7.16 Neither shall the heat nor Sun smite them As Psal 121.6 See the Note there For he that hath mercy on them He saith not Pastor but Miserator a sweeter title Even by the springs See Psal 23.3 with the Note Ver. 11. And I will make all my mountaines I will remove all rubs and lay all level pacifica erunt omnin foecunda suavia who would not then take up Christs so easie a yoke c Ver. 12. Behold these shall come from far The Jews from all parts whither they have been dispersed the Elect from all quarters of the earth Mat. 8.11 with the Notes And these from the land of Sini Or of the Sinites that is of the Chinois saith Junius and others whom the Greek Geographers call Sinois Arias Mont. Osorim A Lapide Mr. Cotton a very populous Nation Botterus saith that there are reckoned seventy millions of men which are more than are to be found in all Europe and who knows but many of those of the ten tribes of Israel are there Enthusiastico jubilo c. Oecolamp Ver. 13. Sing O heaven The Prophet having thus foretold the Saints happiness in and by Christ cannot hold but breaketh forth into Gods praises calling into consort all creatures which since the Fall have lain bed-ridden as it were looking with stretcht-out neck for their full deliverance Rom. 8.23 For the Lord hath comforted his people This is just matter of general joy Ver. 14. But Zion said The Church hath her vicissitudes of joy and sorrow mercies and crosses are interwoven God checkereth his Providences white and black he speckleth his work as Zach. 1.8 The Lord hath forsaken me No never Non deserit Deus etiamsi deserere videatur Aug. non deserit etiamsi deserat God may withdraw but not utterly desert his he may change his dispensation not his disposition toward them My Lord hath forgotten me My Lord still though little enjoyed at present So Psal 22.1 Plato could say that a man might beleeve and yet not beleeve I beleeve saith he in the Gospel help mine unbelief that is my weak and wavering faith Ver 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child T were a wonder she should grow out of kind as to be so unkind The mother fasteth that her childe may eat waketh that he may sleep is poor to make him rich slighted to make him glorious Occidar modo imperet said she in story Gods love to his is more than maternal All the mercies of all the mothers in the world being put together would not make the tythe of his mercy David saith much Psal 103.13 As a Father pittieth his children c. great was Jacobs love to Benjamin Davids to Absolom so that Job upbraideth him with it 2 Sam. 19 6. But God here saith more Can a woman forget c. The harlot could not yield to have her child divided Arsinoe interposed her own body betwixt the sword of the murtherer and her dear children Chronic. l. 5. Melancthon telleth of a Countesse of Thuringia who being compelled by her husbands cruelty to go into banishment from her children when she took leave of her eldest son she bit a piece of his cheek out amoris notam cruento morsu imprimens and so marked him for her own This is somewhat but what 's all this to the infinite Was there ever love like Gods love in sending his son to dye for sinners Christ himself wondreth at it Joh. 3.16 this was a sic without a sicut there being nothing in nature wherewith to parallel it See Rom. 8.32 Yea they may forget They may put off natural affection as some did in times of Popish persecution Julius Palmers mother for instance King Edward the Martyr was basely murthered by his own Mother Egelred succeeded him and much mourned for his brother being but ten years old which so enraged his mother that taking wax-candles which were readiest at hand she therewith scourged him so sore that he could never after endure wax candles to be burnt before him Ver. 16. Behold I have graven thee So that as oft as I look upon mine own hands I cannot but think on thee Non descripsit sed sculpsit quidem in manibus utraque scilicet Sculter We read of one who had written the whole history of Christs passion upon the nailes of his hands in small letters The signet on his finger a man cannot lightly look beside See Cant. 8.6 Jer. 22.24 Some think here is alluded to that precept given by God of binding the Commandements to their right hand Deut. 6. Thy walls are continually before me The Lord doth so delight in his servants that their walls are ever in his sight and he loveth to look upon the houses where they dwell See on Psal 87.6 Ver. 17. Thy children shall make haste People shall come in a main to the Church Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus sancti gratia God can make a Nation to conceive and bring forth in a day chap. 66.8 How quickly was the Gospel divulged and darted all the world over as the beams of the Sun so in the late blessed Reformation begun by Luther And they that made thee waste Tyrants and hereticks shall be cashiered as Zach. 13.2 Fiat Fiat Ver. 18. Lift up thine eyes round about and behold As those use to do which look upon ought with wonder