through thick and thin etiam in cloacalem faetulentiam to have worshipped it Ver. 35. Wherefore O harlot A name good enough for such an odious huswife the shame of her sex He is not worthy of an honest name whose deeds are not honest Hear the Word of the Lord Hear thy doom thy sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stoned thou shalt be as an adulteresse slain with the sword as a murtheresse burnt with fire as an incendiary because thou hast burnt thy children in honour of Moloch Ver. 36. Because thy filthinesse Heb. thy poâ—son Aerugo tua thy filthinesse issuing from thee by reason of thine over-frequent and excessive adulteries He meaneth the infamous fluxes of whores saith Diodat And by the blood Heb. bloods because scattered about in several drops Ver. 37. With whom thou hast taken pleasure Or Jocundata es with whom thou hast been commingled And will discover thy nakednesse unto them This is by modest women taken for a very great punishment Polyxena when she was sacrificed took great care to fall handsomely The Milesian maides would not be kept from killing themselves till there was a law made that such as so did should be drawn naked through the Market Till the dayes of Theodosius Senior if a woman were taken in adultery they shut her up in a stewes and compelled her beastly and without all shame to play the harlot ringing a bell whil'st the deed was doing that all the neighbours might be made privy to it This evil custom that good Emperour took away making other laws for the punishment of Adultery Ver. 38. And I will judge thee as women that break wedlock See Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 The Egyptians cut off the harlots nose and the adulterers privy members The Romans beheaded them the old Germans whipt them through the streets Canutus the Danish King in this land banished them Tenedius a King in another land did cut them in sunder with an axe By our laws they are to be hanged as by the Jews laws to be stoned ver 40. And shed blood See ver 35. I will give thee blood God loveth to retaliate Ver. 39. They shall throw down thine eminent place So did the Turks throw down many both images and Churches in Christendom when people would not be perswaded to cast images out of their Churches They shall strip thee also of thy clothes So the Spaniards did the Dutch when once they grew fond of the Spanish fashions as Lavater here noteth Ver. 40. They shall also bring up a company against thee The Chaldeans that hasty and bitter Nation Hab. 1.6 And they shall stone thee See on ver 35. Ver. 41. In the sight of many women Those matrons whom thou hast misused and many others who may well be warned by thy just punishment to keep their faith to God and man Ver. 42. So I will make my fury toward thee to rest Sept. I will dismisse mine anger upon thee Like as when Hâ—mâ—n was hanged Ahashuâ—rosh his wrath was pacified Esth 7.10 and as when Jonah was cast over-board the sea was calmed Ver. 43. Because thou hast not remembred c. Thou hast not cared to converse with thy self nor to recogitate my goodness and thine own badness But hast fretted me Or hast kept a stir with me or rather stirred up thy self against me and all through want of reflection and self-examination See Jer. 8.6 Herodot I also will recompense thy way upon thy head As the darts of those Thracians thrown up against Jupiter for raining upon them unseasonably came down again upon their own heads so here Ver. 44. Behold every one that useth Proverbs That is skilful at and exercised in gibing and jearing Omnis paraemiator paraemiabit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was Socrates called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scoffer Democritus Lucian Sir Thomas Moor Erasmus c. Shall use this proverb This taunting Proverb As is the mother so is her daughter The birth followeth the belly Ill birds lay ill eggs Qualis hera talis ancilla c. Ver. 45. Thou art thy mothers daughter As like her as if spet out of her mouth so like her that thou art the worse again Your mother was an Hittite And doth therefore seek her daughter in the oven because she had first been there her self See ver 3. Ver. 46. She and her daughters i. e. Her Cities and villages That dwell at thy left hand Thou art well set up therewhile well neighboured That dwelleth at thy right hand That did do so but now dwelleth with devils being thrown out for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. Ver. 47. Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes But hast outsinned them Nolunt solita peccare saith Seneca of some they will not sin in an ordinary way Et pudet non esse impudentes saith Austin of others i. e. they are ashamed not to be past shame But as if that were a very little thing Paululum pauxillumque A peccadillo Ver. 48. As I live saith the Lord God Sodom thy sister hath not done Heb. If Sodom thy sister hath done c. q. d. then let me never be trusted more Here then is a double oath taken by God to assure this people that they had outsinned Sodom a truth that they would not easily assent to To this day we cannot get men to believe that their natures are so naught their lives so leud their state so dangerous as the Preachers make them Their hearts are good their penny good silver c. The Prophet Esay lost his life say the Rabbines for calling the Rulers of Jerusalem Rulers of Sodom and the people of Judah people of Gomorrah Esa 1.10 Ver. 49. Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride i. e. Haughty-mindednesse and high conceitedness of their own surpassing excellency and stable felicity This was the first firebrand that set Sodom on fire Fulnesse of bread Gourmandise and surquedry This fulnesse bred forgetfulnesse and this saturity security Luxuriant animi rebus plerunque secundis Nec facile est aequâ commoda mente pati And abundance of idlenesse Tranquillitas tranquillitatis rest of rest and this abused to idleness deep idleness which is the devils pillow and the mother of many mischiefs for he shall not but do naughtily that does nothing Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor Inhospital they were and unmerciful The two Angels might have lain in the streets for them neither would they let them rest when Lot had lodged them Ver. 50. And they were haughty This sin of theirs is once more instanced as the root of the rest the hate of heaven and gate to hell And committed abomination before me That unnatural filthiness which taketh its name from them This in the Levant is not held a vice and in Mexico it is one of the Spanish vertues Therefore I took them away as I saw good sc By raining down hell from
punishment Hence so many words about it here Abundans cautâ—la c. This heap of words is not without great use and emphasis there is earnestness and not looseness in this repetition Vers 16. For they sleep not So much are they set upon it Or as empty stomacks can hardly sleep so neither can graceless persons rest till gorged and glutted with the sweet-meats of sin with the murthering-morcels of mischief The Devil their task-master will not allow them time to sleep Which is very hard bondage they have eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease to sin 2 Pet. 2. Unless they cause some to fâ—ll Protagoras as Plato relateth boasted of this that whereas hee had lived threescore years forty of them hee had spent in corrupting of young men that conversed with him Vers 17. For they eat the bread of wickedness As Tartarians feed upon dead carkasses of Horses Asses Cars Dogs yea when they stink and are full of Magots Pâ—tcham vally of Vâ—n and hold them as dainty as wee do Venison As Spiders feed upon Acomite as Mithridates and the Maid in Pliny upon Spiders or as the Turkish Gally-slaves upon Opium they will eat near an ounce at a time as if it were bread the tithe whereof would kill him that is not accustomed to it and can neither sleep nor live without it Vers 18. But the path of the just is as the shining light Hee sets forth betime in the morning and travels to meet the day Hee proceeds from virtue to virtue till at length hee shine as the Sun in his strength Mat. 13. Vers 19. Is as darkness That little light they had by nature they imprison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.18 Rom. 1. and are justly deprived of And as for those sparkles of the light of joy and comfort that hypocrites have it is but as a flash of lightning which is followed with a thunder-clap or like the light smitten out of the flint first they cannot warm themselves by it not see to direct their waies 2. It will quickly go out 3. And after that they must lye down in sorrow Isa 50.10 They know not at what they stumble They stumble sometimes at Christ himself 1 Pet. 2.8 and at his word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed A shrewd sign of reprobation The Vulgar renders it Ne sciunt ubi corruant They know not how soon they may drop into Hell which even gapes for them Isa 29.33 Vers 20. My Son attend to my words Still hee calls for attention as knowing our dulness and sickle headedness It fated with the Prophet Zachary as with a drowsie person who though awaked and set to work is ready to sleep at it Zach. 4.1 It fares with many of us as with little children who though saying their Lessons yet must needs look off to see the feather that flies by them Vers 21. Let them not depart See the Note on Chapter 3.21 In the midst of thy heart As in a safe Repository a ready repertory Vers 22. For they are life See the Note on Chap. 3.22 and on Chap. 3.16 And health unto all their flesh Sin is the cause of sickness 1 Cor. 11.20 Joh. 5.14 Sin no more leâ—t a worse thing come unto thee But the joy of the Lord is a mans strength Neh. 8.10 and such a merry heart doth good like a medicine Prov. 17.22 As sin is an universal sickness Isa 1.5 6. like those diseases wherein Physicians say are corruptio totius substantiae a corruption of the whole substance as the Heretick c. So Grace is a Catholicon a general cure like the herb Panace which is said to bee good for all diseases whence also A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pliny it hath its name Vers 23. Keep thy heart Filth-free as much as may bee keep a constant counterguard against all inroads made by flesh world and Devil Keep the heart alwaies supple and soluble for else thou canst not bee long in spiritual health Quod sanitas in corpore id sanctitas in corde Keep it ever well in tune and then all shall go well If in a Vioâ— I finde the trebble-string in tune I make no question of the base that goes not out so easily So here For out of it are the issues of life That is as of natural so of spiritual actions Hinc â—ons boni peccandi origo saith Hierome It is the fountain Mat. 15.19 the root Mat. 7.17 18. the treasury or store-house Luk. 6.49 the Primum mobilâ— the great wheel the Pharos that commands the Haven the chief Monarch in this Isle of Man that gives Laws to all the Members Rom. 7. Keep it therefore with all custody or with all caution or if the Devil cast poison into it as hee will cleanse it after It is in vain to purge the stream where the spring is defiled but if the spring bee clear the streams will soon clear themselves Vers 24. Put away from thee a froward mouth To the keeping of the heart a careful watching over the mouth eyes feet c. doth much conduce For these outward parts abused as they receive defilement from the heart so they reflect defilement also upon it They stain the soul and dispose it to further evil Christ had a pure heart therefore his eyes were not bewitched not his ears inchanted neither was there any guile found in his mâ—uth And perverse lips put far from thee Because it is a duty of no small difficulty James 3.2 3 c. therefore hee redoubleth his Exhortation The words of the wise are as nails fastened c. Eâ—cles 12.1 Vers 25. Let thine eyes look right on E regione vel in rectum Let them be fixt upon right objects Get that Stoical eye of our Saviour get a Patriarks eye bee well skilled in Moses his Opticks Heb. 11.27 have oculum in metam which was Ludovicus Vives his Motto Do as Mariners that have their eye on the Star their hand on the Stern A man may not look intently upon that that hee may not love Mat. 24.2 The Disciples were set a gogge by beholding the beauty of the Temple If therefore thine eye offend thee or cause thee to offend pull it out of the old Adam and set it in the new man If thou use it not well thou wilt wish that thou hadst pull'd it out indeed as Democritus did Vers 26. Ponder the path of thy feet Viz. By the weights of the word Look to thine affections for by these Maids Satan wooes the Mistress Take heed where you set Gun-powder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fith fire is in your hearts Austin thanks God that his heart and the temptation did not meet together Walk accurately tread right Gal. 2.14 step warily lift not up one foot till you finde firm footing for another as those Psal 35.6 The way of this world is like the vale of Siddim slimy and slippery Cavete Wee
