shall they have of my hand Prov. 2.18 See the Note they shall lye down in sorrow they shall rest with Rephaims if at least they can rest in that restless resting-place of hell-fire in that Congregation-house of gehermal-giants where is punishment withour pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torments without end and past imagination Vers 17. Hee that loveth pleasure c. Luxury is attended by beggery Pleasure may bee had but not loved Isaac loved Venison a little better haply than hee should Esau loved hunting hence hee grew prophane and though not a begger Seneca yet worse The Prodigal in the Gospel spent his substance with riotous living Luk. 16.13 So did Apicius the Romane who hearing that there were seven hundred Crowns onely remaining of a vast estate that his Father had left him Valer. feared want and hanged him M. Livius another waste-good boasted when hee died that hee had left nothing for his heir praeter coelum coenum more than air and mire Roger Ascham School-Master to Queen Elizabeth Camb. Elisab and her Secretary for the Latine tongue being too much addicted to dicing and cock-fighting lived and died a poor man Vers 18. The wicked shall bee a ransome Heb. Copher a cover or an expiation as Achan was for Israel and as those condemned persons among the Heathens Budaeu◠that in time of pestilence or contagious infection were offered up by way or publick expiation with these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bee thou a reconciliation for us To this custome Saint Paul seems to allude 1 Cor. 4.13 Thus when Sauls sons were hanged Gods wrath was appeased 2 Sam. 21. and when guilty Jonah was cast into the Sea all was calm Thus God gave Egypt for Israels ransome yea Seba and Ethiopia Isa 43.3 And although hee may seem sometimes to sell his people for nought and not to encrease his wealth by their price Psal 44.12 yet when it comes to a critical point I will give men for thee and people for thy price Isa 43.4 See Prov. 11.8 with the Note there Vers 19. It is better to dwell in the wilderness Among ravenous beasts and venemous serpents in greatest danger and want of all necessary accommodation This is so much worse than the house-top as an angry and vexatious woman which like a mad dog bites all about her and makes them as mad as her self is worse than her that is not so much angry as unquiet brawling as Dogs bark sometimes in the night of custome or fancy and not provoked by any See supra vers 9. Vers 20. There is a treasure to bee desired Hee had said before Hee that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not bee rich Here hee shews that though these things may not bee loved or lavished yet they may and must bee had and heaped up in a way of good husbrandry for necessity yea for honest affluence that wee may not onely live but live comfortably that wee may not onely have prisoners pittance so much as will keep us alive but that wee may have plenty of things desirable both for profit as treasure and for delight as oyl And these things must not bee foolishly wasted as they are usually by unthrifts lest that make the wife that wants angry and unquiet as in the former verse Vers 21. Hee that followeth after righteousness Though for such a measure of it as hee desires hee cannot overtake or compass it If hee bee but doing at it Si faciat praecepta etiamsi non perficiat if hee think upon Gods Commandements to do them Psal 103.18 If though hee cannot open the door yet hee is lifting at the latch hee shall bee accepted yea rewarded Hee that follows after righteousness and mercy as an Apprentice follows his Trade though hee bee not his Craftsmaster shall surely finde righteousness with life and honour to boot And is not that a good thing a treasure to bee desired Vers 22. A wise man scaleth the City of the mighty Wisdome is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is profitable for all things of singular and sovereign use as in domestick and politick so in Military affairs and businesses Here Prudence is made out to bee better than Puissance and one wise man to bee too hard for many mighty though got into the strongest Garrisons In War wisdome is better than strength saith Solomon more than once Eccles 9.16 and Chap. 7.19 How did Archimedes hold out Syracuse against the Roman General by his singular skill and industry And how many strong Cities have been scaled and surpized by warlike wiles and stratagems as Babylon by Cyrus first Dio. and afterwards by Zopyrus Jerusalem by Pompey taking the opportunity of the seventh day Sabbath wherein hee knew the superstitious Jews would not stir to defend themselves and many others that might out of Histories bee instanced Vers 23. Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue As hee that keepeth his doors fast locked preserveth himself from danger See the Note on Chap. 13.3 The large and loose use of the tongue brings a man oft to divers straights and miseries Vers 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name An ill name hee gets him and lyes under the common reproach of a proud peevish person Hee seeks renown by his rage and revenge as Lamech that vaunted of his valour this way to his wives Alexander Pheraeus who consecrated the javelin wherewith hee had slain Polyphron Caelius the Lawyer that gloried to bee held the most froward and frample Roman alive c. But God loadeth such a man with disgrace as here and gives him his due character Men also will hate him and despise him for a son of Belial as Nabals servants said of him for a mad frantick fellow being once inraged cares not what hee sayes as Jonas what hee doth as Saul who dealing in proud wrath was so kindled by the Devil that hee could not bee quenched till hee fell into the unquenchable lake Besides the infamy that will never bee washed off the brand of reproach like that of Dathan and Abiram who rose up in proud wrath against Moses and Aaron and are therefore worthily stigmatized with a This is that Dathan Numb 26.9 like that other This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 and as wee commonly say of such an one that hee is a proud fool Vers 25. The desire of the sloathful killeth him Hee onely wisheth well to himself but refusing to labour pineth away in his iniquity Lev. 26.39 Neither grace nor wealth is
meet for the work and therefore not examining his religion entertained him into his service yea placed him over the family of Joseph admitted him into so much familiarity and so let loose the bridle of domestical discipline to him that he took state upon him as a young master in the house and soon after turned traitour and would needs be as his sonne and more The like is to be seen in Abner Ishbosheths servant who grew so haughty and haunty that he might not be spoken to 2 Sam. 3. And in Zimre whom his master Elah so favoured and esteemed that he made him captain over the half-part of his charets But this begger thus set on horse-back rides without reigns to the ruin of his master and his whole house 1 King 16.11 So true is that of the Poet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asperius nihil est humili dum surgit in altum Tobiah the servant is so insolent ther 's no dealing with him Vers 22. An angry man stirreth up strife See Chapter 15.18 and 16.21 And a furious man Hebr. A master of fury or one that is mastered and overmatched by his fury that hath no command of his passions but is transported by them or as some make the metaphor and the Original will well bear it is wedded to them as a man is to his wife commanded by them Plutarch as the Persian Kings were by their Concubines being captivarum suarum captivi slaves to their slaves Such a man being big with wrath not onely breeds contention but brings forth transgression in great abundance he sets his mouth against heaven and his tongue walketh through the earth c. Psal 73. he lets fly on both hands and lays about him like a mad man Vers 23. A mans pride shall bring him low For it sets God against him and Angels and men not good men onely but bad men too and those that are as proud as themselves For whereas one drunkard loves another and one thief another c. one proud person cannot endure another but seeks to undermine him that he alone may bear the bell carry the commendation the praise and promotion See chap. 11.12 and 15.33 and 18.12 Vers 24. Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul Sith to hold the bag is as bad as to fill it to consent to sin or to conceal it as bad as â—o commit it By the one as well as by the other a man may easily become as Coraeh did a sinner against his own soul and cruelly cut the throat of it Let our publike theevs look to this See Isa 1.23 He heareth cursing and bewrayeth it not See Levit. 5.1 with the Note To conceal treason is treason so here Have no fellowship therefore with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Let me be counted proud or pragmatical saith Luther rather than found guilty of sinful silence Luth. Epist ad Staupiâ— whiles my Lord suffereth Vers 25. The fear of man bringeth a snare This cowardly passion expectorates and exposes a man to many both sinnes and sufferings And albeit faith when it is in the heart quelleth and killeth distrustful fear and is therefore fitly opposed to it in this sacred sentence yet in the very best Sense fights sore against Faith when it is upon its own dunghil I mean in a sensible danger Natures retraction of it self from a visible fear may cause the pulse of a Christian that beats truly and strongly in the main point the state of the soul to intermit and faulter at such a time as we see in the exampleâ— of Abraham Isaac David Peter others who shewed some trepiâ—ation and timidity and like fearful birds and beasts fell into the pits and toyls of the Hunter and hazzarded themselves to Gods displeasure The Chameleon is said to bee the most fearful of all Creatures and doth therefore turn himself into so many colours to avoyd danger which yet will not bee God equally hateth the timorous and the treacherous Fearful men are the first in that black bedrole Rev. 21.8 Tectus â—â—tus But he that trusteth in the Lord shall be safe Or set on high as on a rock his place of defence shall be munitions of rocks Isa 33.15 farre out of harms-way he shall be kept safe as in a tower of brass or town of war Even the youth shall faint and be weary and the youngmen shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as Eagles c. Isa 40.30 31. Like as the Cony that flyes to the holes in the rocks doth easily avoyd the dogs that pursue her when the Hare that trusts to the swiftnesse of her leggs is at length overtaken and tore in peeces So here Vers 26. Many seek the Rulers favour More than the love of God and so cast themselves into a second snare besides that vers 25. But as he that truly trusts in God will easily expel the fear of man so he that looks upon God as Judge of all from whose sentence there is no appeal will rather seek his face than the favour of any earthly Judge whatsoever Especially since whether the Judge clear him or cast him the judgement he passeth is from the Lord. Vers 27. An unjust man is an abomination to the just Who yet hates non virum sed vitium not the person of a wicked man but his sin as the Physician hates the Disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but loves the Patient and strives to recover him hee abhorres that which is evil perfectly hates it Psal 139.22 hates it as hell so the Greek word signifies Rom. 12.9 hates it in his dearest friends as Asa did in his mother Maacha hates it most of all in himself as having the Divine Nature transfused into him whereby hee resembles God and that life of God whereunto sin he knows is a destructive poyson a sicknesse unto death Arist Rhetor. 