and delight Thou shalt surely cloath thee with them as with an ornament The good sons of Zion are a great honour to their mother as the two Scipio's were to Cornelia and as that Elect Ladies children were to her Joh. 2. A godly man is a gallant man but the wicked are botches and blots to a Church Ver. 19. For thy waste and thy desolate places Heb. thy wastnesses and thy desolations The true Church then may lye waste and desolate and not be so gloriously visible as the Papists falsely say it alwaies is Shall even now be too narrow A Metaphor from Cities that being over-full send out colonies into other Countries And they that swallowed thee up See ver 17. Ver. 20. The children Heb. the children of thine orbity such as are not yet received into the Church Give place to me that I may People shall offer violence to heaven and the violent stall take it by force valde avide quasi ambitiose accessuri sunt Ezekiel describeth the Church of the New Testament to be very large and spacious and yet she shall be so crouded as is a bee-hive out of the mouth whereof the bees oft hang on heaps for want of room within Ver. 21. Then shalt thou say in thine heart Est artificiosa fictio color rhetoricus A Captive and removing too and fro The condition of Gods Church on earth to be afflicted and tossed from post to pillar having no settled aboad as neither had the Ark but was transportative till settled at length in Solomons Temple Ver. 22. Behold I will lift up my hand c. i.
without a mystery fith we are all strangers in this world Epist ad Diog. neither have we here any continuing City Justin Martyr saith of the Christians of his time that every strange Land was to them a Country and every Country a strange Land they looked upon themselves as Citizens of the new Jerusalem M. Fuller hist of Cambridge p. 28. Ver. 3. For thou shalt break forth i. e. Bring forth abundantly and beyond belief Margaret Countesse of Henneberg brough forth at a birth in Holland 365 children one skul whereof I have seen saith mine Author no bigger then a bead or bean The Church brought forth three thousand at one birth Acts 2.41 and some whole Nations at another Isa 66.8 Rom. 10.18 And thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles Shall spiritually become Lords of the world peopling it with a new and holy generation of such as seek Gods Face this is Jacob Psal 24.6 This text the Jews and Millenaries carnally construe Ver. 4. Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed As widdows and barren women wont to be Thou hast been without God and without Christ in the world but henceforth thou shalt be married to him who is raised from the dead that thou maist bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 Ipse enim quod vult jubet Act. Mâ—n 1490. dat quod jubet When you would and should be certain and quiet in Conscience saith Mr. Bradford Martyr in a sweet letter of his to a woman troubled in mind then should your faith burst through all things until it come to Christ crucified and the eternal sweet mercies and goodnesse of God in Christ Here here is the bridal-bed here is you Spouses resting-place creep into it and in your armes of faith embrace him Bewail your weaknesse your unworthinesse your diffidence c. and you shall see he will turn to you what said I you shall see nay I should have said you shall feel he will turn to you Ver. 5. For thy Maker is thine husband Heb. thy Makers as Job 35.10 See the Note there De sancta Trinitate dictum saith Junius Mariti tui factores tui Isaac hath the name of the most loving husband we read of in holy Writ but his love to Rebecca was not comparable to this of Christ to his Church Ephes 5.25 26. where I doubt not but the Apostle Paul had respect to this passage in Isaiah The Lord of Hosts is his name Therefore thou his wife art sure of Protection and provision of all things necessary to life and godlinesse for he hateth putting away Mal. 2.16 and will bear with more then any husband else would Jer. 3.1 Joh. 13.1 Surely as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him Psal 103.11 The God of the whole earth Of the Church universal Ver. 6. For the Lord hath called thee Or recalled thee As a woman fosaken grieved in spirit Because forsaken This the Lord out of his conjugal affection cannot endure And a wife of youth Which can least of all bear such a rejection as being in her prime and likely to be longtime desolate and disconsolate If the Church in this condition can but say as that Dutchesse Douager of Millain once did Sola facta solum Deum sequor he will say as Jer. 2.2 I remember thee the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousals Ver. 