ingagements which when it was once done a most joyful man was hee saith Master Fox in his life For bills and obligations do mancipate the most free and ingenuous spirit and so put a man out of aim that hee can neither serve God without distraction nor do good to others nor set his own state in any good order but lives and dies intangled and puzled with cares and snares and after a tedious and laborious life passed in a circle of fretting thoughts hee leaves at last instead of better patrimony a world of intricate troubles to his posterity who are also taken with the words of his mouth Vers 3. When thou art come into the hand For the borrower is servant to the lender Hieron ad Celantiam Prov 22.7 And Facilè ex amico inimicum facies cui promissa non reddes saith Hierom. A friend will soon become a foe if unfriendly and unfaithfully dealt with Not keeping time makes a jarre in payments and so in friendship too as well as in Musick Ezek. 32.2 34.18 Go humble thy self Crave favour and further time of the Creditour say Doubt not of your debt onely forbear a while Cast thy self at his feet as to bee trodden so the Hebrew word here signifieth Stick not at any submission so thou mayest gain time and get off and not bee forced to run into the Usurers Books that Amalec or licking people which as Cormorants fall upon the borrowers and like Cur-doggs suck your blood onely with licking and in the end kill you and crush you rob you and ravish you Psal 10.8 9 10. And make sure thy friend For whom thou standest ingaged call upon him to save thee harmless For as Alphius the Usurer sometimes said of his Clients Horat. Epod. Colum. de re rust l. 1. c 7. Optima nomina non appellando mala fieri Even good Debters will prove slack pay-masters if they bee let alone if not now and then called upon Some read the words thus Multiply thy friends or sollicite them viz. to intercede for thee to the Creditor and to keep thee out of this brake Vers 4. Give not sleep to thine eyes c. Augustus wondred at a certain Knight in Rome that owed much and yet could sleep securely Dio. and when this Knight dyed hee sent to buy his bed as supposing there was something more than ordinary in it to procure sleep The opportunity of liberty and thriving is to bee well husbanded lest some storm arising from the cruelty of Creditors or mutability of outward things over-whelm a man with debt and danger as the whirlwind doth the unwary traveller upon the Alpes with snow Now if such care bee to bee taken that wee run not rashly in debt to men how much more to God If to undertake for others bee so dangerous how should wee pray with that godly man August From my other-mens sins good Lord deliver mee If wee are so to humble our selves to our fellow-creatures in this case how much more should wee humble our selves under the mighty hand of God Jam. 4.10 that hee may lift us up in due season If this bee to bee done without delay where the danger reacheth but to the outward man how much more speed and earnestness should bee used in making peace with God whose wrath is a fire that burns as low as hell and getting the black lines of our sins drawn over with the red lines of his Sons blood and so utterly razed out of the book of his remembrance Vers 5. As a Roe from the hand c. This creature may bee taken but not easily tamed It seeks therefore by all means to make escape Cald. Paraph. in Cant. 8.14 and when it fleeth looketh behinde it holding it no life if not at liberty And as a bird A most fearful creature and desirous of liberty Nititur in sylvas quaeque redire suas that Avis Paradisi especially that being taken never gives over groaning till let go again Vers 6. Go to the Ant thou sluggard Man that was once the Captain of Gods School is now for his truantliness turned down into the lowest form as it were to learn his A b c again yea to bee taught by these meanest creatures So Christ sends us to School to the birds of the air and Lilies of the field to learn dependence upon divine Providence Matth. 6. and to the Stork Crane and Swallow to bee taught to take the seasons of Grace and not to let slip the opportunities that God putteth into our hands Jer. 8.7 This poor despicable creature the Ant is here set in the chair to read us a Lecture of sedulity and good husbandry What a deal of grain gets she together in Summer What pains doth shee take for it labouring not by day-light onely but by Moon-shine also What huge heaps hath shee What care to bring forth her store and lay it a drying on a Sun-shine day left with moisture it should putrifie c. Not onely Aristotle Aelian and Pliny but also Basil Ambrose and Hierom have observed and written much of the nature and industry of this poor creature telling us withall that in the Ant Bee Stork c. God hath set before us as in a picture the lively resemblance of many excellent vertues which wee ought to pursue and practise These saith One are veri laicorum libri the true Lay-mens books the images that may teach men the right knowledge of God and of his will of themselves and their duties Vers 7. Which having no guide overseer c. How much more then should man who hath all these and is both ad laborem natus ratione ornatus born to labour and hath reason to guide him Only hee must take heed that hee bee not Antlike wholly taken up about what shall wee eat or what shall wee drink c. Vers 8. Provideth her meat in the Summer Shee devours indeed much grain made chiefly for the use of man But deserves saith an Interpreter for this very cause to bee fed with the finest wheat and greatest dainties that all men may have her alwayes in their eye Diligent men to quicken their diligence and sluggards to shame them for their slothfulness And gathereth her food in harvest That may serve in Winter It is good for a man to keep somewhat by him to have something in store and not in diem vivere Quintâ—l as the fowls of heaven do Bonus Servatius facit bonum Bonifacium as the Dutch Proverb hath it A good saver makes a well-doer Care must bee taken ne Promus sit fortior Condo that our layings-out bee not more than our layings-up Let no man here object that of our Saviour Care not for to morrow c. There is a care of diligence and a care of diffidence a care of the head and a care of the heart the former is needful the latter sinful Vers 9. How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard
of York and Lancaster were slain eighty Princes of the blood royal and twice as many Natives of England as were lost in the two Conquests of France Dan. Hist The dissentions between England and Scotland consumed more Christian blood wrought more spoil and destruction to both Kingdomes and continued longer than ever quarrel wee read of did between any two people of the world Camd. Elis 165. Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings c. Tu vero Herodes sanguinolente time as Beza covertly warned Charles the ninth author of the French Massacre Many parts of Turkie lie unpeopled most of the poor being enforced with Victuals and other necessaries to follow their great armies in their long expeditions of whom Turk Hist scarce one of ten ever return home again there by the way perishing if not by the enemies sword yet by want of victuals intemperateness of the air or immoderate pains-taking Hence the Proverb where-ever the Great Turk sets his foot there grass grows not any more Vers 29. Hee that is slow to anger is of great understanding The wisdome from above is first pure then peaceable tractable c. Thunder Hail Tempest neither trouble nor hâ—â— caelestial bodies Anger may rush into a wise mans bosome not rest there Eccles 7.9 it dwells onely where it domineers and that is onely where a fool is Master of the family A wise man either receives it not or soon rids it Bee slow to wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ira horror furor wrath war jar strife c. is a lesson that God hath engraven as one wittily observeth in our very nature For the last letter that any childe ordinarily speaketh is R. and that 's the radical letter of all words of strife and wrath almost in all languages But hee that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly Hee sets it up upon a pole as it were hee makes an Oyes and proclaims his own folly by his ireful looks words gestures actions as that furious Fryar Feuardensius doth in his book called Theomachia Calvinistica where hee took up his Pen with as much passion and wrath as any souldier takes up his sword Such another hasty fool was Fryar Alphonsus the Spaniard who reasoning with Mr. Bradford Martyr Act. Mon. was in a wonderful rage chafing with Om and Cho so that if Bradford had been any thing hot one house could not have held them Vers 30. A â—ound heart is the life of the flesh A heart well freed from passions and perturbations holds out long and enjoys good health Neither causeth it molestation of mind or want of welfare to others R. Levi. It is the life of fleshes in the plural not onely its own but other mens bodies are the better at least not the worse for it whereas the envious and angry man rangeth and rageth and like a mad Dog biting all hee meets sets them as much as in him lies all a madding and undoes them But envy is the rottenness of the bones A corroding and corrupting disease it is like that which the Physicians call Corruptio totius substantiae it dries up the marrow and because it cannot come at another mans heart this hell-hag feeds upon its own tormenting the poor carkass without and within It is the moth of the soul and the worm as the Hebrew word signifies of the bones those stronger parts of the body it is the same to the whole man that rust is to Iron as Antisthenes affirmeth it devoureth it self first as the worm doth the Nut it grows in Socrates called it serram animae the souls saw and wished that envious men had more ears and eyes than others that they might have the more torment by beholding and hearing of other mens happinesses For invidia simul peccat plectitur expedita justitia Like the Viper it is born by eating through the dams belly Like the Bee it loseth its sting and life together like the little Flie to put out the Candle it burns it self like the Serpent Porphyrius it drinks most part of its own venome like the Viper that leapt upon Saint Pauls hand to hurt him but perished in the fire or as the Snake in the Fable that licked off her own tongue as envying teeth to the file in the forge In fine Envy slayeth the silly soul Job 5.2 as it did that fellow in Pausanias who envying the glory of Theagenes a famous wrestler Pausan Eliac p. 188. whipt his Statue set up in honour of him after his death every night so long till at length it fell upon him and killed him Vers 31. Hee that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker Sith it is hee that maketh poor and that maketh rich and thereby killeth and maketh alive 1 Sam. 2.6 7. Rich men onely seem to bee alive Hence David sending his servants to that Pamphagus 1 Sam. 25.6 that rich cormudgin Nabal speaketh on this sort Psal 88.5 Thus shall yee say to him that liveth there is no more in the Original as if rich men onely were alive poor people are free among the dead free of that company as David was when they are crushed and oppressed especially by rich Cormorants and Cannibals Psal 14.4 A poor mans livelihood is his life Luke 8.43 for a poor man in his house is like a snail in his shell crush that and you kill him This reflects very much upon God the poor mans King as James the fourth of Scotland was called who will not suffer it to pass unpunished for hee is gracious As unskilful Hunters may shoot at a beast but kill a man So do these oppressours hit God the poor mans maker But hee honoureth him that hath mercy on the poor Quibus verbis nihil gravius nihil efficacius dici potuit God takes it for an honour how should this prevail with us Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3.8 and take it for a singular honour that hee will vouchsafe to bee thus honoured by thee as David did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.23 2 Sam. 29. How exceedingly shall such bee honoured in that great Panegyris at the last day when the Judge shall say Come yee blessed c. I was hungry and yee fed mee c. Mat. 25. Vers 32. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness Being arrested by death as a cruel Serjeant in the Devils name hee is hurried away and hurled into hell as dying in his sins and killed by death Rev. 2.23 And oh what a dreadful skreek gives the guilty soul then to see it self launching into an infinite Ocean of scalding lead and must swim naked in it for ever But the righteous hath hope in his death Death to the righteous as the valley of Achor is a door of hope to give entrance into Paradise to the wicked it is a trap-door to Hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Improbi dum spirant sperant justus etiam cum expirat speâ—at Aelian tells how hee
Reformers bring forth their rich treasure and liberally disperse it by preaching writing and every way trading their Talents for the Churches good Farellus with his Talent Hic est ille Farellus qui Genevenses Novocomenses Monipelgardenses c. Christo lucrifecit Melch. Adam in vit gained to the Faith five Cities of the Cantons with their territories Wickliff Hus Luther Calvin c. how active and fruitful were they in their Generations to dispread and scatter light over the Christian world to wise and win souls to Christ Prov. 11.30 These surely shine as stars in Heaven Dan. 12.3 that like stars by their light and influence made such a scatter of riches upon earth Every Star saith one is like a purse of Gold out of which God throws down riches and plenty upon the sons of men And as it is the nature of gold to bee drawn forth marvellously Zinch de oper dei part 2. l. 3. c. 6. so that as the learned affirm an ounce of gold will go as far as eight pound of silver so it is the nature of sound knowledge to be spreading and diffusive But the heart of the foolish doth not so Or is not right 'T is little worth Prov. 10.20 as having no true treasure in them but froth and filth vanity and villany hence they do not onely not disperse knowledge which they have not Psal 14.4 but patronize and promote ignorance and errour sow Cockle as fast as wiser men do Corn and are as busie in digging descents to Hell as others are in building stair-cases for Heaven Vers 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination Their very incense stinks of the hand that offers it Isa 1.13 Good words may bee uttered but wee cannot hear them because uttered with a stinking breath and good meat may bee presented but wee cannot eat of it because cook'd or brought to Table by a nasty sloven Works materially good may never prove so formally and eventually viz. when they are not right quoad fontem quoad finem 1 When they proceed not from a right principle a pure heart a good conscience and Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 2 When they tend not to a right end the glory of God in our own or other mens salvation Christus opera nostra non tam actibus quà m finibus pensat Zanchius The glory of God must consume all other ends as the Sun puts out the light of the fire Cant. 4.11 Psal 141.2 Hos 14.2 But the