1 Joh. 5. Hence his implacable and no lesse impartial hatred of all as well as any sin for all hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle hath it to the whole kind It was said of Antony that he hated a Tyrant not Tyranny it cannot be said of a Saint he hates sinners not sin but the contrary And he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked So there is no love lost betwixt them The Devil hath set his limbes in all wicked people they are a Serpentine seed a viperous brood and the old enmity continues Gen. 3.15 see the Note there Antipathies there are in Nature as between the Elephant and Boar the Lion and Cock the Horse and the Stone called Taraxippe c. But this is nothing to that betwixt the godly and the wicked and why but because the ones works are good and the others evil and because the just man condemnes the unjust by his contrary courses yea hee affrights his heart and terrifies him with his presence and
nor the worlds opposition As for the former Christ blots out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 that is enormities as well as infirmities Hee casts all the sins of his Saints into the bottom of the Sea which can as easily cover mountains as mole-hills And for the second Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey meaning than all the Churches enemies called for their ravenousness mountains of Lions and Leopards Cant. 4.8 The stout-hearted are spoiled c. Psal 76.4 5. And who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Zech. 4.7 And whereas mans soul hath naturally many mountains of pride and prophaneness in it there is that Leviathan Psal 104.26 and creeping things innumerable as the Psalmist saith of the Sea And for his body there is not a vein in it that would not swell to the bigness of the highest hill to make resistance to the work of grace every such mountain and hill is made low before the Lord Christ Isa 40.4 and every high thing cast down that exalts it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10. Hee comes with authority and reigns over all impediments Vers 9. My Beloved is like a Roe or a young Hart Viz. For sweetness and swiftness as in the former verse His help seems long because wee are short In the opportunity of time hee will not bee wanting to those that wait for him The Lion seems to leave her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling but at last shee relieves them and hereby they become the more couragious God seems to forget his people sometimes but it is that they may the better remember themselves and reminde him Hee seems as here to have taken a long journey and to bee at a great distance from them when as indeed hee is as near us as once hee was to Mary Magdalen after his Resurrection but shee was so bleared shee could not see him If hee at any time absent himself for trial of our Faith and love to him and to let us know how ill wee can bee without him yet hee is no further off than behinde some wall or screen Or if hee get out of doors from us yet hee looks in at the window to see how wee take it and soon after shews himself thorow the Lattess that wee may not altogether despond or despair of his return 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apparuit instar floris exoricutis Yea hee flourisheth or blossometh thorow the Lattesses like some flower or fruit-tree that growing under or near unto a window sends in a sweet sent into the room or perhaps some pleasant branches to teach that Christ cometh not to his without profit and comfort to their souls Vers 10. My Beloved spake and said Heb. Answered and said Shee had sighed out belike some such request unto her Beloved as David did Psal 30.19 Return O Lord how long Lovers hours are full of eternity Hee replieth Even now my Love behold here I am for thy help Now will I rise now will I bee exalted Isa 33.10 now will I lift up my self Rise thou therefore out of the ashes wherewith thou hast been covered Lam. 3.16 and come away to a better condition Or Rise out of sin wherein by nature thou sittest Luk. 1.79 Stand up from the dead come away to Christ and hee shall give thee light Ephes 5.14 Come for the Master calleth as they said to blinde Bartimeus Mark 10.49 Come for it is high time to come sith now is our salvation nearer than when we beleeved The night is far spent the day is at hand c. Rom. 13.11 12. The winter is past the flowers appear c. Up therefore and come with mee to my Country-house as it were to take the pleasure of the Spring-tide In Heaven there is a perpetual Spring and here the Saints have hansel of heaven those first-fruits of the spirit even as many as are holy Brethren partakers of this heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Vers 11. For loe the winter is past the Rain is over and gone In winter the clouds commonly return after the Rain Eccles 12.2 A showre or two doth not clear the air but though it rain much yet the sky is still over-cast with clouds and as one showre is unburthened another is brewed Loe such is the doleful and dismal condition of such as are not effectually called by Christ Omnis illis dies hybornus est it is ever winter with them no spring of grace no Sun-shine of sound comfort It is with such as it was with Paul and his fellow-sailers Act. 27.20 when as neither Sun nor Stars in many daies appeared and no small tempest lay on them all hope that they shall bee saved was then taken away All the hope is that God who by all his all-quickening voice raiseth the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 that calleth those his people that were not his people and her Beloved which was not Beloved Rom. 9.25 Together with his voice there goeth forth a power as Luk. 5.17 as when hee bade Lazarus come forth hee made him rise and come away so here Of carnal Christ makes us a people created again Psal 102.18 Ephes 2.10 of a wilde Asse Colt hee makes a man Job 11.12 and of an hollow person as empty and void of heart as the hollow of a tree is of substance hee makes a solid Christian fit to bee set in the heavenly building This is as great a work as the making of a world with a word God plants the Heavens and laies the foundation of the Earth that hee may say to Zion Thou art my people Isa 51.16 Hence Christ is called the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 And the Apostle Rom. 5.10 argues from Vocation to Glorification as the lesser Vers 12. The flowers appear on the Earth Here wee have a most dainty description of the Spring or prime time as the French call it far surpassing that of Horace and the rest of the Poets Prim-tempe who yet have shewed themselves very witty that way For the sense by flowers made rather to smell to than to feed upon are understood saith an Interpreter the first-fruits of the Spirit whereby the Elect give a pleasant smell and therein lyeth sweetness of speech and words going before works even as flowers before fruits For the which cause as the Apostle exhorteth that our speech bee gracious alwaies ministring Edification to the hearer Col. 4.6 so the Prophet calls it a pure language which the Lord will give to as many as love him as are called according to his purpose Zeph. 3.9 The time of the singing of birds is come Hic autem garritus avium plurimum facit ad veris commendationem this chirping of birds makes much to the Springs commendation saith â—â—nebrard How melodiously sing the Ministers of the Gospel whiles they aâ— unto
said Holy holy holy Hereby shewing their earnestness and unsatisfiableness in praising God as Jer. 22.20 Mat. 23.37 the ingemination importeth strong affection Infinitis vicibus iterant saith Procopius the holy Angels have no rest and yet they have no unrest neither day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Rev. 4.8 The ancient Rabbines as R. Simeon Ben Joai proved the Trinity of persons from this text saith Galatin appointing their posterity to repeat these words twice a day at least Lib. 2. cap. 1. viz. at the rising and setting of the Sun which also they do to this day and when they do it they leap three times The whole earth is full of his glory Not the Land of Judea only but the wide world as Psalm 97.6 8. Isa 40.5 shall be full of Gods glory when the Gospel shall be preached to all Nations This was for comfort to our Prophet that although his Country-men were cast off for their contumacy yet he should not lose the fruit of his labours when once that great Mysterie of godliness was revealed God whom he had now seen upon the Throne and that purposely for his confirmation manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles 1 Tim. 3.16 believed on in the world received up into glory Ver. 4. And the posts of the door were moved Presently upon the Angels hymn this fell out with such a force it was uttered like as at our Saviours Resurrection when the Angel rolled back the stone and sat upon it there was a great Earthquake Mat. 28.2 By the moving of the posts or thresholds was signified the destruction of the Temple like as by-the smoak wherewith the house was filled the burning of it down by the Chaldees as also the just excaecation of the Jews Their Temple that had been filled with the train of glory is now filled with smoak going