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee I have made thee believe so at least by suffering thee to fall into manifold temptations Jam. 1.2 but for thy greatest good Heb. 12.11 as 1. For Probation 2. For Prevention 3. For Purgation 4. For Preparation to mercy And although it should last as long as life yet that were but for a moment for what is life but a spot of time betwixt two eternities And God therefore taketh liberty to do it because he hath such an eternity of time to reveale his kindnesse in time enough for kisses and embraces But usually God taketh off the smarting plaister as soon as it hath eaten away the proud flesh But with great mercies Heb. with great tender mercies such as the mother beareth towards the babe of her own body 1 King 3.16 Gods Mercies are more then maternal Will I gather thee Or take thee up as Psal 27.10 See the Note there Ver. 8. In a little wrath God can let forth his wrath in minnums in little bubbles as the word here rendered wrath properly signifieth This wrath to the Saints is but love displeased and soon pacified again I hid my face from thee God sometimes concealeth his love out of increasement of love he departeth from us but then turneth again and looketh through the chinkers as that Martyr phrased it to see how we take it Fathers leave their children saith One the other side the stile and help them over when they cry they seem to leave them sometimes in a throng and then reach them the hand again upon their complaint So is it here To say God hath cast me off because he hath hid his Face is a fallacy fetcht out of the devils Topicks When the Sun is eclipsed foolish people may think it will never recover light but wise men know it will As during the Eclipse Dr. Goodwin though the earth wanteth the light of the Sun for a time yet not the influence thereof for the mettals that are ingendred in the bowels of the earth are concocted by the Sun at the same time so doth Gods favour visit mens hearts in the power heat and vigorous influence of his grace when the light and comfort of it is intercluded But with everlasting kindnesse See a like elegant Antithesis with a double Hyperbole to boot 2 Cor. 4.17 Ver. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah Gen. 9.9 11 For as I have sworn i. e. I have said it Gods Word is as good as his oath See the like Exod. 32.13 with Gen. 12.7 So have I sworn And given thee the Sacraments for thy confirmation like as I gave him the Rainbow Ver. 10. For the mountains shall depart See Mat. 24.35 Psal 46.2 with the Notes But my kindnesse shall not depart from thee This sweet Promise comforted Olevian at the point of death Although sight hearing speech depart from me said he yet Gods loving-kindnesse shall never depart This was somewhat like that of David Psal 73.26 my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Neither shall the Covenant of my peace God is in a league with his people offensive and defensive such as was that of Jehosophat with Ahab and this Covenant is an hive of heavenly honey Ver. 11. O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted This is the Churches stile and state in this present life Ecclesia est haeres crucis Luth. None out of hell have suffered more than Saints Behold I will lay thy stones with fair
were never so well devised yet still they sort out unto the worst Ver. 10. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait So that if I do but offer to stir or seek to make escape I am in danger to be devoured And as a Lion in secret places God hath many waies and means to bemeet with sinners He can stop them in their course as he did Balaam Jonas others Ver. 11. He hath turned aside my wayes As ver 9. And pulled me in pieces As a Bear or Lion doth the silly sheep that falleth into their paws Carnali quadam intemperie haec effusa sunt The Vulgar hath it Confregit me He hath broken me in pieces sc Attempting to leap over his hedge ver 7. his stone-wall ver 9. In the year 1590 Nicolas Frischlin that famous Poet Oratour Alsted Chron. 480. and Philosopher attempting to escape out of prison was so broken à capite ad talos à cute ad ossa Ver. 12. He hath bent his bow Chap. 2.4 And set me as a mark Which he is sure to hit The Benjamites Judg. 20. the Parthians Alcon the Cretian Domitian the Emperour were excellent archers but Non semper feriet quodcunque minabitur arcus Gods arrow never misseth the mark Ver. 13. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reines Heb. the sons of his quiver by an Hebraism Renes sunt sedes libidinis So Horace hath pharetram gravidam sagittis Lib. 2. od 21. Job hath many like complaints chap. 7.20 8.4 16.12 13. See there Ver. 14. I was a derision to all my people Or to all peoples Our Saviour suffered all this and much more for us And their song all the day Or their lute or kâ—t whom they plaid on at pleasure and desired no better sport Ver. 15. He hath filled me with bitternesse Heb. bitternesses alluding as some think to that jus seu embamma in quo intingebant agnum Paschalem sawce of bitter herbs wherewith they did eat the Passeover the juyce of them expressed to minde them of the bitter afflicions which they suffered in Egypt He hath made me drunk with wormwood Or Henbane or Wolfe-bane rather succo cicutae Ver. 16. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones i e. With gritty bread Comminuit scrupis dentes meos See Prov. 20.17 He hath covered me with ashes The Greek and Latin have it He hath fed me with ashes which was worse then that bread made most of saw-dust wherewith they fed the Martyrs in the Marian times Ver. 17. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace Prosperity and I are twain we are utterly unacquainted Ver. 18. And I said But not so wisely I was even almost tumbling into the pit of desperation I was stradling over it as it were but God preserved me My strength and my hope is perished My strength to bear these miseries and my hope to be ever freed of them Ver. 19. Remembering mine affliction and my misery the worm-wood and the gall i. e. The bitternesse that was in it but of mine own commingling Impatiens quisque bis affligitur Impatience redoubleth an affliction Ver. 20. My soul hath them still in remembrance But it is not good to plod overmuch in this case Such bitter pils should be swallowed whole and not chewed upon unlesse it be for our further humiliation Ver. 21. This I recall to my mind This what Gods infinite mercies that Cape of good hope See ver 22. So Psal 119.56 This I had that is this comfort or this ability to keep thy precepts Ver. 22. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed That we are yet on this side hell This sentence was much in the mouth of that famous Maria Aegyptiaca and should be much in all our minds and mouthes for a lenitive Exarescunt torrentes metalla exhauriuntur slumina desiciunt prataitem cum fructibus c. Because his compassions fail not Or are not spent wasted but as the oile in the cruse as the spring ever runneth the Sun ever shineth c. This should ever shine in our hearts as the Sun doth in the firmament Ver. 23. They are new every morning Yea every moment We have continual experiments Great is thy faithfulnesse Gods mercy moved him to promise his Truth to perform See 2 Sam. 7.18 21. with the Notes Ver. 24. The Lord is my portion And that 's enough for me should I never have more See Notes on Psal 16. That which giveth content in any portion is 1. The favour and presence of God 2. That it is from the hand of a Father 3. That it comes to us in the Covenant of Grace 4. That it is the purchase of Christ's blood 5. That it is an answer of prayers and a blessing from above on honest indeavours c. Vide autem pie Lector saith an Expositour See here good Reader how this Prophetical Lamentation beginneth to be a guide to godlinesse For it doth not after the manner of silly women throw out empty words without wisdom but teacheth all along either overtly or covertly that all things here below Peâ—d Fâ—gueir how highly soever esteemed are vanity and soon lost but the grace of God is solid and stable Christum tollere nemo potest Christ is a portion unloosable Deicola Abbas as One once answered to those that asked him why he was still merry and chearful Emphatice loquitur Said my Soul Not my mouth only but I speak it from my very heart which rejoyceth in God my portion more then the many do in the increase of their corn and wine Psal 4.7 Therfore will I hope in him Expectabo ut teneam per speciem quem teneo per spem Ver. 25. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him Which few can skil of and I have somewhat to do to hit on Et hoc apertam erâ— ditionem continet Flgu but would not now have missed of for all the world To the soul that seeketh him Not giving over till he findeth him Ver. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait Heb. be silent not with a Pythargorical or monastical silence ut non liceat lequi locis horis certis but with an humble submission to Gods holy will a patient and peaceable behaviour under his hand waiting for a good use thereof and a gracious issue in the best time To frame the heart whereunto Aurea his subnectitur sententia Ver. 27. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke from his youth The yoke of Gods law Quo semel iste imbuta recens servabit odorem Testa diu Hor. and the discipline of afflictions it is good to be betime in Gods nurturing-house and remain a good while there that he be trained up in the School of afflictions that he be a well-beaten Souldier to the Crosse The description of such a one followeth Ver.