prayer of the righteous is his delight His musick his hony-drops his sweetest perfume his Calves of the lips with which when wee cover his Altar hee is abundantly well-pleased For as all Gods senses nay his very soul is offended with the bad mans sacrifice Isa 1.13 14 15. his sharp nose easily discerneth and disgusteth the stinking breath of his rotten lungs though his words bee never so sented and perfumed with shews of holiness So the prayer that proceeds from an upright heart though but faint and feeble doth come before God even into his ears Psal 18.6 and so strangely charms him Isa 26.16 see the Margin that hee breaks forth into these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incantamentum Ask mee of things concerning my sons and concerning the works of my hands command yee mee Isa 45.11 O that wee understood the latitude of this Royal Charter then would wee pray alwaies with all prayers and supplications in the Spirit then would wee watch thereunto with all perseverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not faint or shrink back Ephes 6.18 Luk. 18.1 Vers 9. The way of the wicked is abomination Not his sacrifices onely but his civilities all his actions natural moral recreative religious are offensive to all Gods senses as the word signifies The very plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 all they do is defiled yea their very consciences Their hearts like some filthy bog or fenn or like the lake of Sodome send up continual poisonous vapours unto God And hee not able to abide them sends down eftsoons a counterpoison of plagues and punishments Psalm 11.6 Rom. 1.18 But hee loveth him that followeth after righteousness Although hee fulfil not all righteousness yet if hee make after it with might and main as the word signifies if hee pursue it and have it in chase as ravenous creatures have their prey if by any means hee may attain to the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.11 That is that height of holiness that accompanieth the resurrection This is the man whom God loves Now Gods love is not an empty love It is not like the Winter Sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little warmth and comfort Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness Aug. those that remember thee in thy waies Isa 64.5 that think upon thy commandements to do them Psal 103. qui faciunt praecepta et si non perficiant that are weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but willing Heb. 13.18 that are lifting at the latch though they cannot do up the door Surely shall every such one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 Righteousness that is mercy to those that come over to him and Strength to enable them to come as the Sea sends out waters to fetch us to it Vers 10. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way Hee pleaseth himself in his out-straies and would not bee reduced hee is in love with his own ruine and takes long strides towards Hell which is now but a little afore him And if any man seek to save him Jude 23. with fear pulling him out of the fire hee flies in his face This is as great madness as if they whom our Saviour had healed or raised should have raged and railed at him for so doing And hee that hateth reproof shall die Hee that is imbittered by rebukes and not bettered by chastisements shall die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint shall die shamefully yea shall die eternally as the next verse shews shall bee swallowed up of Hell and destruction which even now gapes for him They that will not obey that sweet command Come unto mee all yee c. shall one day have no other voice to obey but that terrible Discedite Go yee cursed into everlasting flames Vers 11. Hell and destruction are before the Lord Tophet is prepared of old and where ever it is as it skils not curiously to enquire below us it seems to bee Pareus in loc Rev. 14.11 ubi sit sentient qui curiosius quaerunt so it is most certain that Hell is naked before God and destruction uncovered in his sight Job 26.6 Wee silly fishes see one another jerked out of the pond of life by the hand of death but wee see not the frying-pan and the fire that they are cast into that die in their sins and refuse to bee reformed Cast they are into utter darkness
of Sacrifices Prov. 7.14 And hereunto Saint James seems to allude Chap. 5.5 Vers 2. A wise servant shall have rule over a Son c. God hath a very gracious respect unto faithful servants and hath promised them the reward of inheritance Col. 4.24 which properly belongs to Sons This falls out sometimes here as to Joseph Joshuah those subjects that married Salomons Daughters 1 King 4.10 14. but infallibly hereafter when they shall come from East and West to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven and to enter into their Masters joy but the children of the Kingdome shall bee cast out Mat. 8.11 12. Vers 3. The fining-pot is for silver c. God also hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31.9 his conflatories and his crucibles wherein hee will refine his as silver is refined and try them as gold is tried Zech. 13.9 Not as if hee knew them not till hee had tried them for hee made them and therefore cannot but know them As Artificers know the several parts and properties of their works Sed tentat ut sciat id est ut scire nos faciat saith Augustin Hee therefore tries us that hee may make us know what is in us what drosse what pure metal and that all may see that wee are such as for a need can glorifie him in the very fires Isa 84.15 that the trial of our faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though tried in the fire may bee found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 Vers 4. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips It is an ill sign of a vicious nature to bee apt to beleeve scandalous reports of godly men If men loved not lyes they would not listen to them Some are of opinion that Solomon having said God tryeth the hearts doth in this and the two next following verses instance some particular sins so accounted by God which yet passe amongst men for no sins or peccadilloes at the utmost seeing no man seems to receive wrong by them such as these are to listen to lying lips to mock the poor to rejoyce at another mans calamity and the like Loe they that do thus though to themselves and others they may seem to have done nothing amisse yet God that tries the hearts will call them to account for these malicious miscarriages Vers 5. Hee that mocketh the poor c. See the Note on Chap. 14.31 And hee that is glad at calamities shall not bee unpunished Hee is sick of the Devils disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Job was not tainted with Chap. 31. as the Edomites Ammonites Philistims and other of Sions enemies Lam. 1. were How bitterly did the Jews insult over our Saviour when they had nailed him to the Crosse And in like sort they served many of the Martyrs worrying them when they were down as Dogs do other Creatures and shooting sharp arrows at them when they had set them up for marks of their malice and mischief Herein they deal like barbarously with the Saints as the Turks did with one John de Chabes a Frenchman Turk Hist fol. 756. at the taking of Tripolis in Barbary They cut off his hands and nose and then when they had put him quick into the ground to the waste they for their pleasure shot at him with their arrows and afterwards cut his throat Mr. John Deuly Martyr being set in the fire with the burning flame about him sang a Psalm Then cruel Doctor Story commanded one of the tormentours to hurl a faggot at him whereupon being hurt therewith upon the face Act. Mon. fol. 1530. that hee bled again hee left his singing and clapt both his hands upon his face Truly said Doctor Story to him that hurled the fagot Thou hast marred a good old song This Story being after the coming in of Queen Elizabeth questioned in Parliament for many foul crimes and particularly for persecuting and burning the Martyrs hee denied not but that hee was once at the burning of an Herewigge for so hee termed it at Uxbridge Ibid. 1918. where hee cast a faggot at his face as hee was singing of Psalms and set a winnebush of thorns under his feet a little to prick him c. This wretch was afterwards hanged drawn and quartered and so this Proverb was fulfilled of him Anno. 1571. Hee that is glad at calamities shall not bee unpunished Vers 6. Childrens children are the Crown of old men That is if they bee not children that cause shame as vers 2. and that disgrace their Ancestors stain their blood If they obey their Parents counsel and follow their good example for otherwise they prove not Crowns but corrosives to their aged Sires as did Esau Absolom Andronicus and others And the glory of children are their Parents If those children so well descended do not degenerate as Jonathan the son of Gershom the son of Manasseh or rather of Moses as the Hebrews read it with a Nun suspensum Judg. 18.31 and as Elies Samuels and some of Davids sons did Heroum filii noxae Manasseh had a good Father but hee degenerated into his Grandfather Ahaz as if there had been no intervention of a Hezekiah So wee have seen the kernel of a well-fruited-plant degenerate into that crab or willow that gave the original to his stock But what an honour was it to Jacob that hee could swear by the fear of his Father Isaac To David that hee could in a real and heavenly complement say to his Maker Truly Lord I am thy servant â—â—am thy servant the son of thy handmaid Psal 116.16 To Timothy that the same Faith that was in him had dwelt first in his Mother Lois and his Grandmother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.15 To the children of the Elect Lady c. To Mark that hee was Barnabas his sisters son To Alexander and Rufus men mentioned onely Euseb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 15.21 but famously known in the Church to bee the sons of Simon of Cyrene To the sons of Constaintine the Great to come of such a Father whom they did wholly put on saith Eusebius and exactly resemble To bee descended of those glorious Martyrs and Confessors that suffered here in Queen Maries daies Vers 7. Excellent speech becometh not a fool A Nabal a sapless worthless fellow in whom all worth is withered and decayed qui nullas habet dicendi vires as Cicero hath it that can say no good except it bee by rote or at least by book what should hee do discoursing of high points God likes not fair words from a foul mouth Christ silenced the Devil Odi homineâ— ignava â— pâ—râ—â— philosopha sententia when hee confessed him to bee the Son of the most high God The leapers lips should bee covered according to the Law The Lacedemonians when a bad man had uttered a good speech in their Council-house liking the speech but not the speaker
Isa 65.10 To a Rose that Queen of flowers here growing doth the Lord Christ fitly compare himself This flower delights in shadowy places and thence borroweth its name in the Original it is orient of hiew Habasteleth cold of complexion but passing redolent and of comfortable condition Such a Flower is Jesus saith an Expositour here most delighted in temperate places for hiew white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand Clapham a cooler to the conscience but passing savoury and comfortable to the distressed Patient And the Lilly of the Vallyes Or low places which are most fat and fertile Christ is both Rose and Lilly which two put together make a gallant shew and beautifie the bosomes of those that bear them but nothing like as Christ doth those that have him dwelling in their hearts by Faith These flowers do soon fade and lose both beauty and sweetness but so doth not Christ or his comforts Tam recens mihi nunc Christus est ac si hac hora fudisset sanguinem saith Luther Christ is as fresh to mee now as if hee had shed his blood this very hour Hee purposely compareth himself to a Vine to a door to bread and many other excellent and necessary creatures every where obvious that therein as in so many optick glasses wee may see him and bee transformed into him For this it is also that hee here commends himself not out of arrogancy or vain affectation of popular applause but for our sakes doubtless that wee may take notice of his excellencies and love him in sincerity The Spouse also praiseth her self sometimes not out of pride of her parts but to shew her thankfulness to Christ from whom shee had them Vers 2. As the Lilly among the Thorns The Lilly is white pure and pleasant Shosâ—â—â—nah having six leaves and thence its name in Hebrew and seven golden-coloured grains within it The forty fifth Psalm of like argument with this Song is dedicated to him that excelleth upon Shoshannim or upon this six-leaved flower the Lilly Moreover the chief City of Persia was called Shushan from the multitude of Lillies growing there Schindler Cassidor lib. 7. vâ—r Ep. 15. Here Alexander found fifty thousand Talents of gold the very stones of it are said to have been joyned together with Gold The Church is far richer and fuller of beauty and bravery but beset with thorns such as Abimelech was a right bramble indeed that grew in the base hedge-row of a Concubine and scratcht and drew blood to purpose wicked men are called Briers Micah 7.4 thorns twisted and folded Nahum 1.10 that hurt the earth and those that handle them Indeed they cannot bee taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must bee fenced with Iron and the staff of a spear But God shall thrust them all away seal into hell and they shall bee utterly burnt with fire in the same place 2 Sam. 23.6 7. In the mean space who will set the briers and thorns against mee in battel saith the Lord Christ being jealous for his Spouse with a great jealousie Zach. 1.14 who dare do it I would march against them I would burn them together Isa 27.4 Sin or Sinai a thorny place in the desert where it rained down Quails and Manna from Heaven was a type of the Church flourishing in the midst of her enemies like a Lilly among thorns So is my Love amongst the Daughters i. e. false Sisters quae dicuntur spinae propter malignitatem morum Aug. Epist 48. dicuntur filiae propter communionem sacramentorum saith Augustine these are called thorns for the malignity of their manners and Daughters for their profession and outward priviledges These prick sting and nettle the Church they cannot but do their nature till God take an order with them Matth. 