out of Gods Nostrils when he was angry Psalm 18.8 See Deut. 29.20 Ver. 5. Then said I Wo is me The ordinary fear of the faithful when they had seen the Lord in his Majesty Gen. 16.13 Deut. 5.24 Heb. 12.21 Judg. 13.22 How shall the wicked then be able to stand before him at the last day For I am undone I am a dead man sith no man shall see God and live Exod. 33.20 Because I am a man of unclean lips i. e. of a foul nature and sinful practice his original uncleanness that filthy Fountain and well-spring of wickedness made him cry out in this manner Pollutior sum quam ut landem Deum Angels praise God as I have heard them but I wicked wretch am altogether unfit for such an employment Infinite is the distance and disproportion betwixt the High and Holy God and me a lothsome Leper a sordid caytiffe c. The nearer a man draweth to God the more doth rottenness enter into his bones Hab. 3.16 Now mine eyes have seen thee saith Job therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.6 Depart from me Lord saith Peter for I am a sinful man Gr. a man a sinner Luke 5. that is a compound or hodgpodge of dirt and sin Quis tu Domine quis ego said One Tu abyssus essentiae veritatis gloriae ego abyssus nihili vanitatis miseriae Who art Thou Lord and what am I Thou art an Abysse of Essence Truth and Glory and I an abysse of nothing of sin and of misery And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips whose Language I have learned with whose sinful practices I have too much symbolized and in whose punishments therefore I am like to be involved for there is a double danger to a man by conversing with the ungodly 1. Infection of sin 2. Infliction of punishment Lot was the Worlds Miracle who kept himself fresh in Sodoms salt-water Ver. 6. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me Relin quit chorum illum sanctissimum ut serviat polluto he leaveth that holy company that he may do service to a poor polluted creature The brightest Angel in Heaven thinketh not himself too good to serve the Saints Heb. 1.14 If there come to us at any time a Messenger one of a thousand to declare unto us our righteousness to be unto us a Minister of Reconciliation we are to receive him as an Angel of God Having a live coal in his hand a coal from the Altar shadowing the merit and Spirit of Christ purging his people from all sin The Tongs whereby this quick-coal of Christs Righteousness is applyed to the soul is the Grace of Faith Act. 15.9 Ver. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth Not to burn him for all this was visional but to expiate and purifie his lips by the Spirit of judgement and of burning Chap. 4.4 to fire him up to an holy contention in godliness and to fit him yet further for his Office as the Apostles were for theirs by cloven tongues of fire Act. 2. And said Lo this hath touched thy lips To the sign words are used to make a perfect Sacrament And here the cautelousness of the Angel is to be noted He saith not I have touched 1 Cor. 15.10 but lo this coal hath touched thy lips So Paul yet not I but the Grace of God in me So the good and faithful servant Not I but thy Talent hath gained five Talents Luk. 19.16 The Seraph was himself a burning creature as his very name importeth howbeit it was not the Seraph but the Retheph or burning-coal that did the deed that God might have all the glory Thine iniquity is taken away Sacraments take not away sin but only testifie that iniquity is purged by Christ alone who hath merited Justification and Sanctification Ver. 8. Whom shall I send Lay hands upon no man rashly but with deliberation The mysterie of the Trinity is well observed by some in the following words as by others this that Ministers serve not men but the only true God Father Son and Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 4.1 2 Cor. 5.21 Nobis id est tribus Elohim sive personis sanct Trin. Piscat Who shall go for us God knew whom he would send but he will have the Prophet offer himself for he loveth a cheerful server and Ministers must take the oversight of Gods Flock not of constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 Here am I send me This was right and this was wrought in him not by base fear of punishment as we read of one Balthus a dumb man that wandring in a Desart Pausanlas and met with a Lion he was struck with such exceeding fear and trepidation that thereupon the string of his tongue was loosed and he spake ever after sed igne Dei tactus actus est The Seraph had comforted him and this was the effect of it The Prophet after the touch of the live-coal felt his gifts encreased his zeal kindled and
Ancient calleth them Temporaries and Hypocrites who do only the outward works of duty without the inward principle it may be said of them as the civil Law doth of those mixt beasts Elephants Camels c. operam praestant natura fera est they do the work of tame beasts yet have the nature of wild ones Their yong ones shall lie down together Heb. their children i e. say some children after Parents shall do thus and their children after them from age to age Arcularius not revolting any more to barbarism And the Lyon shall eat straw Not men and other sensitive creatures as now Câ—nversi non vivent ex rapto sed legitime partis reculis contenti erunt This say the Chiliasts after some Rabbins shall be literally fulfilled in that golden Age of Christs personal Reign upon earth A meer fancy first vented by Papias a man of some holiness but ingenii pertenuis of very little judgement saith Eusebius Ver. 8. And the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the asp c. There shall be no danger from calumniators and cruel-crafties Asps and Basiliskes quorum in labris venenum sessitat Psalm 140.4 These homines damnosissimi shall have a new nature transfused into them their malignâ—ties and mischievous qualities shall cease when once truly converted Ver. 9. None shall hurt Here the foregoing Allegory is fully explained In Gods Holy Mountain that is in the Church there shall be an holy harmlesness and a sweet Harmony of hearts The word amongst them shall be this Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 John 4 11. Some differences and jarrs there may fall out among the best as did betwixt Paul and Barnabas Hierom and Austin Luther and Zuinglius but these last not long at utmost but till they come to Heaven and the ground of such a distemper is that we know but in part and therefore love but in part 1 Cor. 13. O pray for that blessed sight Eph. 1.17 18. and for a fuller comprehension of those several dimensions Eph. 3.18 that the earth may be full of the Knowledge of the Lord. As the waters cover the sea i e. The bosom and bottom of it that Gods Word may dwell richly in us in all wisdom and that the knowledge we have of it may be a transforming knowledge 2 Cor. 3.18 Two or three words of Gods mouth hid in the heart and there mingled with faith work such an evident and entire change in a man saith Lactantius that you can hardly know him to be the same Lactant. Instit lib. 3. cap. 86. Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus maledicus effraenatus paucissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quam ovem reddam Da cupidum avarum tenacem c. Give me a man that is angry ill-spoken unruly with a few words of Almighty God I le make him as meek as a Lamb. Give me one that is covetous an oppressive hold-fast a very Nabal I le make him a Nadib of a covetous carle a liberal person of a Viper a child of a leacher a chast man c. Lo this is the fruit of the sound and saving Knowledge of God and of his Word of our selves and of our duties Ver. 10. And in that day In the day of Christs power or Kingdom the people shall be willing Psalm 110.3 The Isles shall wait for Gods Law Isa 42.8 Multitudes of Nations shall come crowding in to his greatest glory Prov. 14.2 and for the fulfilling of old Jacobs Prophesie Gen. 49.10 There shall be a root of Jesse See on ver 1. Which shall stand for an Ensign or Standard whereto all the Elect must Assemble and hereby is meant the preaching of the Gospel Shall the Gentiles seek Ferventi studio magno desiderio non coacti they shall flye thereto as the Clouds and as Doves scour to their windows chap. 60.8 And his rest that is His Church with whom he resteth and resideth Psal 132.8 He resteth also in his Love to his people and rejoyceth over them with singing Zeph. 3.17 See the Notes there Shall be glorious Heb. glory sc per sanctitutem chap. 4.5 Ver. 11. The Lord shall set his hand again the second time Not to bring them back to the promised Land to Palestina as once he did out of Aegypt that 's but a Rabbinical dream not unlike that other viz. that all Jews in what Countrey soever they are buried do travel thorow certain under-ground-passages till they come to their own Countrey of Jury But with a stretcht-out hand he shall recover the remnant of his people that shall be left So the Poet relliquias Danaum atque immitis Achillei He shall recover Or get buy purchase that poor dissected Nation Elevatio signi est praedicatio Crucifix Oecolamp out of all places of their dispersion uniting their minds and subduing their enemies Ver. 12. And he shall set up an Ensign See on ver 10. Dispersas oves Judae Piscat The dispersed of Judah See John 7.35 Jam. 1.1 The word dispersed in the Hebrew is Feminine to shew that no sort or sex shall be excluded Col. 3.11 Discimus sub Christo finem sore simultatum odiorum Oecol Dan. hist 249. Ver. 13. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart The fierce wrath or deadly feud that was betwixt the ten revolted Tribes of Judah the like whereunto was between England and Scotland and in England between the Houses of York and Lancaster in which last-mentioned dissention were slain fourscore Princes of the blood Royal and twice as many Natives of England as were lost in the two Conquests of France This emulation and hatred of Ephraim against Judah was to be abolished by Christ Ezek. 37.17 The Disciples being of several Tribes were all of one heart and of one soul Peza ex Beda Act. 4.32 Neither was there any controversie at all amongst them as one ancient Greek Coppy addeth to that forecited Text. Ver. 14. But they shall flee upon the shoulders A Metaphor from Conquerers who pursue their enemies and fall upon the bones of them as we say The meaning is The Gentiles shall be converted to the Christian faith by the Jews See Gen. 49.8 viz. by the Apostles and other Preachers of the Gospel Thus Philip was found at Azotus or Ashdod Act. 8. Peter at Joppe Act. 10. At Gaza and Askelon were many flourishing Churches in the times of Athanasius and Chrysostom Tertul. saith Adrichomius Brittannorum inaccessa Romanis loca Christo patuerunt Ver. 15. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Aegyptian sea that is by drying up or driving away the waters He shall open a way through the red Sea which representeth the form and fashion of a Tongue He alludeth to Exod. 14. for Christ being our Conduct we do enter by Baptism as by the red Sea into the Church and after this life present into the Kingdom of Heaven He shall