he stirreth up himself and taketh better hold as resolved not to let him go without the blessing The like before him did good Hezekiah with whom he concurreth in the very letter of his request Esa 37.17 See the Notes there For our own righteousnesses Which are nothing better then a rotten rag a menstruous clout such as a man would not dain to take up or touch But for thy great mercies Through the merits of the promised Messiah Ver. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive This was to pray yea this was to strive in prayer Luk. 13.22 to strive as those of old did in the Grecian exercises some whereof were with fists and batts to strive and struggle even to an agony as the Greek word signifieth and as the Lord Christ did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 22.44 who being in an agony prayed yet the more earnestly he sweat and sweltered out as it were his soul through his body in prayer Be we now followers herein of Christ as dear children and of Daniel here who is a worthy pattern to pray by Cold suitours who want the aspiration of the spirit to pronounce Shibboleth do but beg a denial O Lord hearken and do defer not This is coelum tundere preces fundere Tertul. misericordiam extorquere as those Primitive Christians did to bounce at heaven gates Beneficium se putabit accepisse cum rogaretur ignoscere Ambr. orat de exit Theod. to tug hard with God to wring the blessing out of his hands who looks to be importuned and counts it for a kindness to be asked forgiveness as Ambrose saith of Theodosius the Emperour Ver. 20. And whilst I was speaking and praying When haply I had now new done and yet not so done but that my heart was yet lifting and lifting as a bell-rope is oft hoysing up after men have done ringing the bell And confessing my sins So precious a Saint was not without his sins These therefore he confesseth that he might be the fitter to beg mercy for the Church having first made his own peace with God and so in case to lift up pure hands in prayer The like doth David Psal 25 and 51. For the holy mountain of my God This was his main request and to God marvellous acceptable Surely if the Lord saw us Daniel like studying his share more then our own we might have what we would and God even think himself beholding to us as one phraseth it Ver. 21. Yea whilest I was speaking in prayer This he recognizeth and celebrateth as a sweet and singular mercy God sometimes heareth his people before they pray Isa 65.24 Psal 21.3 David was sure up betimes when he prevented the Lord with his prayer Psal 88.13 and 119.147 sometâ—mes whiles they are praying as he did those Act. 4.31 and 12.5 17. and Luther who came leaping out of his study where he had been praying with Vicimus Vicimus in his mouth that is we have gained the day got the conquest but if not so yet certainly when they have now prayed Isa 30.12 Jon. 2.1 Jer. 33.3 Mat. 7.7 Luther affirmeth that he oft gat more spiritual light by some one ardent prayer Ipse ego in una aliqua ardenti oratione meae plura saepe didici quam ex multorum librorum lectione aut accuratissima meditatione consequâ— potuissem Tom. 1. According to the account of Astronomers it must be abâ—ve 160. millions of miles from heaven to earth All this space the Angel came flying to Daniel in a little time then ever he could do by the reading of many books or by most accurate meditation thereupon Even the man Gabriel i. e. The Angel Gabriel in mans shape Whom I had seen in the vision And whom I had good cause to remember the longest day of my life for the good offices he had done me formerly Being caused to fly swiftly Heb. with wearinesse of flight Not that the Angels flee as fouls though a certain Frier a lyar certainly undertook to shew to the people a feather of the Angel Gabriels wings or that they are ever wearied with speeding Gods commissions and commands for the Churches good Sed datur hic assumptae speciei but these things are spoken to our apprehension Touched me With a familiar touch in token of encouragement prensando mimirum ut solent qui contactâ—â— familiari promptam benevelam que mentem indicant About the time of the evening oblation When the joynt prayers of Gods people were wont to come up before him quasi manu facta and Daniel hopeth they may do so again Qui nihil sperat nihil orat Ver. 22. And he informed me and talked with me Rather then the Saints shall want information and comfort God will spare one out of his own train to do them any good office Luk. 1.19 Gal. 3.19 neither will the greatest Angel in heaven grudge to serve them I am now come forth to give thee skill Not by infusion for so the Holy Ghost only but by instruction as was before noted It is well observed by one that this following Oration of the Angel containeth an Abridgment of the New Testament and a light to the Old for confirming Daniel is touching the ensuing deliverance out of Babylons captivity he further advertiseth and assureth him of the spiritual deliverance which Christ shall effect by his Gospel at his coming and therefore describing the times most accurately he plainly setteth forth the salvation of the Church Christian and the destruction of the stubborn and rebellious Jews who judge themselves unworthy of eternal life Ver. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications Thy prayer was scarce in thy mouth ere it was in Gods eare The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open unto their cry Psal 34.15 See the Note He heard at the very first but answered not till Daniel had tugg'd with him See Jam. 5.16 17. For thâ—â— art greatly beloved Kimchi readeth it a man of measures a man every inch of thee But the word is not Hamiddoth but Chamudoth a man of desires a favourite in heaven Rerum expetendarum cupidâ—â— Vatab. De deratissimâ—â— es Trem. because desirous of things truely desireable Christ is said to be totus totus desiderabiliâ— lovely all over Can. 5.16 The Saints are also so in their measure as on the contrary the wicked are not desired Zeph. 2.1 but loathed and abhorred Prov. 13.5 Therefore understand the matter Good men shall know Gods secrets Gen. 18.17 19. Psal 25.14 Ver. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people i. e. Seventy weeks of years ten Jubilees which make up four hundred and ninety years Thus the very time is here particularly foretold when the Messiah should be revealed and put to death The like hereunto is not to be found in any other of the Prophets as Hierom well observeth This therefore is a noble Prophecy and many great wits have been exercised about it Cornelius a Lâ—pide speaketh
vengeance suffereth not to live Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth 1 King 9.26 Murder ever bleeds fresh in the eye of God to him many years yea that eternity that is past is but yesterday Vers 19. Which taketh away the life The greater wealth the greater spoil awaits a man As a tree with thick and large â—oughs every man desires to lop him Trithemius writeth that the Templars at the request of Philip King of France were put down and extinct upon pretext of heresie but indeed because they were rich and Philip sore longed after their possessions Cyprus for its great wealth Sixtus Rufus Virgil. Isidor became a spoil to the Romans Auri sacra fames c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covetousness is daring and desperate it rides without reins as Balaam did after the wages of wickedness the Mammon of iniquity Luk. 16.9 Vers 20. Wisdome Hebrew Wisdomes That is the most absolute and soveraign wisdome the Lord Jesus in whom are bid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. who also is made unto us of God wisdome righteousness c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Cryeth without The Hebrew word signifies oft to shout for joy as Psal 81.2 Levit. 9. ult Christ surely cryed sweetly the roof of his mouth was like the best Wine that goeth down sweetly Cant. 7.9 with a desire did hee desire our salvation though hee well knew it should cost him so very dear Luk. 22.15 Shee uttereth her voice Verbis non solum desertiâ— sed exertis In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto mee end drink John 7.37 c. Vers 21. In the cheef place of concourse Veritas non quaerit angulos Christ as his manner was preached in the Synagogues Paul disputed in the market with whomsoever hee met and preached in the midst of Mars-hill Act. 17.17.22 And at Rome his bonds in Christ were manifest in all Caesars Court Phil. 1.13 and in all other places Vers 22. How long yee simple ones The fatuelli that are easily perswaded into a fools Paradise These are the best sort of bad men The Apostle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16.18 Optimi putantur Pointifices saith Papirius Massonius a Popish Writer si vel lenitèr mali sint In vita Pauli 3. vel minus honi quà m caeteri mortale esse salent Those are thought to be very good Popes that are not stark naught or that have any good at all in them These Simplicians are much better than scorners that delight in their scorning but far beyond those fools that hate knowledge See a like gradation Psal 1.1 with the Note there Peccata non sunt paria Nemo repentè fit turpissimus All sins are not alike sinful and wicked men grow worse and worse Vers 23. Turn you at my reproof Hee that reproves and then directs not how to do better is as hee that snuffs a Lamp but poures not in oyl to maintain it Behold I will poure out my spirit Now if men make their hearts as an Adamant lest they should hear c. and wilfully withstand the Spirit let them read their neck-verse in the following words and in that parallel Text Zach. 7.11 12 13. Resisting the Spirit is a step to the unpardonable sin Vers 24. Because I have called and yee refused If any ask why did God suffer them to refuse and not make them yeeld I answer with Augustin Doctiorem quarat qui hanc quaestionem ei explicet Let him look one that can tell him for I cannot Vers 25. But yee have set at naughâ— As those recusant guests in the Gospel that pretended they therefore came not because they had bought Farms and Oxen but indeed it was because their Farms and Oxen had bought them They had either so much to do or so little to do that they could not make use of so fair an offer so sweet advice and advantage And would none of my reproof Ruinam praecedunt stillicidiâ— It is a sure presage and desert of ruine when men will not bee ruled The Cypress Prov. 29.1 the more it is watered the more it is withered The tree that is not for fruit is for the fire The earth that beareth thorns and briars onely is rejected c. Heb. 6.8 Vers 26. I will also laugh Quod Deus loquitur cum risu tu legas cum fletu If God laugh thou hast good cause to cry Augustin Note here the