13. till hee binde them in bundles and cast them into the furnace But as the Lilly is fresh and beautiful and looks pleasantly even that wilde Lilly that wee call Wood-binde though among thorns so should wee amidst trouble God hedgeth us about with these briars that hee may keep us within compass August hee pricks us with these thorns that hee may let out our ill humours O felices tribulos tribulationum O happy thorns of tribulation that open a vein for sin to gush out at Bee not weary my son of Gods correction saith Solomon Prov. 3.11 Ne ejus castigationes ut spinas quasdam existimes tibi molestas so Kabvenaki renders and expounds that text Feel not Gods corrections troublesome to thee as thorns in thine eyes or prickles in thy sides Especially since as Gideon by threshing those churls of Succoth with thorns and briars of the wilderness Judg. 8.16 taught them better behaviour so deals God by his people his House of correction is his School of instruction Psalm 94.12 See my Love-tokens pag. 144 145 c. God sets these thorns as hee did those four horns Zach. 1. to afflict his people which way soever they fled Zach. 1.19 20 21 Howbeit when they had pushed them to the Lord there were four Carpenters set a work to cut them short enough for ever doing any further hurt Vers 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees c. Among wilde trees moss-begrown trees trees that bring not forth meat for men but mast for Hoggs Such is every natural man Rom. 11.24 Ephraim is an empty Vine hee beareth fruit to himself Hos 10.1 paltry-hedge-fruit Oaks bring forth Apples such as they are and Acorns But what saith our Saviour John 15.2 Every branch in mee that beareth not fruit hee taketh away and without mee yee can do nothing vers 5. That is a true saying though Spiera the Postiller censure it for a cruel sentence Omnis vita infid elium peccatum est Aug. De. vera innocen cap. 56 nihil bonum sine summo bono The whole life of an unbeleever is sin neither is there any thing good without Christ the chiefest good Here hee is fitly compared by the Church to an Apple-tree which yeelds both shade and food to the weary and hungry traveller furnisheth him with whatsoever heart can wish or need require Christ is cornucopia an Universal Good All-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and every way fitting to our necessities It is not with Christ as with Isaac that had but one blessing for in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and whatsoever worth Col. 2.3 So that as a friend of Cyrus in Xenophon being asked where his treasure was answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Cyrus is my friend so may a Christian better answer to the like question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Lord Christ is my friend Bern. For as sine Deo omnis copia est egestas without Christ all plenty is scarcity so with him there can bee no want of any thing that is good In the fulness of his sufficiency hee is in want saith Job of a wicked man
sincerity are apt to imagine that others also do love him no less than they So much worth they finde in him that they wonder how any can do otherwise than affect and admire him This made Mary Magdalen who loved much to ask the Gardener for so shee took him to bee what hee had done with the Lords body John 20.15 Whereabout shee thought hee had been as solicitous as her self So the Church here Have you seen him When they perhaps were perfect strangers to him But bee they as they will they should have known and loved the Lord Jesus Christ upon pain of utter cutting off 1 Cor. 16.22 and whether they do or do not they shall know that shee loves him Quis enim celaverit ignem for who can hide fire in his bosome or musk in his pocket The love of Christ cannot possibly bee concealed A man may as easily hide the wind with his fist and the ointment of his right hand which bewrayeth it self as Solomon speaketh in another case Prov. 27.16 Hee that beleeves with his heart will confess with his mouth Rom. 10.10 Christs true worshippers are marked in their fore-heads Rev. 7.3 Antichrists limbs receive his mark in their hands chap. 13.16 which they can cover or discover as they see occasion Wee have also many politick Professors amongst us who for want of true love to Christ either run away in the plain field Heb. 10. ult and so incur the danger of Marshal Law or else under a colour of discretion fall back into the rereward the battel is sharp and it is not good to bee too forward But is this thy love to thy friend as bee said to Hushai the Archite Davids Parents and brethren came down to him to the cave of Adullam though to their great danger 1 Sam. 22.1 And Basil being blamed for his forwardness to appear for his friend in danger answered Ego aliter amare non didici a friend is made for the day of adversity Vers 4. It was but a little that I passed from them It is probable that lighting upon these watch-men shee promised her self much counsel and comfort from them but was disappointed It pleaseth God many times to cross our likeliest projects that himself alone may bee lâ—aned upon The poor soul in distress is apt to knock at the creatures door for comfort to shark abroad and to look this way and that way as David did for help Yea many use the means as Mediatours and so fall short of Christ It is a good Note that one makes upon this Text that shee was a little past the watchmen Mr. Dud'y Fenner which shews saith hee that the Lord delaies comfort to draw his Church thorow all his means from the lowest to the highest where shee findeth in short space comfort but many times not till shee is past that they might not attribute it to the excellency of the means but unto God Ideo minatur ut non puniaâ— Chrys But I found him whom my soul loveth Christ as hee therefore threatneth that hee may not bee put to punish so hee therefore hides himself otherwhiles that hee may come in again to his people with more comfort And his usual time to come in to them is when they have well-nigh done looking after him as hee dealt by those two that were travelling to Emmaus Luk. 24.13 when they have hanged up their hopes and their harps together and are ready to cast away their confidence and to leave looking any longer Luk. 18.8 When the son of man comes viz. with an answer to his peoples prayers which they have now even given up for lost labour shall hee finde Faith upon the earth i. e. will anybody ever think that having stayed so long hee would yet come at last Christ loves to comfort those that are forsaken of their hopes and to give a blessing to those times and means whereof wee despair The pains cannot bee cast away which wee resolve to lose for Christ I held him and would not let him go Shee held him with both hands earnestly for Faith hath two hands one receiving Christ from God the other giving the beleever to God With both shee holds Christ the King is held in her galleries by the bonds of love by the cords of kindness Cant. 7.5 hee is even held prisoner in her company but especially with the former Shee holds him as Jacob did Gen. 32.26 though with much conflict the Devil strikes hard at her hand and would make her loose her hold Hence Faith is fain to tugg and wrestle even till it sweat again And therefore Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the difficult work of Faith 1 Thes 1.3 because the beleever hath such ado to hold his own If hee cannot hold with his hands hee will make use of his teeth as it is storied of Cynegirus that Noble Athenian and of our Sir Thomas Challoner Aâ—lian Camden in the wars of Charls the fifth any shift hee will make rather than part with Christ whom his soul loveth having fastened on the tree of life rather than drown hee is resolved to pull it up by the very roots Let God fight against him with his own hand and offer as it were to kill him yet hee will hang on still hee will trust in an angry God in a killing God as Job and as Jacob hee will wrestle and not let go though alone and in the night and upon one leg Loe this is the Generation of them that seek him of them that seek thy face this is Jacob Psal 24.6 these bee Israelites indeed John 1.47 Until I had brought him into my Mothers house That is into my conscience say some where Faith dwelleth and Christ by faith Rom. 10.10 Gal. 4.19 into the Synagogues of the Jews say others or into the Congregations of the Gentiles They do best that understand it of the Catholick Church the supernal Jerusalem that mother of us all figured by Sarah Gal 4.24 26. where Christ hath most delightful dwelling a comfortable commoration and as it were conjugal cohabitation with his Spouse chamber-fellowship Judg. 15.1 Vers 5. I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem As a further fruit of her revived faith shee renews her contestation and charge of sanctification of life such as becometh the Gospel that Christ whom shee resolves now to retain with her bee not provoked by sin to leave his people Numb 32.15 And in this vehement adjuration no doubt saith an Interpreter but the Church had a special regard to the custome used then and yet even at this day used amongst us namely that songs are sung before the Bride-chamber and certain noises of Instruments brought to wake the Bride and Bridegroom from sleep See the Note on chap. 2.7 Vers 6. Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness Who is this say the Angels those friends of the Bridegroom as some will have it admiring the Churches high expressions and continual ascensions in her
dies Ovid. We should have been as Sodom Those five Cities of the Plain are thrown forth for an Example Jude 7. Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodom but Sodom was taken out of the World and turned into a sea of salt Deut. 24.23 So Meroz Judg. 5.23 some City likely near the place where that battel was fought hath the very Name and memorial of it utterly extinct Ver. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Princes of Sodom Having mentioned Sodom and Gomorrah vers 9. he maketh further use thereof probrosa hac appellatione auditores suos conveniens sharping up his Hearers in this sort whom he knew he should not wrong at all by so calling them see Ezek. 16.46 48. Non tam ovum ovo simile Like they were both Princes and people to those of Sodom and Gomorrah 1. In their ingratitude toward God 2. in their cruelty toward men Our Prophet therefore is very bold as Saint Paul also testifieth of him Rom. 10.20 fearing no colours although for his boldness he lost his life if at least that be true which Hierom out of the Rabbins telleth us Hier. â—â— Is 1. viz. that this Prophet Isay was sawn asunder 1. Because he said he had seen the Lord chap. 6.1 Secondly Because he called the great Ones of Judah Princes of Sodom c. giving them a Title agreeable to their wicked practises The like liberty of speech used Athanasius toward Constantius Agapetus toward Justinian Johannes Sarisburiensis toward the Pope c. Ver. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices All which without faith and devotion are no better then meer hypocrisie and illusion It is saith Oecolampadius as if one should present his Prince with many Carts laden with dirt or as if good meat well-cooked should be brought to Table by a nasty sloven who hath been tumbling in a jakes They are your sacrifices and not mine and though many and costly yet I abhor such sacrificing Sodomites as you are neither shall you be a button the better for your pompous he catombe and holocausts Your devotions are placed more in the massy materiality then inward purity and therefore rejected Go ye and learn what that is I will have mercy so Faith Repentance new Obedience and not sacrifice Mat. 9.14 You stick in the bark rest in the work done your piety is potius in labris quam in fibris nata a meer outside shels Nut-kernels shews and Pageants not heart-workings c. Vna Dei est purum gratissima victima pectus I am full of the burnt offerings I am even cloyed and lothed with the sight of them And of the fat of fed beasts Though ye bring the very best of the best yet you do worse then lose your labour cast away your cost for therein ye commit sin Prov. 15.8 Displeasing service is double dishonour Deus homines istis ut vocant meritis praefidentes aversatur I delight not in the blood of Bullocks c. He that killeth an Ox unless withall he kill his corruptions is as if he slew a man He that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck c. chap. 66.3 Those miscreants in Micah who offered largely for a License to live as they list are rejected with scorn Mic. 6 7. Ver. 12. When ye come to appear before me Heb. to be seen else all had been lost Hypocrisie is very ostentous it would be noted and noticed whereas true Devotion desireth not to be seen of any save Him who seeth in secret Who hath required this at your hand This is Gods Voyce to all superstitious Will-worshippers and carnal-Gospellers Friend how camest thou in hither Who sent for thee to my service Who hath forewarned this generation of Vipers to flye from the wrath to come What hast thou to do to take up my Name c. Psalm 50.16 to tread my Courts to pollute my Presence This is the gate of the Lord into which the Righteous only should enter Psalm 118.20 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21.27 To tread my Courts Or trample on as chap. 62.3 to foul it Calcaâ—is atria teritis pavimentum A Lap. Sands his Relat of West Relig. Sect. 8. and wear it out with their feet as in some places Marble-crosses graven in Pavements of Popish Churches with indulgences annexed for every time they are kissed are even worn by the kisses of the devouter Sexe especially Diodaete noteth here that a phrase is pickt out on purpose to shew that these false appearances were rather acts of prophane contempt