wrought all our works in us Or for us Certum est nos facere quod facimus sed Deus facit ut faciamus without Christ we can do nothing Ioh. 15.5 In him alone is our fruit found Hos 14.8 It is well observed by a grave Interpreter that the Church in the Canticles is nowhere described by the beauty of her hands or fingers because God alone worketh all her works for her and had rather that she should abound in good works in silence then to boast of them at all Ver. 13. O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us Or have mastered us Oh that men were so sensible of their spiritual servitude as thus to complain thereof to Jesus Christ But alass they do nothing less for most part delighting on the Devils drudgery which they count the only liberty and dancing as it were to hell in their bolts Will we make mention of thy name For which end we would not be the servants of men much less the slaves of Satan 1 Cor. 7.27 that basest of slaves but the free-men of Christ where the spirit is there is liberty and if the Son set us free Joh. 8. we shall be free indeed Ver. 14. They are dead Those other Lords of ours are ver 13. But seldom lieth the devil dead in a dyke saith our proverb yet he and his agents have their deadly wound and shall be trodden under our feet shortly Rom. 16.20 Oh groan in spirit after that sweet day of full redemption c. Therefore thou hast visited Or because thou hast visited Wo be to a person or people when God taketh them to do Ver. 15. Thou hast increased the Nation That righteous Nation which keepeth the truth ver 2. Some render and sense the words thus Thou hast indeed increased the Nation sc of the Jews thou hadst done it O sweet mercy I am the better to speak of it and therefore I speak it twice but thou wast heavy-laden sc with their sins therefore thou hast removed it far unto all the ends of the Earth Who knoweth not what a dispersed and despised people the Jews are in all places banished as it were out of the world by a common consent of Nations Be not therefore high-minded but fear Ver. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee Pulcherrimus afflictationum fructus precandi ardor assiduitas Affliction exciteth devotion as blowing doth the fire Christ in his agony prayed most earnestly Luke 22.44 Martha and Mary when their Brother Lazarus was sick sent Messengers to Jesus Joh. 11.3 quos putas nisi suspiria continuata nisi prece◠irremissas saith Scultetus i. e. what were those Messengers but their continued groans and earnest prayers See Hos 5.15 with the Note Prayer is the Daughter of affliction and the Mother of comfort Not dropped but poured not prayers but a prayer one continual act and as in the speaking of three or four words there is much efficacy in a charm so their prayers were very prevalent They poured out Freely and largely and well-watered as 1 Sam. 1.10 7.6 ver 9.1 A prayer Heb. A charm a mussitation a submiss and lowly speech Spels and Enchantments were conceived to be full of efficacy containing much in few think the same of prayer But how much was he mistaken in this kind of charm or spell who would haunt the Taverns Play-houses and Whore houses at London all day but he durst not go forth without private prayer in the morning and then would say at his departure Now Devil do thy worst Ver. 17. So have we been in thy sight Heb. From thy face i. e. By reason of thy wrath So 2 Thes 1.9 who shall be punished from the presence of God that is of God himself present to their terrour Ver. 18. We have been with child With divers devices and hopes which yet have miscarryed and run aslope See Job 15.35 with the Note there We have as it were brought forth wind As did Queen Mary to her own great grief and the disappointment of her Expectants Dale the promoter for instance Well quoth he at the apprehending of Julian Living You hope and hope but your hope shall be aslope For although the Queens conceptions should still fail as they did yet she that you hope for shall never come at it for there is my Lord Cardinals grace and many more between her Act. Mon. fol. 1871. and it But my Lord Cardinals grace departed the very next day after Queen Mary Ib. 1905. having taken as t is thought some Italian Physick and Queen Elizabeth succeeded in the Throne to the great joy of all good men Ver. 19. Thy dead men shall rise So shall not thine enemies ver 14. This may seem to be Christs gracious answer to his poor desponding people and it is say some argumentum à beata Resurrections sumptum an argument taken from the happy resurrection of the righteous the wicked also shall be raised at the last day but not by the like means nor for the like blessed purpose Dan. 12.2 Some read the words thus Thy dead my dead body shall live for the faithful say they are Christs body Eph. 4.12 and therefore to shew this My dead body is here added by Apposition to shew how the faithful being dead and buried are to be accounted of even Christs dead body c. and shall be raised at the last day by vertue of that mystical union which still they hold with Christ Hence they are said to sleep in Jesus to be dead in Christ Phil. 3.21 who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself The Hebrews call a dead corpse Nephesh i. e. a soul Numb 5.2 9 10. 19.11 Hag. 2.14 to note that it shall live again and that the soul shall return to it At this day also they call the Church-yard Bethcaiim the house of the living Leo Modena Hist of Rites of the Iews pag. 238. and as they return from the burial-place every one plucks off grass from off the ground twice or thrice and casts it over his head saying florebunt de civitate tanquam foenum terrae c. Psal 92.12 13. so to set forth their hopes of a resurrection Neither need it seem incredible with any that God should raise the dead Acts 26.8 considering what followeth 1. Together with my dead body shall they arise i. e. with Christs body raised as the first fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15. One of the Rabbins readeth it As my dead body they shall arise 2. The force of Christs all-powerful voice saying Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust Arise and come away lift up your heads for your Redemption is at hand The Resurrection is in the Syriack called the Consolation Joh. 11.24 3. Thy dew is as the dew of herbs
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
famine and sword and want of consolation as ver 18. By whom shall I comfort thee By whom but by my self when thou art at thy greatest under and even forsaken of thy hopes See ver 12. Ver. 20. Thy sons have fainted Fame macie tabe vulnere utterly disabled to relieve thee ver 18. As a wild Bull in a net Taken in a toil where he struggles and strives foames and fumes but cannot get out Ver. 21. Thou afflicted and drunken With a dry drunkennesse which thou canst not so easily sleep out See ver 17. Ver. 22. Behold I have taken Though man could not Where humane help faileth Divine help beginneth Thou shalt no more drink it i. e Not of a long time till thy last devastation by the Romans Ver. 23. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee Who shall drink it not to drunkennesse only as thou hast done but unto madnesse Jer. 25.10 Baltasar and his Babylonians did so the revenging hand of God was afterwards upon Antiochus Vespatian and his children Antichristians drink of the wine of Gods wrath Rev. 14.10 Bow down This passage setteth forth their extreame cruelty and Thrasonical insolency But the case shall be altered Rev. 3.9 CHAP. LII Ver. 1. AWake awake Pluck up thy best heart as we say and rouse up thy self to receive the sweet promises For as mans laws so Gods promises favour not them that are asleep but awake and watchful O Jerusalem the holy City Thou that hast been brought through the fire being refined as silver is refined and tryed as gold is tryed Zach. 13.9 There shall no more come into thee Or against thee i. e. I will not suffer tyrants to vex thee or profane ones to harbour with thee See chap. 35.8 Ver. 2. Shake thy self from the dust Wherein thou layest along when trampled on chap. 51.23 Arise and sit down O Jerusalem Rather arise sit up O Jerusalem It hath been noted before that when Vespasian had subdued Judaea money was stamped with a woman sitting in the dust with this inscription Judaea subacta Loose thy self from the bonds of thy neck From thy spiritual servitude especially as Luk. 1.74 Rom. 6.19 shake the devils-yoke from off thy neck gestaque monilia sponsae libertatis and get on the Spouses ornaments Ver. 3. For thus saith the Lord Thus he pleadeth the cause of his people chap. 51.22 Ye have sold your selves for nought Heb. ye were sold for nought Babylonii non egerunt mihi gratias Piscat Mat. Paris Hist A. D. 1072 I had not so much as thanks for you from the enemy no more hath he from the devil and yet a letter was framed in Hildebrands dayes as sent from the devil wherein he kindly thanked the Popish Clergy for the many souls they dayly sent him to hell by their negligence and wickednesse And ye shall be redeemed without money Heb. without silver so were we 1 Pet. 1.18 Ver. 4. And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause Nulla injuria lacesssitus So did the Primitive Persecutors the Christians of those times though they were non aliunde noscibiles quam ex vitae integritate saith Justin Martyr eminent for their innocency as Pliny also in his Epistle to Trajan the Emperour testifieth What hurt had the Israelites ever done to malicious Moah that he was irked at them Num. 22.3 or the Hebrews to the Assyrians that they should oppresse them Ver. 5. Now therefore what have I here Cui bono to what purpose or profit for what wealth or worth suffer I my poor people to lie captives here at Babylon Or as others sense it Piscator what make I here any longer at Jerusalem when my poor people are in durance at Babylon why hasten I not to help them out They that rule over them make them to houle i. e. The Chaldaans and after them the Romans and then the Scribes and Pharisees by binding heavy burthens grievous to be born and laying them on mens consciences Mat. 23.4 And my name continually every day or all the day long is blasphemed That 's all I get by the bargain Ver. 6. Therefore my people shall know my name sc That I am Jehovah as Exod. 6.3 the God of Amen Isa 65.16 who will not suffer my faithfulness to faile nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth Psal 89.33 34. And it shall therefore be so because my name that nomen majestativum hath been blasphemed and vilified Gods people fare the better for their enemies insolencies That I am he that doth speak behold it is I Or that it is I that do speak saying Loe here I am This some understand of the second person in Trinity the eternal Son of the eternal Father called the Word Joh. 1.1 and there are that give us this Rule Where the Old Testament bringeth in God appearing and speaking we are to understand it alway of the second person See Joh. 12.37 to 42. Ver. 7. How beautiful Quam amaeni i. e. amabiles How amiable or desireable Interrogatio admirantis exultantis Vpon the mountains Whence they may best be heard as Judg. 9.7 saying as there Harken unto me that God may harken unto you Our Saviour that Arch-Evangelist who as some is here first and chiefly meant by Mebassher him that bringeth good tydings seeing the multitudes went up into a mountaine Mat. 5.1 which is said to be in the tribe of Nephthali and called Christs mount to this day blis Apostles afterwards travel'd and trudg'd on foot over hills and dales What a compasse fetcht Paul Rom. 15.19 Inter valium illud est milliarium Germanicorum 350. so that he might better be called than afterwards George Eagles the Martyr was Trudge-over-the world to preach the Gospel and to plant Churches to whom their feet though fouled and worn how much more their faces were deemed delectable and debonnaire Gal. 4.14 Act. 10.21 The Pope Peters pretended successor holdeth forth his feet to be kissed but preacheth not or not peace but war which he stirreth up by his roaring Bulls Of him that bringeth good tydings Whosoever he be that preacheth the Gospel that chief work of a Minister Rom. 10.15 Of Mr. John Dod it is written and I know it to be true that he was very Evangelical striving first to make men see their lost condition clearly for said he sense of misery must goe before sense of mercy and then largely and excellently opening the promises and the grace of God in Christ according to the Gospel looking at that as the most effectual preaching Some said he labour still to keep men under terrours loading them with threatnings c. lest they should not be humbled enough but the Gospel worketh true humiliation not the law it ariseth from sense of sin and misery joyned with hope of mercy The damned have terrour and sense of misery enough but that doth not humble them That publisheth peace The Gospel is a doctrine of peace
and from your sins and by beleeving the Gospel Defaecantur enim mores ubi medullitus excipitur Evangelium Amendment of life is an upright earnest and constant indeavour to do all that God commandeth and to forbear what he forbiddeth Ver. 4. Trust ye not in lying words Or matters sc that will deceive you The ships Triumph Cic. in Vatinuim or Good-speed may be ventorum ludibrium and miscarry upon the hard rocks or soft sands so fair shews and bare titles help not Vatinius that wicked Roman professed himself a Pythagorean and vicious Antipater wore a white cloak the ensign of innocency This was virtutis stragulam pudefacere said Diogenes wittily to put honesty to an open shame The Temple of the Lord the Temple are these i. e. These buildings or these three parts of the Temple viz. the most holy place the Sanctuary and the outer Court. To these are made the Promises of Gods perpetual residence Psal 132.14 therefore we are safe from all danger whilest here we take sanctuary See Mic. 3.11 The Romish crew in like manner have nothing in their mouths so much as the Church Ecclesiam ad ravim usque crepant catholicam the Church the Catholick Church and therein like Oyster-wives they out-cry us Many also amongst our selves cry the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord who do yet nothing care for the Lord of the Temple They glory in external priviledges and secure themselves therein as the Jews fable that Og King of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark without But what profiteth it Respicere ad phaleras nomina vana Catonum Esse Christianum grande est non videri saith Hierom. It 's a great priviledge to be a Christian but not to seem only to be so An empty title yeeldeth but an empty comfort at last Ver. 5. For if ye thoroughly amend your wayes If ye thoroughly execute judgement If ye be serious in the one and sedulous in the other See ver 2. Ver. 6. If ye oppresse not the stranger c. Turtures amat Deus non vultures See on Isa 1.23 Ver. 7. Then will I cause you to dwell in this place Not else Gods Promises are with a condition which is as an oar in a boat or stern of a ship and turns the Promise another way Ver. 8. Behold ye trust c. See on ver 4. Ver. 9. Will ye steal murther c. Heb. will ye stealing steal murthering murther c. i. e. drive a trade with the devil by these soul practises allowed and wallowed in quasi examen malorum facinorum nihil obsit modo domum Dei ingrederemini as if you could set off with me and make amends by your good deeds for your bad Ver. 10. And come and stand before me in this house This was worse then to do as the Circassians a kind of mongrel-Christians of the Greek-Church at this day who as they baptize not their children till the eighth year so they enter not into the Church the Gentlemen especially till the sixtieth year but heare divine service standing without the Temple Brâ—erw Enquir that is to say till through age they grow unable to continue their rapines and robberies to which sin that Nation is exceedingly addicted And say We are delivered i. e. Licensed Hoc idem dicunt qui cogitationes inter peccato non numerant saith Oecolampadius Ver. 11. Is this house which is called by my name Is it become impiae gentis arcanum Aâ—x omnium turpitudinum as Florus afterwards spitefully called it or a professed Sanctuary of roguery as the Papists maliciously say of Geneva Or a receptacle of all abominations as Pompey's Theatre in Rome was once said to be Become a den of robbers To such it should have been said by the Porters Gressus removete profani In the mystical sacrifices of Ceres no profane person was to be admitted for the Priest going before uttered these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is be packing every wicked person So the Roman Priests had their procul ô procul este profani Ver. 12. But go ye now Non passibus sed sensibus Summon the sobriety of your senses before your own judgments and consider what I did of old to Shiloh a place no less priviledged then yours and wherefore I did it and be warned by their woes Alterius perditio tua sit cautio Seest thou another shipwrackt look well to thy tackling Reason should perswade and therefore lodgeth in the brain but when reason cannot perswade example should and mostly will Ver. 13. And now because ye have done Worthily are they made examples to others that will not take example by others that will not alienâ frui insaniâ make benefit of other mens miseries Rising early As good husbands use to do and as Plutarch reporteth of the Persian Kings that they had an officer to call them up betimes and to mind them of their business Ver. 14. Therefore will I do unto this house Which ye fondly think that I am bound to hold and uphold The Disciples also seem to have had a conceit that the Temple and the world must needs end together hence that mixed discourse of our Saviour now of one and now of another Mat. 24. See ver 3. of that Chapter with the Note V. 15. And I will cast you out of my sight Heb. from against or over against my face As I have cast out your brethren For your instance and admonition I hanged them up in gibbets as it were at your very doors but nothing would warn you Ver. 16. Therefore pray not thou for this people For I am unchangeably resolved upon their ruine and I would not have thy prayers those hony-drops spilt upon them Their day of grace is past their sins are full the decree is now gone forth and it is irreversible therefore pray not for this deplored people there is a sin unto death and who knows but their sin was such sure it is the Prophet was silenced here and that was a sad symptom Neither lift up cry Verbum aptum precibus est lift up is a very fit expression and the word rendred cry comes from a root that signifieth clamare voce contentâ efficaci to set up the note to some tune as we say Ranan unde ranae ut aliqui volunt Neither make intercession to me Interdicit ti ne intercedat Here and elsewhere God flatly forbids the Prophet to pray See chap. 14.7 11. and yet he is at it again ver 19 20 21 22. So Exod. 32.11 12 13. Let me alone saith God The Chaldee there hath it leave off thy prayer but Moses would not These were men of prayer and could truly say of themselves as David once did Psal 109.4 but I gave my self to prayer Where the Hebrew hath it But I prayer as if he had been made up of it and had minded little else The Lord also they knew