then of right Religion The Greeks gave such honour to their Temples that they durst not tread on the Threshold thereof but leap over it The Priests at their solemn services cryed aloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gressus removete prophani The Jews at this day before they come to the Synagogue wash themselves and scrape their shoos with an Iron fastened in a wall at the entrance The Habassines a mongrel kind of Christians in Africk do neither walk nor talk nor sit nor spit nor laugh in the Church nor admit dogs into the Church-yards Sed quorsum haec omnia to what end is all this without an honest care to lift up pure hands and holy hearts in Gods presence See Jer. 7.3 4 9 10 11. Ver. 13. Bring no more vain oblations Vain because unacceptable ineffectual unsubstantial Epitheton argumentosum saith Piscator Lip-labour is lost-labour For God is not mocked with shadows of service his sharp nose easily discerneth and is offended with the stinking breath of the Hypocrites rotten Lungs though his words be never so scented and perfumed with shews of holiness Hence it is added Incense is an abomination unto me sc because it stinketh of the hand that offereth it Incense of it self was a sweet and precious Perfume compounded of the best Odours and Spices In the incense of faithful prayer also how many sweet spices are burnt together by the fire of Faith as Humility Hope Love c. all which come up for a memorial before God through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ Heb. 9.24 But it is otherwise with the wicked whose carnal heart is like some fen or bog and every prayer thence proceeding is as an evil vapour reaking and rising from that dunghill Never did those five Cities of the Plain send up such poisonous smels to Heaven which God being not able to abide sent down upon them a counter-poyson of fire and brimstone I cannot away with Heb. I cannot by an angry Aposiopesis I cannot that is I cannot behold bear with or forbear to punish as Oecolampadius maketh the supply to be It is iniquity Or an affliction a grievance as Joh. 5.6 Yea it is a Vexation as some render the next word viz. your solemn meeting Ver. 14. Your New Moons These were commanded to be kept to mind them of Gods gubernation of
of their punishments Of Babylon Not that Babylon in Egypt of which St. Peter 1 Epist 5.13 as some hold now called Grâ—ndcair the Soldans Seat-royal but the Metropolis of Chaldaea built by Semiramis about an hundred years after the Flood whetheâ— the Jews were to be carried captive and concerning which calamity they are here aforehand comforted See Mic. 7.8 16. Ver. 2. Life up a Banner Deus hic quasi classicum canit God as Generalissimo gives forth his Orders to the Medes and Persians He is a man of War Exod 15.3 yea the Lord victour of War as the Chaldee there paraphraseth See the like Jer. 50.2 Vpon the High Mountain Where it may best be seen Media is a Mountanous Countrey Or contra montem calâ—ginosum against the dark Mountain i. e. Babylon which though scituated in a Plain yet was tuâ—ouâ—'d up with her wealth and power Strabo lib. 16. Curtius lib. 5. Josephus l. 10. and seemed unmoveable Famous this City was for an hortus pensilis an Artificial Garden made by Nebuchadnezzar for the pleasure of his Wife Nicotris which hanging over the City darkeneth it like as that continual Cloud doth the Island of St. Thomas on the backside of Africa Exalt the voyce unto them shake the hand Propinquos voce longinquos significatione adarma convocate give the alarm to those that are near-hand and further off Junius That they may go into the gates of the Nobles Or of the munificent or Bounteous Lords for such all Nobles are or ought to be Our English word Lord contracted of the Saxon word Laford cometh of Luef to sustain or succour others Ver. 3. I have commanded my sanctified ones i. e. I have by my secret instinct stirred up and set on my Medes and Persians ver 17. whom in my Decree I have set apart for this holy work of executing vengeance on the Babylonians I have also called my Mighties My Heroes armed with my Might Even them that rejoyce in my Highness Heb. Exultantes superbiae meos My brave Souldiers whom I render victorious and triumphant Ver. 4. The noise of the multitude The Medes that come against Babylon are both numerous and streperous as is here graphically described by an Elegant Hypotyposis The Lord of Hosts mustereth the host of the battel No marvel then that the Forces are so many and mighty For if he but stamp with his foot all creatures are up in Arms immediately Ver. 5. They come from a far Countrey Heb. from a Land of Longinquity Even the Lord and the weapons of his Indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vessels of wrath the Septuagint render them but in another sence then the Apostle useth that expression concerning Reprobates designed to destruction To destroy the whole Land Or the whole world for so the Chaldees in the pride of their Empire stiled it The Romans did the like Luke 2.1 The Turks do the same at this day such is their ambition Ver. 6. Howl ye For the evils that are coming upon you as Jam. 5.1 we may well say the same to mystical Babylon For the day of the Lord is at hand And yet it came not till above two hundred years after Think the same of the day of Judgement and reckon that a thousand years with God is but as one day It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty Heb. Cleshod Mishaddai an elegancy that cannot be Englished Shâ—ddai Gods name signifieth a Conqueror say some a Destroyer say others which a Conqueror must needs be Eundem victorem vastatorem esse oportet Here is threatened a devastation from the Devastatour Ver. 7. Therefore shall all hands be faint Base fear that cowardly passion shall betray them to the enemy by expectorating their courage and causing their hearts to fall into their heels as we say But this also cometh from the Lord of â—â—osts who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working for He ordereth the Armor Jer. 50.25 and he strengtheneth or weakeneth the Armies of either party Ezek. 30.24 whencesoever the Sword cometh it is bathed in Heaven Isa 34.5 And every heart shall melt How much more shall wicked mens hearts do so at the day of Judgement when the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken Luke 21.26 Allegoricè haec veriora erunt in diâ— judicii cujus hic est typus Ver. 8. And they shall be afraid Conturbabuntur Innumerabilibus sollicitudinibus They shall be amazed one at another Amused amazed amated as being at their wits ends Their faces shall be as flames So Jer. 30.5 6. a voyce of fear and trembling every man with his hands on his loines the posture of a travelling Woman and all faces turned into paleness The Prophet here alludeth saith Musculus to the face of a Smith at dark night when he standeth blowing his fite for his face appears as if it had no blood in it most wan and paâ—e Or as others think to a man afrighted who first looketh pale the blood running to the heart to relieve it afterwards upon the return of the blood to the outward parts he looketh red and of a flame-colour Ver. 9. Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel So it shall seem to the enemies because an evil an only evil behold is come Ezek. 7.5 without mixture of Mercy Ver. 10. For the Stars of Heaven shall not give their light They shall have punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour Est Hyperbole Hypallage mischief without measure crying without comfort c. and all this shall be but a typical hell to them a foretast of eternal torments The Constellations thereof Which yet some Interpreters take for some single and signal Star magnam luceus magnae sequuntur tenebrae The Sun shall be darkened They shall neither have good day nor good night Ver. 11. And I will punish the world That is the Chaldean State Dan. 4.17 for they reckoned themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Lords of the world See on ver 5. Or to shew that if the whole world should conspire against the Lord he can as easily punish them as he did that rabble of Rebels the old world And lay low the haughtiness of the terrible Or of the roysters or Tyrants Ver. 12. I will make a man more precious Quod rarum carum Men shall be reduced to a small number not Nobles only sed triobolares homunciones but Pesants nor shall any money be taken in exchange for lives Ver. 13. Therefore I will shake the Heavens i.e. for the pride arrogancy cruelty and other impieties of these Babylonians I will bring upon them Tragical calamities and horrid confusions so that they shall think that Heaven and earth are blended together and each be ready to say In me omnis terraeque polique marisque ruina est Ver. 14. And it shall be as the chased Roe Or she that is Babylon shall be when drunk with security that Usher of Deâ—truction she shall be suddenly surprized So strong
not downward saith One upon the rushing and roaring streams of miseries and troubles which run so swiftly under us for then we shall be taken with a giddiness c. but stedfastly fasten on the power and promise of Jah Jehovah and ye shall be established Is everlasting strength Heb. The rock of ages or the old rock so called of old Deut. 32 4 18 31. and so found to be from the beginning Et quia in aeternum non mutat aut nutat erga pios licet montes colles nutent Isa 54.10 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower Prov. 18.10 A munition of rocks Isa 23 16. rocks so deep no Pioner can undermine them so thick no Cannon can pierce them so high no ladder can scale it Ver. 5. For he bringeth down those that dwell on high Even all adverse power and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.5 The lofty City he layeth it low This Musculus understandeth of Babylon that towring City as also of Rome that spiritual Babylon to which it was long since said Versa eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses Ver. 6. The foot shall tread it down He saith not the hand shall beat it down but the foot shall spurn down this lofty City even the feet of the poor and abject ones as once Sampson dealt by the Philistines Judg. 15.8 and as men use to spurn base and pesantly fellows that stand in their way God can and sometimes doth to shew his power and wisdom make desolation it self to scale a fort Amos 5.10 Men thrust through to rise up and set whole Cities a fire Jer. 37.10 bring to pass mighty things by base and abject means Ver. 7. The way of the just is uprightness Heb. Vprightnesses that is just and strait courses They turn not aside to crooked and wry wayes as do the workers of iniquity Psal 125.5 but hold on in an even way without windings or writhings Prov. 4.26 27. the Kings high-way to heaven is their rode and this leadeth them to that City of God ver 1 2. Thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just Or Thou dost by levelling make the just mans path even By thy preventing grace thou makest him just and upright and by thy subsequent grace thou strengthenest and directest him that he may run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40.21 Ver. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments Rough though it be and rugged even when thou hast wrought against us in the rigour of thy punishments as One paraphraseth it in the discipline of thy chastisements as Another There are that by this phrase understand the doctrine of the Gospel which teacheth another way of judging of a righteous man then the Law doth and such as the Church trusteth to alone and to none other sc Justification by Faith in Christ Jesus Diod. And to the remembrance of thee i. e. to all the signs gages and testimonials which thou hast given us of thy Grace by thy Word Sacraments and Work Ver. 9. With my soul c. with my spirit Spirit Soul and Body must all be for God The wicked with all their soul rejoyce to do evil Ezek. 25.6 Attende quam non sit otiosa fides Oecol 1 Thes 5.23 all that is within us especially Psal 103.1 the fat and inwards were consecrated to him the heart is his Bride-chamber his bed of spices Cant. 6.2 In the lives of the Fathers mention is made of a certain Monk to whom boasting of perfection it was answered from heaven Illa est perfectio quae Lunam Solem Canis iram Deo tribuit id est COR that is Perfection consisteth in giving the whole heart to God For when thy judgements are in the earth c. Gods judgements are the best Schoolmasters Q. Elizabeth learned much from Mr. Ascham but more from her affliction Our Saviour himself learned something by the things which he suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5.8 so do all his Members Ezek. 20.37 the worst are forced to say with Phlegyas Virg. Aeneid lib. 6. Discite justitiam moniti non temnere numen It was a true saying in the general of the Proconsul to Cyprian at his Martyrdom though ill applied to him in particular In sanguine tuo caeteri discent Disciplinam by thy punishment others shall learn wisdom As when one Scholar is whipped the rest are warned And as a thunder-bolt falleth with the danger of few but with the fear of all so is it here Ver. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked c. No fair means will work upon him whatever foul may do But as an evil stomach turneth good meat into bad humours so here all 's lost that 's laid out upon them Vngentem pungit pungentem rusticus ungit In the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly In the Church where Righteousness raigneth Or in a land of evenness he will wry and stray Ye all know saith holy Bradford in a certain letter of his there was never more knowledge of God viz. in good King Edward 6. his days and less godly living and true serving of God Act. Mon. It was counted a folly to serve God sincerely and earnest prayer was not past upon Preaching was but pastime Communion was counted too common c. And will not behold the Majesty of the Lord Or and he shall not see the Majesty of the Lord sc in his heavenly kingdom Heb. 12.14 Ver. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see i. e. Observe consider and take warning let Gods hand be never so high and glorious so lifted up and exalted yet these Buzzards will not behold his Majesty as ver 10. as being more blind then Moles more deaf then Sea-monsters they refuse to regard ought But they shall see and be confounded But yet maugre their head as One well paraphraseth the words they shall be driven both to see and to acknowledge to their shame the great and mighty hand of God his zeal for his people and the fire of his wrath to consume his foes See Zach. 1.15 14. experientur suo magno malo they shall to their cost feel the weight of Gods hand which the higher it is lifeed the heavier it will light at length Mrs. Hutchinson Story of Sect. in New Engl. by Mr. Weid pag. 44. that Jezabel of New England as she had vented about thirty mishapen opinions there so she brought forth about thirty deformed monsters Shee and her family were after this because they would not be reclaimed but turned off admonition saying This is for you ye Legalists that your eyes might be further blinded by Gods hand upon us in your Legal wayes c. slain some say burnt by the Indians who never used to exercise such an outrage upon any Ver. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us Or. Lord dispose peace for us For thou also hast