more then all this worlds good Ver. 14. Then said Jeremy Luther It is false Satanae pectus mendaciis foecundssimum est It is no news for innocency to be belyed and to go with a scratcht face But he harkened not unto him Right or wrong he must afore the Princes who do also handle the good Prophet very coursely Ver. 15. Wherefore the Princes were wroth with Jeremiah Upon the Captains false suggestion which they should better have sifted into first before they had believed it for Pellucet mendacium nec per omnia quadrat a lye is oft so thin that it may be seen through and soon found out And smot him Perhaps with their own hands as bloody Bonner buffeted some of the Martyrs pulling off part of their beards And put him in prison Causâ nondum cognitâ before they had heard his defence These Princes were worse then Jehojakims chap. 36.19 or if the same men they were now grown worse and here was as Bernard hath it sedes prima vita ima De Consider lib. 2. Act. Mon. ingens authoritas nutans stabilitas In the house of Jonathan the Scribe As bad as Lollards Tower to our Martyrs or the Bishop of Londons Cole-house which Mr. Philpot thought to be the worst prison about London Ver. 16. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon Heb. into a place or house of the pit or hole where the Prophet could neither walk nor handsomly lye down In domum eisternae when worse men a great deal had what liberty they lifted And into the cabins Or cells where they scarce put any but traitours and like foul offenders Such they had at Athens called Barathrum at Rome Tullianum or Profundum maris c. into which whosoever was put could hardly be put to more misery And Jeremiah had remained there many dayes Till the return of the Chaldees likely Canes lingunt ulcera Lazari Ver. 17. Then Zedekiah the King Being now in distresse because of the Chaldees come again and willing to hear from the Prophet some word of comfort which yet might not be unlesse he had been better If comfort be applyed to a gracelesse person the truth of God is falsified Is there any word from the Lord Any new Oracle and different from that of destruction which thou hast so often rung in our ears ad ravim nauseam usque And Jeremy said There is sc A word from the Lord but the same as before for thou must mend ere the matter will mend with thee Ver. 18. What have I offended against thee As I know mine owne innocency so I would thou shouldest know that I am no Stoick or stock indolent or insensible of my grievous sufferings through the cruelty of thy Princes who have committed me to this ugly prison Ver. 19. Where are now your Prophets Let them appear now if you please and upon trial made let truth take place To this most equal motion when the King said nothing the Prophet proceedeth to move again for himself that he might be removed at least to a more convenient place unlesse they meant an end of him Ver. 20. Therefore hear now I pray thee O my Lord the King As stout as he was and impartial in delivering Gods message in supplicating for himself he is very submisse and humble to his Sovereign not daring to speak evil of dignities though he had wrongfully suffered much from them Ver. 21. Then Zedekiah the King commanded For this curtesy of his to the Prophet God granted him a natural death and an honourable burial in Babylon That they should commit Jeremiah into the Court of the Prison Where he might have more liberty and better accommodations and where his friends cum adire audire possent might come and hear him See chap. 22.2 And that they should give him daily a piece of bread And a piece of a cake we say is better then no bread I read of a gracious woman who said that she had made many a meals meat upon the promises when she wanted bread But Jeremy besides the promises chap. 1. and elsewhere was here by a sweet providence sustained in the prison during that extream famine in the City whereof we read in the Lamentations when it was no smal mercy to have a morsel of bread to keep him alive Sic amara interdum dulcescunt Who would not trust so good a God CHAP. XXXVIII Ver. 1. THen Shephatiah Here was aliud ex alio malum one affliction on the neck of another Matters mend with us as sowr Ale doth in summer said Bishop Ridley once when he was prisoner Poor Jeremy might well have said so if ever any as appeareth by this Chapter where we find him in a worse hole then was that of Jonathan but his extremity was Gods opportunity Shephathiah the son of Mattan and Gedaliah c. These four Princes here named to their eternal infamy were no small men as appeareth in that the King was not he that could do any thing against them ver 5. The grandees of the world are greatest enemies usually to the truth Little they had to say against his doctrines they quarrel with his affection as a perturber of the publike place ver 4. Ahab charged the like crime upon Elias the Jews upon Christ and afterwards upon Paul the Heathen persecutors upon the primitive Christians the hereticks still upon the Orthodox that they were seditious Antimonarchical c. Ver. 2. Thus saith the Lord He that remaineth in the City This is the sef-same truth which he had preached before and for the which he suffered See chap. 21.9 He is constant to his principles and although it be commonly said and seen that He who receives a curtesy sells his liberty yet it was not so with this holy Prophet He had received some enlargement and care was taken by the King that a piece or a roll of bread should be brought him daily to the prison out of the bakers-street but that stoppeth not his mouth Ver. 3. Thus saith the Lord And as long as the Lord saith so I must say so too whatever come of it chap. 1. Ver. 4. For thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war Thus out of canal policy is piety impugned So 1 Kings 12.27 Joh. 11.48 See on ver 1. Ver. 5. Then Zedekiah the King said Behold he is in your hand O nihili Regem qui ne verbulo quidem cruentis viris obluctatur O King of clouts saith One who knowing the Prophets innocency and these Princes bloodthirstinesse durst not say a word for him or against them This inconstancy of his and impotency of spirit proceeded meerly from diffidence and distrust in God Ver. 6. Then took they Jeremiah Whom the King had now against his conscience as afterwards Pilate dealt by Jesus either through fear or favour betrayed unto his deadly enemies and so he was in a pittiful plight in a forlorn condition But Jeremiah De profundit
and sith they think us not worthy to breath in the common aire whom thou hast made heires of the world together with faithful Abraham our Progenitour destroy them from under these heavens of thine in the compass and cope whereof thou raignest and rulest all From under the heavens of the Lord Do thou O Christ to whom the Father hath committed all judgment root them out from under the heavens of thy heavenly Father Thus some Paraphrase the words and observe therehence the mystery of the Trinity like as they do from Gen. 19.24 CHAP. IV. Pet. à Figueir Ver. 1. HOw is the gold become dim How by way of wonderment again as chap. 1.2 q. d. Quo tanto scelere hominum qua tanta indignatione Dei What have men done and how hath God been provoked that there are such strange alterations here all on the sudden By gold and fine gold here understand the Temple overlaid by Solomon with choice gold or Gods people his spiritual Temple who had now lost their lustre and dignity The stones of the Sanctuary are poured out Come tumbling down from the demolished Temple Ver. 2. The precious sons of Zion Those Porphyrogeniti as the Greek Emperours children were called Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because born and bred up in a room made up of precious stones Understand it of the Jews in general Gods peculiar people precious in his sight and therefore honourable Isa 43.4 of Zedekiahs sons in particular who as did also the rest of the Jewish Nobility if Josephus may be beleeved poudered their hair with gold dust Antiq. l. 8. c. 7. to the end that they might glister and sparkle against the beams of the Sun The precious children of the Church are all glorious within by means of the graces of the Spirit that golden oyle Zach. 4.12 and the blessings of God out of Zion Psal 134.3 which are far beyond all other the blessings of heaven and of earth As earthen pitchers Weak and worthlesse Ver. 3. Even the sea-monsters Heb. Whales or Seales which being Amphibii have both a willingnesse Vulg. Lamiae and a place convenient to suckle their whelps The daughter of my people is become cruel She is so perforce being destitute of milk for want of food but much more by feeding upon them ver 10. and chap. 2.20 Oh what a mercy is it to have meat and how inexcusable are those unnatural mothers that neglect to nurse their children not out of want but wantonnesse Surely as there is a blessing of the womb to bring forth so of the brests to give suck Gen. 49.25 and the dry breasts and barren womb have been taken for a curse Hos 9.14 as some interpret that text Ver. 4. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth For want of suck That was a miracle which is recorded of the old woman of Bolton in Lancashire who took up a poor child that lay crying at the breasts of her dead mother slain among many others by Prince Ruperts party and laying it to her own dry breasts that had not yeelded suck for above twenty years before on purpose to still it had milk came to nourish it to the admiration and astonishment of all beholders This and another like example of Gods good providence for the releif of little ones whom their mothers could not relieve may be read of in Mr. Clarks Mirror for Saints and Sinners Edit 3. fol. 495 507. And no man breaketh it unto them The parents either not having it for them or not having an heart to part with it to them Ver. 5. They that did feed delicately Such uncertainty there is of outward affluence Our Richad the second was famished to death Speed Lib. 3. c. 4. Henry Holland Duke of Excester grand-child to John of Gaunt was seen to run on foot bare-legged after the Duke of Burgundy's train begging his bread for Gods sake This I saw saith Philip de Comines This Henry was brother in law to King Edward the fourth from whom he fled They that were brought up in scarlet Qui nutriebantur in croceis sen cocceis In fimetis victum quaeritant prae inopia Jun. that were gorgeously arrayed or that rolling on their rich beds wrapped themselves in costly coverlets Embrace dunghils There take up their lodgings and there also are glad to find any thing to feed on though never so course and homely The Lapwing is made an Hieroglyphick of infelicity because he hath as a coronet upon the head and yet feedeth upon the worst of excrements It is pitty that any child of God washt in Christ's blood should bedabble his scarlet robe in the stinking guzzle of the worlds dunghill that any one who hath heretofore soared as an Eagle should now creep on the ground as a bettle or wallow as a swine in the mire of sensuality Ver. 6. For the punishment of the iniquity of Zion is greater For Sodom was destroyed by Angels Zion by malicious men The enemies were not enriched by Sodom as they were by Zion Sodom was destroyed in an instant not so Zion for she had her punishment piecemeal first a long seige and then the loss of all after a world of miseries sustained in the seige Julius Caesar was wont to say It is better once to fall then alwaies to hang in suspence Augustus wished that he might dye suddenly His life he called a Comedy and said that he thought he had acted his part therein pretty handsomly Now if he might soon passe through death he would hold it an happinesse Souldiers wish is thus set forth by the Poet quid enim concurritur horae Momento aut cita mors venit aut victoria laeta It is the ancient and manful fashion of the English who are naturally most impatient of lingering mischiefs to put their quarrels to the trial of the sword Speed 963. as the Chronicler observeth Ver. 7. Her Nazarites Who served God in a singular way of abstinence above other men These had their rules given them Num. 6. which whiles they observed They were purer then snow whiter then milk Temperance is the mother of beauty as luxury is of deformity This is nothing to the Popish Votaryes those Epicures and Abby-lubbers Quorum luxuriae totus non sufficit orbis Some by Nazarites here understand their Nobles and such as wore coronets on their heads Nezar is a crown 2 Sam. 1.10 2 Kings 11.12 thus Joseph was a Nazarite Gen. 49.26 So Daniel and his three Associates in whom that was verified Gratior est pulchro veniens in corpore virtus Ver. 8. Their visage is blacker then a coal Heb. their visage is more darkned then blacknesse sc With famine fear grief and car those vultures have so fed upon them that all sightlinesse and lovelinesse is lost Think the same of Apostates God may complain of such as Mic. 2.8 Ver. 9. They that be slain with the sword are better They suffer lesse pain in dying