hath the face to say that the Catholicks were never yet worsted by the Hereticks as they call us in a set battle Ver. 18. Hear ye deaf and look ye blind Ye who as so many sea monsters or deaf Adders will not hear and as so many blind moles will not see by a perulant blindnesse and of obstinate malice such were the Scribes and Pharisees who winked hard with their eyes and wilfully shut the windows lest the light should come in unto them See more of this in the Notes on chap. 6. and 29. That ye may see In nature Caecorum mens oculatissima est We read of Didymus Alexandrinus that though blind yet he wrote Commentaries and of two of Archb. Vshers Aunts that being blind from their cradles they taught him first to read such was their readinesse in the Scriptures But this was rare and in spirituals it is otherwise till God enlighten both Organ and Object Ver. 19. Who is blind but my servant Who so blind as he that will not see Israel was Gods peculiar and had the light of his Law yet were blind as beetles Or deaf as my messenger The Priests and Levites Mal. 3.7 Such were the Papists dolts till awakened by the Reformation Buxtorf Tiber p. 5. Who is blind as he that is perfect The Elders of the people who arrogated to themselves perfection chap. 65.5 Rom. 2.17 18 19 20. as likewise the Popish Perfectists the Jewish Doctours with their pretended Mashlamnutha's and the Turkish Mussalmans i. e. Perfectionaries Ver. 20. But observest not Viz. for holy practice But he heareth not Viz. for any good purpose he heareth not what the Spirit saith to the Churches Ver. 21. The Lord is well pleased he will magnifie his Law c. Or to magnifie his Law and make it honourable sc by recompensing so highly those that observed it this he did for his righteousnesse sake i. e. of his free grace and fidelity but these are none such they are practical Antinomians and to me direct Antipodes Ver. 22. But this is a people robbed and spoiled And all too little unless they were better Hierom expoundeth this of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans after their voluntary blindness and malice shewed against Christ at what time they were pulled out of holes and privies spoiled slaved sold thirty a penny Ver. 23. Who among you will give ear to this Magna nimirum haec sunt sed paucis persuasa We shall have much adoe to make you believe these things though your liberties lives and souls lie upon it Hyper. Ver. 24. Who gave Jacob for a spoile Omnia magno adfectu sunt pronuncianda debentque singula membra hujus orationis expendi This is a very remarkable passage Let us cry out O the severity and beware Cavebimus autem si pavebimus Ver. 25. And it hath set him on fire When the Country was wasted the City and Temple burnt and ruined Read Josephus Lege inquam luge And he laid is not to heart This was worse than all the rest Like a sleepy man fire burning in his bed-straw he cryeth not out when others haply lament his case that see a far off but cannot help him CHAP. XLIII Ver. 1. BVt now thus saith the Lord Here the Prophet comforteth those with the Gospel whom he had frighted with the Law saith Oecolampadius That created thee O Jacob By a new creation Aug. especially Isa 9.23 Eph. 2.10 2 Cor. 5.17 Magna sunt opera Dei Creatoris Dei Recreatoris longe maxima The work of Redemption is far beyond that of Creation And he that formed thee O Israel As the Potter formeth to himself a vessel of honour and distinguisheth it from other vile and sordid vessels so have I dealt by thee I have redeemed thee A mercy much celebrated in this book and for very great reason I have called thee by thy Name Which was no small favour See Exod. 33.17 Psal 147.4 Some think he alludeth to his giving Jacob the name of Israel when he had wrestled with God and prevailed Thou art mine I have adopted thee which is no small honour 1 Joh. 3.1 Meus es tu may very well be the new name spoken of Rev. 2.17 with Hos 2.23 better than that of sons and of daughers Isa 56.5 See it displayed 1 Pet. 2.9 Ver. 2. When thou passest through the waters Fire and water we say have no mercy when once they get above us extream calamities are hereby denoted Psal 66.12 But Gods gracious presence kept the bush from burning burn it did but was not consumed through the good will of him that dwelt in it saith Moses Deut. 33.16 the Israelites in the red sea from drowning Exod. 14. His presence made the fiery furnace a gallery of pleasure the Lyons den an house of defence the Leonine prison a delectable Orchard as that Italian Martyr phrased it the fiery tryal a bed of roses as another Tua praesentia Domine Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit Hierom of Prague and other Martyrs sang in the very flames Blessed Bilney being condemned to be burnt for the Testimony of Jesus when he was comforted by some against the extremity of the fire he put his hand toward the flame of the candle burning before them and feeling the heat thereof Oh said he I feel by experience and have learned by Philosophy that fire by Gods Ordinance is naturally hot But yet I am perswaded by Gods holy Word and by the experience of some spoken of in the same that in the flame they felt no heat and in the fire no consumption I constantly believe that howsoever the stubble of this my body shall be wasted by it yet my soul and spirit shall be purged thereby a pain for the time wherein notwithstanding followeth joy unspeakable and here he much treated on this text Fear not when thou passest through the waters c. So that some of his friends there present took such sweet benefit therein Act. Mon. fol. 923. that they caused the whole said sentence to be fair written in Tables and some in their books the comfort whereof in divers of them was never taken from them to their dying day Ver. 3. I gave Egypt for thy ransom quasi victimam piacularem à Sennacheribo mactandam loco Judaeae in exchange for thee so the Septuagint render it This was done when Tirhakah King of Egypt and Ethiopia was beaten by Sennacherib who was then making toward Jerusalem which he had already devoured in his hopes chap. 37.9 Thus the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead Prov. 11.8 Saul and his people were afflicted by the Philistins that David might escape 1 Sam. 23. The Canaanites were rooted out to make room for the Israelites Charles the fifth and Francis the French King after a mutual agreement to root out Lutheranisme fall together by the eares and the Church the while hath her Halcyons So the Turks
and Persians are at deadly feud to the great safeguard of Christendom and the Popish party are as a bulwark betwixt those Mahometans and the Protestants Ver. 4. Since thou hast been precious in my sight Nothing so ennobleth as Gods grace and being in the Covenant Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ismael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Some read the text thus Because thou wast precious in my sight thou wast honourable and I loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life Ver. 5. I will bring thy seed from the East From all coasts and quarters This was a Type of the Church in the New Testament see Mat. 8.11 Joh. 11.52 Joh. 10.16 Gal. 3.28 this was also a type of the last Resurrection See Revel 20.13 Ver. 6. I will say to the North Give up I will do it with a word of my mouth Ipse dixit Oecola p. facta sunt Bring my sons from far and my daughters That is say some my stronger and also weaker children of what size or sex soever Souls have no sexes Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name i. e. My sons and my daughters ver 6. with 2 Cor. 6. ult such as have Christian for their name and Catholick for their Sirname I have created him for my glory See on ver 1. Feci i. e. magnum effeci Pisc Yea I have made him i. e. Advanced him as 1 Sam. 12.6 Ver. 8. Bring forth the blind people Such as were blind and ignorant but now are illightened And the deaf Such as were crosse and rebellious but now are tractable and obsequious chap. 42.7 16. Ver. 9. Let all the Nations See chap. 41.1 And shew us former things Much less can they shew us things future Varro calleth all the time before the flood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obscure because the Heathens had no certain relation of any thing then done And Diod. Siculus acknowledgeth that all that was written amongst them before the Theban and Trojan wars was little better than fabulous The gods of the Gentiles had not so much as any solid knowledge of things past neither could they orderly and perfectly set them forth by their Secretaries It is truth sc That there is but one true God Phocyllides did say so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Socrates suffered for holding this truth at Athens Plato held the same but durst not speak out these are his words It is neither easie to find out the Maker of all things nor safe to communicate to the Vulgar what we have found out of him Here for fear of the people he detained the truth in unrighteousnesse And the like did Seneca De civi Dei lib. b. cap. 10. whom Austin accuseth quod colebat quod reprehendebat agebat quod arguebat quod culpabat adorabat that he worshipped those gods whom he disliked and decryed Ver. 10. Ye are my witnesses He taketh to witness of this great Truth in question not heaven earth sea c. but his people among whom he had given in all ages so many clear arguments and experiments of his Divinity his Oracles and Miracles for instance And my servant whom I have chosen i. e. Christ saith the Chaldee Paraphrast the Prophet Isaiah say others or which is more likely Cyrus who is called Gods Elect servant chap. 42.1 and his Testimony concerning God is to be read Ezra 1.3 The Lord God of Israel he is God Every true beleever doth as much if not more for He that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 hath given him a Testimonial such as is that Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is He. Such a sealer was Abraham Rom. 4.20 and such honour have all his Saints That ye may know and beleeve and understand That ye may have a full assurance of knowledge as Luk. 1.4 and a full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 Ver. 11. I even I am the Lord This redoubled I is Emphatical and Exclusive And beside me there is no Saviour They are gross idolaters therefore that set up for Saviours the Saints departed Ver. 12. I have shewed when there was no strange God amongst you See Deut. 32.12 See also the Note on Exod. 34.14 Therefore ye are my witnesses See on ver 10. Ver. 13. Yea before the day was I am He The Ancient of dayes yea the Eternal The God of Israel was long before Israel was in being And there is none that can deliver out of my hand So Nebuchadnezzar vainly vaunted but was soon confuted Dan. 3.15 17 29. I will work and who shall let it Angels may be hindered God can come between their Essence and their executive power and so keep them from doing what they would In fire there is the substance and the quality of heat between these God can separate as he did in the Babylonish fire Dan. 2. But who shall hinder the most High Ver. 14. Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer For their greater comfort and confirmation the Prophet purposely premiseth to the promise of deliverance from Babylon these sweet Attributes of God Each of them dropping Myrrh and Mercy For your sakes I have sent to Babylon and have brought down Or I will send and I will bring down All their Nobles Heb. bars Psal 147.13 Bars Noble men should be to keep out evils and to secure Saints Eut these were crosse-bars c. Whose cry is in the ships Or whose out-cry is to the ships whereby they thought to save themselves but could not because Cyrus had drained and dried up their river Euphrates Tremellius rendereth it The Chaldees with their most famous ships Ver. 15. I am their Lord More of Gods holy Attributes are her heaped up for like reason as ver 14. Ver. 16. Which maketh a way in the Sea Or that made a way in the Sea c. sc when your Fathers came out of Egypt Why then should you doubt of deliverance Ver. 17. Which bringeth forth the Chariot and horse Or who brough forth the Chariot and horse the army and the power viz. Pharao's forces Exod. 14.4.9.23 Vt ellychnium extinguentur They are quenched as tow Heb. as a candle-weik made of flax quickly quenched with water poured on it See how easily God can confound his foes Ver. 18. Remember ye not the former things sc in comparison of those things I shall now do for you by Cyrus but especially by Christ who is that way in the Wilderness and that running Rock 1 Cor. 10.4 ver 14. Ver. 19. Shall ye not know it Or Do ye not perceive it He speaketh of it as present and under view And rivers in a desart As once when I set the flint abroach Exod. 17.6 Num. 20.8 11. Psal 105.41 By this way in the Wildernesse and rivers in the desart understand the doctrine of the Gospel and the comforts of the Spirit Joh.