this holy Prophet in the Spirit as was afterwards also John the Divine upon the Christian Sabbath Rev. 1.10 As I was among the captives In Chaldaea That rule of the Rabbines therefore holdeth not viz. that the Holy Ghost never spake to the Prophets but only in the holy land By the river of Chebar Which was rivus vel ramentum Euphratis a part or channel of Euphrates There sat the poor captives Psal 137.1 and there this Prophet received this Vision here and his Vocation in the next chapter It is observed that by the sides of rivers sundry Prophets had visions of God by a river side it was that Paul and his company met to preach and pray Act. 16.13 And of Archbishop Vssier that most reverend man of God it is recorded His life and death by D. Barnard that to a certain place by a water-side he frequently resorted when as yet he was but very young sorrowfully to recount his sins and with floods of teares to pour them out in confession to God That the heavens were opened Not by a division of the firmament saith Hierom but by the faith of the beleever The like befell Steven the Protomartyr when the stones were buzzing about his eares Speed 335. Vt Montes Dei Cedri Dei civitas Dei Act. 7. and if we may beleeve the Monkish writers Wulfin Bishop of Salisbury when he lay a dying And I saw visions of God i. e. Offered by God or excellent visions Ezekiel was not only a Priest and a Prophet but a Seer also Abraham was the like Joh. 8.56 with Gen. 20.7 This was no small honour Ver. 2. In the fifth day The Sabbath-day likely that Queen of dayes as the Jews call it see on ver 1. Which was the fifth year of Jehoiachims captivity With whom Ezekiel and other precious persons called by Jeremiah good figs were carried captive Existendo extitit chap. 40.1 Ver. 3. The Word of the Lord came expressely Heb. by being hath been or hath altogether been Accurate factum est it really wrought upon me and made me a Prophet Vnto Ezekiel the Priest Whom therefore some have called Vrim and Thummim in Babylon The son of Buzi Thas this Buzi was Jeremy so called because despised for his plaindealing as some Rabbines have affirmed is as true as that Ezekiel himself was the same with Pythagoras the Philosopher which yet some Ancients have fondly fancied In the land of the Chaldaeans Though a polluted land Mic. 2.10 and the dwelling-place of wickednesse Zach. 5.11 the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth Rev. 17.5 Sabbatian By the river Chebar The Rabbines call it the Sabbath-river and further tell us that it runneth not but resteth on the Sabbath-day Hor. Credat Judaeus Apella Non ego And the hand of the Lord was there upon him Not only came Gods Word expressely to him but the power and Spirit of God came mightily upon him so that he felt the intrinsecal vertue of this hand as one phraseth it the Spirit of God in his own heart it was a quick and lively word unto him and to as many as beleeved Ver. 4. And I looked and behold In this ensuing mysterious vision of a whirlewind four Cherubims four wheeles a Throne upon the firmament formidabilis Dei forma proponitur is set forth the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord as it is expounded ver 28. that hereby the peoples arrogancy might be the better subdued the Prophets doctrine more reverently received and the Prophet confirmed in his calling The sum of this celestial vision is that the Divine Providence doth rule in the world and is exercised in all parts thereof and not only in Heaven or in the Temple or in Jury as the Jews then thought As for the changes in the world which are here compared to Wheeles they befall not at all adventures or by hap-hazzard but are effected by God though all things may seem to run upon wheeles and to fall out as it fortuneth At the day of judgement at utmost men shall see an harmony in this discord of things and Providence shall then be unriddled Meanwhile God oft wrappeth himself in a cloud and will not be seen till afterwards All Gods dealings besure will appear beautiful in their season though for present we see not the contiguity and linking together of one thing with another A whirlwind came out of the North i. e. Nebuchadnezzar with his forces See Jer. 1.13 14 15. fitly compared to a whirlwind for suddennesse swiftnesse irresistiblenesse A lapide telleth of whirlwinds in Italy which have taken away stabula cum equis stables with horses carried them up into the aire and dashed them against the mountaines See Habbak 1.6 7 9 10. and consider that those Chaldaeans were of Gods sending A great cloud Nebuchadnezzars army Liv. Jer. 4.13 that peditum equitumque nubes 2 King 25.1 chap. 39.9 that stormed Jerusalem And a fire infolding it self Heb. that receiveth it self within it self as in an house on fire Understand it of Nebuchadnezzars wrath against Jerusalem much hotter then that furnace of his seven times more then ordinary heated Dan. 2. or rather of Gods wrath in using Nebuchadnezzar to set all on a light free And a brightnesse was about it The glory of Divine presence shining in the punishment of evil-doers Out of the midst thereof as of the colour of Amber Not of an Angel called Hasmal as Lyra after some Rabbines will have it Jarchi confesseth he knoweth not what the word Hasmal meaneth This Prophet only hath it here and ver 27 and chap. 8.2 as Daniel also hath some words proper to himself Ver. 5. Also out of the midst thereof i. e. From Gods glorious presence Came the likenesse of four living creatures i. e. Angels chap. 10.8 14 15 20. Quaest Acad. l. 4. Intelligentias animales Tully calleth them See like visions Dan. 7.9 Rev. 4.6 7. These are said to be four because God by his Angels diffuseth his power thorough the four quarters of the world They had the likenesse of a man sc For the greater part they had more of a man then of any other creature as hands legs c. ver 7.8 Ver. 6. And every one had four faces To set forth saith an Expositour that the power of Angels is exercised about all creatures It is as if the Angels did bear on them the heads of all living-wights i. e. did comprehend in themselves all the Elements and all the parts of the world not as if they did move or act by their own power but as they are Gods hands and Agents employed by him at pleasure for the good of his Church especially Heb. 1.14 as being fit and ready to every good work so should we strive to be Tit. 3.1 And every one had four wings To set forth their agility De ascens ment in Deum grad 7. their incredible swiftness far beyond that of the Sun
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
that he hath no wise man ever yet gave God thanks for it And Seneca saith It is of the gods that wee live but of our selves that wee live well and honestly How different are the Saints in Scripture from the worlds wisards Nor have the knowledge of the holy That is of the Angels as Dan. 4.13 17. 8.13 whom Jacob saw ascending and descending Gen. 28.12 compared with the next verse of this Chapter and with John 1.51 Moses made them looking intently into the Mercy Seat Exod. 25.18 19. Peter sets them forth as stooping down to look wishtly and earnestly into the Mystery of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.12 which was hid from them till the discovery and ever since that they are great students in it Ephes 3.10 But how should Agur or any man else due cannot tell the form and the quintessence of things that cannot enter into the depth of the Flower or the Grass he treads on that cannot understand the nature and properties of so small a Creature as an Ant or Bee Pliny tells of one that spent eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee Lib. 11. cap. 9. and yet had not fully attained unto it How is it possible I say that the wisest Naturalist should have the wit to enter into the deep things of God Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Vers 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended Who but the Son of man which is in heaven 1 Joh. 3.13 who but the holy Angels upon that Son of man the Ladder of life Joh. 1.51 Who but those that have in some measure the knowledge of those holy ones vers 3. the knowledge of God in Christ which is life eternal Joh. 17.3 Heaven aforehand Holy Agur holds it out to us here that to know heavenly things is to ascend into heaven Even Aristotle saith that a little knowledge though but conjectural about heavenly things is to be preferred above much knowledge though certain about inferiour things De â—â—lo tâ—m 99 and yet he knew no heaven beyond the moveable heavens neither acknowledged any body or time or place or vacuum there The truth is no natural knowledge can be had of the third heaven nor any help by Human Arts for it is neither aspectable nor moveable As no man hath seen God at any time so nor Heaven the Throne of God only the only begotten Son of God which is in the bosome of the Father hee hath declared both him and Heaven Joh. 1.18 as that there are many Mansions Crowns Scepters Kingdoms Glories Beauties Angelical entertainments beatifical Visions sweetest varieties felicities eternities And yet all this or whatsoever more can be said of Heavens happiness is not the one half as shee said of Salomons Magnificence of what we shall finde in that City of Pearl To expresse it is as impossible as to compass the Heavens with a span or contain the Ocean in a Nut-shel Let there be continual ascensions thither in our hearts let us lift up hearts and hands to God in the Heavens and hee will shortly send his Chariots for us as Joseph did for his Father fetch us riding upon the Clouds convoy us by his Angels thorow the ayr as thorow the enemies Country and puts us into that Panegyris that General Assembly and solemn celebrity of holy and happy souls Heb. 12.23 As in the mean space how should we every day take a turn or two with Christ upon Mount Tabor get up to the top of Pisgah with Moses and take a prospect of Heaven turn every solemnity into a School of Divinity Say as Fulgentius when hee saw the Nobility of Rome sit mounted in their bravery Si talis est Roma terrestris qualis est Roma caelestis If Rome bee such a glorious place what is Heaven What Musick may we think there is in Heaven said another good soul when he sate and heard a good Consort of Musick This this is the principal end and most profitable use of all Creatures Cum scalae nobis alae fiant when they become Ladders and Wings to us to mount up to Heaven Who hath gathered the Wind in his fists c. None but God the great Wonder-worker the right Aeolus that bringeth the winds out of his treasures Psal 135. and bids them at his pleasure Peace and be still We read of a Whirlwind raised by the Devil Job 1.19 and of a Tempest laid by the Magicians Herodotus in Polyâ—nia But it cannot bee said as 1 King 19.11 that God was not in that Wind for hee hath the royalty of all the Creatures though hee suffer the Devil to play Rex sometimes for ends best known to himself Who hath bound the waters in a garment Those above the Firmament in Clouds thorow which they distill and drop down as water would doe if bound up in a garment those below in Chanels and Bottles as the Psalmist hath it Water is naturally above the earth as the garment above the body and would but for the providence of God prove as the shirt made for the murthering of Agamemnon where the head had no issue out c. See my notes on Gen. 1. What is his name God is above all name to speak properly When Manoah enquires after his name the answer is 'T is Wonderful that is I am called as I am called but such is thy weakness that it passeth thy conception this Ocean will not be measured by thy Muscle-shel Multa nomina lumina sibi finxerunt Infideles The Heathens had many names for their Dunghil-deities but the Africans called an unknown God whom they worshipped Lib. de Isid Osirid Amon that is Heus tu quis est Heark who art thou as Plutarch relateth And what is his Sons name Christ hath many names in holy Scripture as Isa 9.6 7. So Jehovah our righteousnesse Messiah the Prince Dan. 9. whereunto answereth in the New-Testament the Lord Christ but who can declare his generation Isa 53.8 whether that eternal generation or that in the fulness of time the mystery whereof was beyond words Our safest eloquence here will be our silence our greatest knowledge a learned ignorance Only wee have here a clear testimony of the distinction of the Persons and that the Son is co-equal and con-substantial with the Father sith Hee is also as the Father above all name and notion If thou canst tell But so can none No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither doth any man know the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Matth. 11.27 The Son is so like the Father here that if you know the one yee cannot but know the other Joh. 14.7 8 9. Milk is not so like milk Non tam ovum ovo simile He is the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 See the Note there And if wee desire a glass wherein to
behold the face of God the Father and of his Son here is one held forth in the next verse Vers 5. Every word of God is pure Oda septima Pind. tanta fuit admirationis apud Rhodios ut fuerit scripta in templo aure is literis c. Joh. Manl. loc Com. 414. he is a shield Albeit all the sacred sentences contain'd in this blessed book are pure precious and profitable yet as one star in Heaven out-shineth another so doth one Proverb another and this is among the rest velut inter stellas luna minores an eminent sentence often recorded in Scripture and far better worthy than ever Pindarus his seventh Ode was to be written in letters of gold Every word of God is pure purer than gold tried in the fire Rev. 3.17 purer than silver tried in a furnace and seven times purified Psal 12.6 Julian therefore that odious Apostate is not to be hearkened to who said there was as good stuff in Phocillides as in Salomon in Pindarus his Odes as in Davids Psalms Nor is that brawling dog Porphyry to be regarded who blasphemously accuseth Daniel the Prophet and Matthew the Evangelist Spec. Europae as writers of lies Os durum The Jesuits some of them say little less of Saint Pauls Epistles which they could wish by some means censured and reformed as dangerous to be read and savouring of heresie in some places Traditions they commonly account the touch-stone of doctrine and foundation of faith the Scriptures to be rather a Commonitorium as Bellarmine calls it a kind of store-house for advice Greg. in 3. Reg. then Cor animam Dei the heart and soul of God as Gregory calls them a Fortress against Errours Firmamentum contra errores Aug. in Johan 1. Tract 2. Possevin Appar sac verbo Pat. Antiq as Augustine The Apostle calleth concupiscence sin at non licet nobis ita loqui but we may not call it so saith Possevine the Jesuit The Author to the Hebrews saith Marriage is honourable among all men but the Rhemists on 1 Cor. 7.9 say that the marriage of Priests is the worst sort of incontinency Christ saith the Sin against the Holy Ghost hath no remission Bellarmine saith that it may be forgiven The Council of Constance comes in with a non-obstance against Christs institution Lib. 2. de Paeâ—it cap. 16. Montan. in 1 Cor. 14. withholding the Cup from the People at the Sacrament And a Parisian Doctor tells us that although the Apostle would have sermons and service celebrated in a known tongue yet the Church for very good cause hath otherwise ordered it Bishop Bonners Chaplain called the Bible in scorn his little pretty Gods book and judged it worthy to be burnt tanquam doctrina peregrina as strange doctrine Gilford and Raynolds said it contained some things prophane and apocryphal Others have stiled it the mother of heresie and therefore not fit to be read by the common people lest they suck poyson out of it Prodigious blasphemy Of the purity and perennity of the holy Scriptures See more in my True treasure pag. 85.139 He is a shield to them that put their trust in him See Gen. 15.1 with the note and Prov. 29.25 Buxtorf Tiberias Vers 6. Adde thou not unto his words As the Jews at this day do by their traditions which they arrogantly call Mashlamnutha Completio perfectio because they think that thereby the Law is compleated and perfected as the Artemonites Brightm upon Rev. p. 292. and after them the school-men corrupted the Scripture out of Aristotle and Theophrastus turning all into questions and quillets As Mahomet joyned his Alfurta his service book an horrible heap of all blasphemies to the three parts of holy Scripture as he divides them the Law Psalmes and Gospel As the Papists adde their humane inventions and unwritten verities which they equallize unto if not prefer before the book of God as appears by that Heathenish decree of the Council of Trent And when at the Council of Basil the Hussites denied to receive any doctrine that could not be proved by Scripture Jacob Revius hist Pontif. p. 235. Cardinal Cusan answered that Scriptures were not of the being of the Church but of the well-being and that they were to be expounded according to the current rite of the Church which if it change its mind the judgement of God is also changed Lastly such adde to Gods Word as wrest it and rack it making it speak that which it never thought causing it to go two miles where it would go but one gnawing and tawing it to their own purposes as the Shoo-maker taws his upper-leather with his teeth Tertullian calls Marcion the heretick Mus Ponticus of his arroding and gnawing the Scripture to make it serviceable to his errours Lest he reprove thee Both verbally and penally both with words and blows Lest he severely punish thee as one that addes to his will or imbaseth his coyn And thou be found a lier As all Popish forgers and foysters at this day are found to be God hath ever raised up such as have detected their impostures and vindicated the purity and perfection of the sacred Scriptures Vers 7. Two things have I required of thee Two special requests he had among many for our present condition is a condition of singular vanity and indigency we get our living by begging and are never without somewhat to bee required of God never without out wants and aylments and sutes for supplies Deny me them not See here both his familiarity with God in Prayer and his importunity for a lazie Sutâ—r beggs a denial Agur therefore re-enforceth his request it was honest else he would never have begun it but being so he is resolved to follow it So doth David with his one thing which hee did desire and he would desire Psal 27.4 he would never give it over So Jacob would have a blessing and therefore wrastles with might and slight and this he doth in the night and alone and when God was leaving him and upon one legge He had a hard pull of it and yet he prevailed Let me goe saith God No thou shalt not goe saith Jacob till I have my request It is not unlawful for us to be unmannerly in Prayer to be importunate and after a sort impudent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 11.8 Propter improbitatem Luke 18.8 Was not the Woman of Canaan so Matth. 15.22 Shee came for a Cure and a Cure she would have and had it too with an high commendation of her heroical faith Christ he was no Penny-father he had more blessings than one even the abundance of Spirit for them that ask it When poor men make requests to us we usually answer them as the Eccho doth the voyce the answer cuts off half the Petition if they ask us two things we think we deal well if we grant them one Few Naamans that when you beg one talent will force