dreary tears from us Zach. 12.10 Ver. 9. And he made his grave with the wicked i. e. He should have been buried among malefactours had not rich Joseph begged his body Or his dead body was at the disposal of wicked ones and of rich men or Rulers the Jews and Pilat at his death And with the rich The same say some with wicked And indeed Magna cognatio ut rei siâ— nominis divitiis vitiis Rich men are put for wicked rich Jam. 5.1 And how hardly do rich men enter Heaven Hyperius thinketh that the two thieves crucified together with Christ were rich men put to death for Sedition and Christ was placed in the midst as their chieftain whence also that memorable title set over his head King of the Jews Because he had done no violence Or albeit he had done c. notwithstainding his innocency and integrity Nec te tua plurima Pentheu Labentem texit pietas Ver. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him Singula verba hic expendenda sunt cum Emphasi saith One Here every word hath its weight Hyper. and it is very sure that the Apostles and Evangelists in describing the mysteries of our salvation have great respect as to this whole Chapter of Isaiah so especially to these three last verses And it must needs be that the Prophet when he wrot these things was indued with a very great Spirit because herein he so clearly setteth forth the Lord Christ in his twofold estate of Humiliation and of Exaltation that whereas other oracles of the Old Testament borrow light from the New this Chapter lendeth light to the New in several places He hath put him to grief Or he suffered him to be put to pain See Acts 2.23 4.28 God the Father had a main hand in his Sons sufferings and that out of his free mercy Joh. 3.16 for the good of many When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Confer 2 Cor. 5.20 He made him sin for us that knew no sin Our sins were laid upon him as the sins of him that sacrificed were laid upon the beast which was thereby made the sinner as it were and the man righteous Christs Soul suffered also Matth. 26.38 it was undequaque tristis surrounded wich sorrows and heavy as heart could hold This Sacrifice of his was truly expiatory and satisfactory Confer Heb. 10.1 2. He shall see his seed Bring many sons to God Heb. 2.10 13. See on ver 8. an holy seed the Church of the New Testament to the end of the world Parit dum perit perit dum parit Phaeâ— nic aenigma Psal 72.17 filiabitur nomine ejus The name of Christ shall endure for ever it shall be begotten as one generation is begotten of another there shall be a succession of Christs name till time shall be no more And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He came to send fire on the earth which whiles he lived upon earth was already kindled Luke 12.49 This some interpret of the Gospel which how wonderfully it spred and prospered the Evangelical and Ecclesiastical histories testify Ver. 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul Or because his soul laboureth he shall see his seed and be satisfied A Metaphor from a travelling woman confer Acts 2 24. Joh. 16.21 And shall be satisfied As a Parent is in his dear children or a rich man in the fight of his large farms and incomes Saturabitur salute fidelium quam esurivit If therefore we would gratify and satisfy Christ come by troops to the Ordinances By his knowledge i. e. By the lively light and impression of Faith as Joh. 17.3 Acts 25.23 26.18 Joh. 6.69 Faith comprehendeth in it self these three acts Knowledge in the understanding Assent of the will and Trust of the hearâ— so that justifiyng Faith is nothing else but a fiducial assent presupposing knowledge The Popish-Doctours settle the seat of Faith in the Will as in its adaequate subject that they mean while may doe what they will with the Heart and with the Understanding To which purpose they exclude all knowledge and as for confidence in the promises of Christ they cry it down to the utmost and everywhere expunge it by their Iudices expurgatorii for a bare assent though without wit or sense is sufficient say they and Bellarmine defendeth it that Faith may better be defined by ignorance then by knowledge Shall my righteous servant Jesus Christ the just one 1 Joh. 2.2 Jehovah our righteousnesse Jer 23.6 Justify many i. e. Discharge them from the guilt of all iniquity by his righteousnesse imputed unto them This maketh against Justification by works Cardinal Pighius was against it so before him was Contarenus another Cardinal And of Stephen Gardiner it is recorded that he died a Protestant in the point of mans Justification by the free mercies of God Fullers Church hist and merits of Christ For he shall bear their iniquities Bajulabit that by nailing them to his Crosse he may expiate them Ver. 12. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great Or I will give many to him Psal 2.8 Some sense it thus I will give him to conquer plunder and spoil the evil spirits as Colos 2.15 and this he shall have for a reward of his ignominious death and his intercession for some of his enemies whom he conquered by a new and noble kind of victory viz. by loving them and by praying for them And he was numbred with transgressours So he became a sinner though sinlesse 1. By Imputation 2. By Reputation And he bare the sins of many Not of all as a Lapide here would have it because all are many c. And made intercession For those that with wicked hands crucified him Luke 23.34 so for others still Heb. 7.25 CHAP. LIV. Ver. 1. SIng O barren thou that didst not bear O Church Christian O Jerusalem that art above the mother of us all the purchase of Christs passion chap. 53. to whom thou hast been a bloody spouse Acts 20.28 an Acheldama or field of blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. he hath paid dear for thy fruitfulnesse As the blood of beasts applied to the roots of trees maketh them sprout and bear more fruit so doth the blood of Christ sprinckled on the roots of mens hearts make them more fruitful Christians as it did the Gentiles whose hearts were purified by Faith Acts 15.9 See Gal. 4.27 The corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died there abode not alone but brought forth much fruit Joh. 12.44 For more are the children of the desolate The Christian Church made up of Jews and Gentiles shall have a more numerous and glorious off-spring then ever the Synagogue had Sarah shall have more issue then Hagar Hannah then Peninnah Ver. 2. Enlarge the place of thy tent Thus he speaketh after the custom of those Countries wherein was frequent use of tents neither is it
de re rust or a countrey be brought forth in one day a Nation be born at once Cardinal Pool abused this Scripture in a letter to Pope Julius 3. applying it to the bringing in of Popery again here so universally and suddainly in Queen Maryes dayes So he did also another when at his first return hither from beyond sea he blasphemously saluted the same Queen Mary with those words of the Angel Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee Ver. 9. Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth i. e. Shall I set upon a work and not go through with it God began and finished his work of Creation Christ is both Authour and finisher of his peoples faith Heb. 12.2 The holy Ghost will sanctifie the Elect wholly and keep them blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.23 Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus sancti gratia saith Ambrose Otherwise his power and mercy would not equally appear to his people in regeneration as the power and mercy of the Father and the Son in Creation and Redemption Ver. 10. Rejoyce ye with Jerusalem As friends use to do with her that is newly made a mother Luk. 1.58 Rejoyce for joy with her Out of the Church there is no solid joy See Hos 9.1 with the Note Others may revel the godly only rejoyce their joy is not that of the mouth but of the heart nec in labris nascitur sed fibris it doth not only smooth the brow but fills the breast wet the mouth but warm the heart c. Ver. 11. That ye may suck and be satisfied with the brests of her consolations Zion is not only a fruitful mother but a joyful nurse God giveth her the blessings both of the belly and of the brests and these brests of hers are full-strutting with the sincere milk of the Word that rational milk 1 Pet. 2.2 the sweet and precious promises of the Gospel These brests of consolation we must suck as the babe doth the mothers dug as long as he can get a drop out of it and then sucks still till more cometh Let us suck the blood of the Promises saith one as a dog that hath got the blood of the bear he hangs on and will hardly be beaten off Let us extort and oppress the Promises saith another descanting upon this text as a rich man oppresseth a poor man and getteth out of him all that he hath so deale thou with the Promises for they are rich there is a price in them consider it to the utmost wring it out The world layeth forth her two breasts or botches rather of Profit and Pleasure and hath enow to suck them though they can never thereby be satisfied And shall almamater Ecclesia want those that shall milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory Ver. 12. Behold I will extend peace to her This and the following Promises are the delicious milk spoken of before sc pax copiosa pâ—rennis peace as a river as the waters cover the sea joy unspeakable and full of glory Gods fatherly care motherly affection c. all that heart can wish or need require Like a river As Euphrates saith the Chaldee Like a flowing stream Or overflowing as Nilus Claudian Qui cunctis amnibus extat Vtilior Ye shall be born upon her side Humanissime suavissime traÌ„ctabimini ye shall be born in the Churches armes laid to her brests set in her lap dandled on her knees c. Hac Similitudine nihil fierà potest suavius See Num. 11.12 Ver. 13. And as one whom his mother comforteth Her darling and dandling especially when she perceiveth it to make a lip and to be displeased mothers also are very kind to and careful of their children when they are grown to be men A Lapide in Isai 56.20 as Monica was to Austin and as Matres Hollandicae the mothers in Holland of whom it is reported quod prae aliis matribus mirè filios suos etiam grandaevos ament ideóque eos vocant tractant ut pueros See Isa 46.4 with the Note Ver. 14. And when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce Videbitis gaudebitis you shall see that I do not give you good words only but that I am in good earnest ye shall know it within your selves in the workings of your own hearts as Heb. 10.34 And your bones shall flourish like an herb i. e. They shall be filled again with moisture and marrow See Ezek. 37.10 11. you shall be fair-liking and reflourish And the hand of the Lord i. e. His infinite power tantorum beneficiorum in piis operatrix the efficient cause of all these comforts Ver. 15. For behold the Lord will come with fire With hell-fire say the Rabbines here with the fire of the last day say we whereof his particular judgements are as pledges and preludes And with his charrets like a whirlwind As he did when he sent forth his armies the Romans and destroyed those murtherers the Jews and burnt up their City Mat. 22.7 And when they would have reedified their City and Temple under Julian the Apostate who in hatred to Christians animated them thereunto balls of fire broke forth of the earth which marred their work and destroyed many thousands of them Ver. 16. For with fire Then which nothing is more formidable And with his sword Which is no ordinary one chap. 27.1 Ver. 17. In the gardens Where these Idolaters had set up Altars offered sacrifices Donec me flumine vivo Abluero Virg. Qui noctem in flumine purgas Pers i. e. nocturnam Venerem and had their ponds wherein when they were about to sacrifice heathen-like they washed and purified themselves one after another and not together which they held to be the best way of purifying This they did also not apart and in private but in the midst ut hoc modo oculos in nudis lavantium praesertim muliercularum corporibus pascerent that they might feed their eyes with the sight of those parts which nature would have hid for your Pagan superstitions were oft-times contrary to natural honesty Behind one tree in the midst Or as others render it after or behind Ahad which was the name of a Syrian Idol Saturnal lib. 1. cap. 23. representing the Sun as Macrobius telleth us calling him Adad Ver. 18. For I know or I will punish their works and their thoughts Or yea their thoughts which they may think to be free See Jer. 6.19 It shall come to passe that I will gather It is easie to observe that this Chapter consisteth of various passages interwoven the one within the other of judgments to the wicked of mercyes and comforts to the godly c. All Nations and tongues A plain Prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles to the Kingdom of Christ for which purpose the miraculous gift of tongues was bestowed upon the Apostles And they shall come and see
brutish for want of knowledge so the words may be rendred the heathen idol-makers especially Brutescit homo prae scientia so Vatablus 1. Every man is brutish in comparison of knowledge viz. of Gods knowledge whil'st he goeth about to search into the causes of rain lightening wind c. which God only understandeth Ver. 15. They are vanity Vanity in its largest extent is properly predicated of them And the work of errours Meer mockeries making men to embrace vanity for verity In the time of their visitation See on Isa 46.1 Ver. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them God is his peoples portion they are his possession Oh their dignity and security this the cock on the dunghil understands not Ver. 17. Gather up thy wares out of the land Make up thy pack and prevent a plundering Reculas tuas sarcinas compone Ver. 18. Behold I will fling out the inhabitants of this land I will easily and speedily sling them and fling them into Babylon so God will one day hurle into hell all the wicked of the earth Psal 9.17 And will distresse them that they may find it so Just so as they were foretold it would be but they could never be drawn to beleeve it Ver. 19. Wo is me for my hurt my wound is grievous This is the moane that people make when in distresse and they find it so But what after a while of pausing Truly this is my grief and I must bear it i. e. Bear it off as well as I may by head and shoulders or bear up under it and rub through it wearing it out as well as I can when things are at worst they 'l mend again Crosses as they had a time to come in so they must have a time to go out c. This is not patience but pertinaecy the strength of stones and flesh of brasse Job 6.12 it draweth on more weight of plagues and punishments God liketh not this indolency this stupidity this despising of his corrections as he calleth it Heb. 12.5 such shall be made to cry when God bindeth them Job 36.11 as here Ver. 20. My Tabernacle is spoiled I am irreparably ruined like as when a camp is quite broken up not any part of a tent or hut is left standing Ver. 21. For the Pastours are become brutish The corrupt Prophets and Priests who seduced the people from the truth were persons that made no conscience of prayer hence all went to wrack and ruine Ver. 22. Behold the noise of the bruit is come This doleful peal he oft rung in their eares but they little regarded it See chap. 9.11 Ver. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself He is not master of his own way but is directed and over-ruled by the powerful providence even this cruel Chaldaan also that marcheth against us It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps We know not what to do or which way to turn our selves only our eyes are toward thee Behold we submit to thy justice and implore thy mercy This text doth mainly make against free-will saith Oecolampadius and yet the Pelagiam would hence gather that man can by his own strength walk in the way to heaven but he must be holpen say they by Gods grace that he may be perfect Cum ratione seu modo Leniter discretè Lap. Ver. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgement i. e. In mercy and in measure Correction is not simply to be deprecated the Prophet here cryes Corret me David saith It was good for me Job calleth Gods afflicting of us his magnifying of us chap. 7.17 Feri Domine feri clementer ipse paratus sam saith Luther Smite Lord smite me but gently and I am ready to bear it patiently King Alfred prayed God to send him alwayes some sicknesse whereby his body might be tamed and he the better disposed and affectioned to God-ward Ecclesiastical history telleth of one Servulus who sick of a palsie so that his life was a lingering death said ordinarily God be thanked Ver. 25. Pour out c. This is not more votum then vaticinium a prayer then a prophecy And upon the families Neglect of family-prayer uncovers the roof as it were for Gods curse to be rained down upon mens tables meat enterprizes c. CHAP. XI Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord To him it came but to be imparted to other Prophets say some Priests of Anathoth say others ver 2. which might be the reason why they were so enraged against him and fought his life ver 18 19. as the Popish Priests did Mancinels Savanarolas and other faithful Preachers for exciting them to do their duties Ver. 2. Hear ye the words and speak ye Ye Priests whose ordinary office it is to teach Jacob Gods judgements and Israel his Law Deut. 33.10 Ver. 3. And say thou unto them Thou Jeremy whether the rest will joyn with thee or not Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant It is probable that Jeremy when he said thus held the book in his hand viz. the book of Deuteronomy which the Rabbines call Sepher Tochechoth because of the many increpations and curses therein contained Ver. 4. From the iron furnace Where iron is melted and a fierce fire required Obey my voyce See chap 7.23 Ver. 5. A land flowing with milk and honey With plenty of dainties The City of Aleppo is so called by the Turkes of Alep milk for if the via lactea were on earth it would be found there saith one So be it O Lord Amen Fiat Fiat Oh that there were an heart in this people to obey thy voyce And oh that thou would'st still continue them in this good land c. Our hearts should be stretched out after out Amen and we should be swallowed upon God say the Rabbines Ver. 6. Hear ye the words of this Covevant and do them Else ye hear to no purpose as the Salamander liveth in the fire and is not made hot by the fire as the Ethiopian goeth black into the Bath and as black he cometh forth Ver. 7. Rising early i. e. endeavouring earnestly See chap. 5.8 Ver. 8. Yet they obeyed not See chap. 7.24 Therefore I will bring Heb. and I brought upon them Ver. 9. A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah A combination in sinful courses this is not Vnity but Conspiracy See Ezek. 22.25 Hos 6.9 such is the unity of the Antichristian crew Rev. 17.13 The Turkes have as little dissension in their religion as any yet are a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven Ver. 10. They are turned away to the iniquities of their fore-fathers Shewing themselves herein to be a race of rebels as good at resisting the holy Ghost as ever their Fathers were and are therefore justly chargeable with their iniquities which needeth not Ver. 11. Which they shall not be able to escape To avert avoid or abide I
to support her that her sighes for her sins were many and that her heart was faint or heavy through fear of wrath yet not without hope of mercy which made her thus to repaire unto him by Prayer Qui nihil sperat nihil orat CHAP. II. Ver. 1. HOw hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud Heb. with a thick cloud nothing like that bright cloud wherein he appeared to his people as a token of his grace at the dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.10 How comes it about and what may be the reason of it Oh in what a wonderful manner and by what strange means hath the Lord now clouded and covered his people whom he had established as Mount Zion with blackest calamities and confusionâ—s taking all the lustre of happinesse and of hope from her and that in his anger and again in the day of his anger tantaene animis coelestibus irae And cast down from heaven to the earth i. e. From the highest pitch of felicity to the lowest plight of misery This was afterwards indeed Capernaums case but when Micah the Morashite prophecied Mic. 3.12 Jer. 26.18 that Zion should be plowed as a field and Jerusalem laid on heaps it seemed a Paradox and very few believed him Christ's disciples also had a conceit that the Temple and the world must needs have one and the same period which occasioned that mixt discourse made by our Saviour Mat. 24. But Gods gracious presence is not tyed to a place The Ark Gods foot-stool as here it is called was transportative till setled in Sion so is the Church militant in continual motion till it come to triumph in heaven and those that with Capernaum are lifted up to heaven in the abundance of means may be brought down to hell for an instance of divine vengeance And remembred not his foot-stool The Temple and therein the Ark to teach them that he was not wholly there included nieither ought now to be sought and worshipped anywhere but above Sursum corda Sept. Ver. 2. The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Judah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the sea swalloweth up a ship as an earthquake swalloweth up whole town-ships as fire swalloweth up fuel or as Moses his serpent swallowed up the Sorcerers serpents And hath not pitied This was worse then all the rest Isa 47.6 He hath thrown down Not shaken them only and so left them standing but utterly subverted them and that in great displeasure Deo irritato irato God set on the Chaldees and was the Author not of their evil will but of their work He hath brought them down to the ground Though for their height they seemed to threaten heaven He hath polluted the Kingdom and the Priests Which were held holy and inviolable Profanavit regnum coeli say some Rabbines here He hath profaned the Kingdom of heaven for so they accounted the Commonwealth of Israel which Josephus calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God-government But now God had dispriviledged them and cast them off as a thing of naught Ver. 3. He hath cut off in his anger all the horn of Israel i. e. All the strength and beauty the royal majesty especially Psal 89.24 132.17 He hath drawn back his right-hand Wherewith he was wont to shelter them and to fight for them Or Israels right-hand sc by disabling them for it is God that strengtheneth and weakeneth the arm of either party Ezek. 30.24 And he burned against Jacob Or in Jacob i. e. He declareth his displeasure among his people as clearly as a flame of fire that is easily discernd Ver. 4. He hath bent his bow like an enemy He doth not only help the enemies but himself fighteth against us with his own bare hand He hath bent his bow id est vim suam ultricem saith Origen that is his avenging force So the Poet faineth that Apollo shot his deadly shafts into the camp of the Grecians He stood with his right-hand Heb. He was set Vulg. Firmavit dextram suam he held his right hand steddily that he might hit what he shot at In the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion In Jerusalem that was sweetly situated as a tabernacle pitcht in a pleasant plain but now a field of blood He hath poured out his wrath like fire i. e. Abundantly and most vehemently perinde ac Aetna Hecla c. Ver. 5. The Lord was an enemy This the secure and foolish people would not be drawn to beleeve till now they felt it therefore it is so reiterated He hath swallowed up Israel he hath destroyed c. This he had said before Redundanti copia exponit quae autea dixcrat ver 2. but in cases of this kind people love to say the same things over and over And hath increased mourning and lamentation Heb. lamentation and lamentation q. d. this is all he hath left us And this she speaketh mourning but not murmuring non litem intendit Deo sed confessionem edit Ver. 6. And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle Redit ad deplorandam religionem nothing grieves a good soul so much as the losse of religious opportunities Old Eli's heart was broke before his neck at the news of the Ark taken As if it were of a garden As if it were some cottage or hovel set up for a short time in a garden for the repose of the gardiner Es 1.8 He hath destroyed his places of the assembly Whence we were wont to hope for help in answer to our prayers There it was that he formerly brake the arrows of the bow the sheild and the sword and the battle Psal 76.3 See the Note there Hence 2 Chron. 4.9 the great Court of the Temple where the people used to pray is called Gnazarah that is help and defence The King and the Priest Zedekiah and Serajah and with them the Kingdom and the Priesthood Haec jam pro vili sub pedibusque jacent Ver. 7. The Lord hath cast off his Altar She goeth over it again as the main matter of her grief that she was bereft of the outward exercises of religion Longe fecit procul removit à se quasi remed osam sibi ingratam molestam His altar God had cast into a corner as that which was an eye-sore to him his Sanctuary he abhorred or dissolved c. They have made a noise in the house of the Lord Where God was wont to be praised with heart and voyce now the enemies reboate and roar out Jo triumphe Jo Paean Victoria all 's our own Ver. 8. The Lord hath purposed to destroy Non casu non subito non temere sed maturo destinato decreto Gods Providence which is nothing else but the carrying on of his decree extendeth to smallest matters much more to the subversion of States and Cities He that stretcht out a line sc Of destruction or a levelling line See 2 King 21.13 Esa 34.11 Jerusalem was
Not only a temporal but an eternal death as they must needs do that are out of the Covenant of grace whereof circumcision was the seal This is the sad Catastrophe of such as dream of a deity Of which number were Caligula Herod Heliogabalus Dioclesian and other monsters uncircumcised Vicegâ—ds as we may in the worst sense best term them Ver. 11. Moreâ—ver the word See on chap. 18.1 Ver. 12. Take up a lamentation for the King of Tyre Who shall have little leisure to lament for himself his destruction shall be so sudden See on chap. 27.2 Thou sealest up the sum i. e. Thou art a pattern of perfection in thine own conceit at least for a seal hath in it the perfect form of him that is thereby represented and then is a letter perfected when the last act of setting to a seal is done to it Literae consignatae clausae absoluta sunt Oecol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Hom. Tu es omnibus numeris absolutum exemplar so Vatablus and the Tigurines Ver. 13. Thou hast been in Eden As a bird of Paradise or as a tree growing there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art equal to Adam in the state of innocency and thy Tyre is no whit inferiour to the garden of God Flores in pratis fragrant purpura campis Gemma coloratis fulgâ—t speciosa lapillis Every precious stone was thy covering Not thy diadem only was deckt with them as the Popes triple crown is at this day with gemmes of greatest value but thy royal robe not inferiour haply to that of Demetrius King of Macedony which none of his successours would wear propter invidiosam impendii magnificentiam it was so extream stately and costly yea thy pantofles possibly as Dioclesians the Emperour holding forth his feet to be kissed as doth also the Pope at this day who hath the cross in precious stones set upon his pantofle to the great reproach of Christianity The Sardius Topaz and the diamond Nine of those rich stones that were set in the high-Priests Rationale or breast-plate See on ver 2. The workmanship of thy tabrets At thy birth and at thine inauguration there was great mirth made concrepantibus tympanis tibiis tubis What a deal of joy and jollity was there lately expressed in many places for the birth of the Prince of Spain Trem. Ver. 14. Thou art the annointed Cherub Or thou art a Cherub ever since I annointed thee for Protectour as the Cherubims cover the Ark with their wings so dost thou thy people and therefore takest upon thee as if an earthly Angel Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God Thou hast been in heaven or at least on mount Sinai with Moses where God appeared with millions of his Angels having a fiery pavement under his feet Exod. 24.10 In the midst of the stones of fire i. e. Of Seraphims say some those flaming creatures of lightenings and thunderbolts say others which thou â—utlest about at thy pleasure Saevum praelustri fulmes ab arce venit Ver. 15. Thou wast perfect in thy wayes As the evil Angels also were but now it is otherwise Heaven spued out them in the very first act of their sin and soon after they were created Look thou therefore to speed accordingly sith iniquity is found in thee Potentes potenter torquebuntur Ver. 16. By the multitude of thy merchandise Multa sunt fraudes ubi mercatura servet Oecol Many Merchants think they may do any thing for their own advantage cheating and over-reaching passe for virtues with them And thou hast sinned By suffering it so to be for there is a passive injustice as well as an active I will cast thee I will bring thee down with a vengeance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make thee an example of that rule Great sins have great punishments Ver. 17. Thine heart c. Fastus inest palchris By reason of thy brightnesse Thine own splendor hath dazeled thee Magna cognatio est ut rei sic nominis diâ—â—is vitiis That they may behold thee And beware by thee Ver. 18. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries i. e. Thy kingly palaces where thou art looked upon and honoured as a God but a wretched one and which for statelinesse may vye with my Sanctuary Adde hereto that as none might come into the Temple but Priests only so none might come into the palace but confiding persons The Turkes at this day suffer no stranger to come into the presence of their Emperour but first they clasp him by the arms under colour of doing him honour Turk Hist 715. but indeed to bereave him of the use of his hands lest he should offer him any violence Therefore will I bring forth a fire in the midst of thee Thou shalt perish by thine own sins as a house is burnt by fire kindled within it self And I will bring thee to ashes Which shall remain as a lasting monument of the divine displeasure as did the ashes and cinders of Sodom and Herodotus saith the same of the ashes of Troy Ver. 19. Thou shalt be a terrour As Kings exceed all others in glory so their fall is oft with so great ignominy that they become a wonder and a terrour to all people Ver. 20. Again the Word of the Lord See chap. 18.1 Ver. 21. Set thy face against Zidon An ancient and eminent City of Phenicia little inferior to Tyrus in Josua it is called Zidon the great Josh 11. A very superstitious place and a great enemy to Gods people Ver. 22. Behold I am against thee Heb. I against thee by an angry Aposiopesis I will be glorified Viz. In thy just destruction And shall be sanctified in her See on Levit. 10.3 Ver. 23. For I will send into her These are Gods evil Angels And the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her This was done likely by Nebuchaduezzar but certainly by Artaxerxes Ochus the Persian as the Prophet Zachary had foretold chap. 9. and as Diodorus Siculus hath left upon record Ver. 24. And there shall be no more a pricking bryar For God will take away the Canaanite out of the land Zach. 14. omnem spinum dolorificum he will by his Judgements provide for his own glory and for his peoples comfort Ver. 25. Then shall they dwel in their Land Provided that they cleave close to me otherwise I will out them again It hath been elsewhere noted that the 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. 26. And they shall dwell safely therein Or in confidence And this is reiterated here to shew what a mercy of God it is to live secure and free from the fear of enemies CHAP. XXIX Ver. 1. IN the tenth year The year before Jerusalem was taken chap. 24.1 In the tenth moneth Called Thebeth Estth 2. and it answereth to our January saith Bede Chronology is the eye of