venemous nature of sin which is so offensive to God as it makes him against his ordinary wont merry at his Creatures misery who otherwise delights in mercy Mich. 7.18 When your fear cometh That terrible tempest Lactan. Instit Sâ—lust Job 15.21 22. Psal 11.6 Tullus Hostilius a prophane Prince set up and worshiped at Rome two new Gods viz. Pavor and Pallor as Lactantius testifieth Cataline was wont to bee afraid at any sudden noise as being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience Daniel Thuaâ— So was our Richard the third after the murther of his two innocent Nephews and Charles the ninth of France after the Paristan Massacre These Tyrants became more terrible to themselves than ever they had been to others Vers 27. When your fear cometh as desolation Scilicet of war which laies heaps upon heaps and leaves not a stone upon a stone Aâ—at 24. As a whirlewind Suddenly and irresistibly and with a terrible noise and fragor Vers 28. Then shall they call c. This was Sauls misery The Philistims are upon mee and God will not answer mee This was Moaâ—s curse Isa 10.12 This was the case of Davids enemies Psal 18.41 A doleful case it is surely when a man shall lose his prayers and shall nor be a button the better for all his pretended orisons and devotions Prov. 28.9 Hee that turneth away his ear from hearing of the Law even his prayer shall bee abominable If God answer him at all it is according to the Idols of his heart Ezek. 14.3 with bitter answers as Judg. 10.13 14. Or if better yet it is but as hee answered the Israelites for Quails and afterwards for a King better have been without Deus saepe dat iratus quod negat propitius Giftless gifts God gives sometimes Josh 24.20 Hee will consume you after that hee hath done you good Vers 29. For that they hated knowledge These are the worst sort of sinners vers 22. that not onely slight knowledge but hate it as theeves do a torch in the night Herodot curse it as Ethiopians do the scorching Sun flie against it as Batts do against the light This is the condemnation this is Hell afore-hand John 3.20 And did not chuse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refuse the evil Isa 7. and chuse the good chuse the things that please God Isa 56.4 that wherein hee delights Isa 65.12 Such a choise made Moses Heb. 11.25 and
Joshuah ch 24.15 and Mary Luk. 10.42 Vers 30. They would none of my Counsel These are condemned and menaced as well as those that despised or execrated Gods reproof So also in the precedent verse not onely they that hated knowledge but that did not chuse the fear of the Lord. They despised all my reproof Hebrew They execrated blasphemed it Vers 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit Eat as they baked drink as they brewed They that sow the wind of iniquity shall reap the whirlewind of misery Aequum est ut faber quas fecit compedes ipse gest it And bee filled with their own devices Their Never-enough shall bee quit with fire enough in the bottome of Hell Vers 32. For the turning away Whereas it might bee objected that mean-while wicked men live at ease and prosper It is granted but withal asserted that these fatted Oxen are but fitted for the slaughter The Sun-shine of prosperity ripens the sin of the wicked apace Bernard calls it misericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem a mercy that hee had no mind to What good is there in having a fine sute with the plague in it As soon may a man miscarry upon the soft sands as upon the hard rocks Horat. Psal 112. Vers 33. shall bee quiet from the fear Impavidum ferient ruinae Hee shall not bee afraid of evil tidings His Ark is pitched within and without tossed it may bee but not drowned shaken but not shivered c. CHAP. II. Verse 1. My Son FAtherly and filial affection ought to bee betwixt Teacher and hearers But who is their Father 1 Sam. 10.12 O my Father my Father said hee to the dying Prophet 2 King 13.14 Dwell with mee and bee unto mee a Father and a Priest said that Idolatrous Micah to the wandring Levite Judg. 17.10 Spec. Europ Popish Novices do so observe their Patres as they call them that though they command them a voyage to China or Peru without dispute or delay they presently set forward Tu Asinus unum estâ—te said one once to a young Novice that being to enter into a Monastery asked his counsel how hee should carry himself Come Children hearken unto mee I will teach you the fear of the Lord Psal 34.11 Vers 2. So that thou encline thine â—ar Lie low at Gods feet and say Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth His Saints sit down at his feet every one to receive his word Deut. 33.3 they are compared to a Garden of Cucumbers Isa 1.8 which when ripe lie on the ground Surely as waters meet and rest in low valleys so do Gods graces in lowly hearts And apply thy heart Attention of body intention of mind and retention of memory are indispensibly desired of all wisdomes Scholars Act. Men. such as King Edward the sixth who constantly stood up at the hearing of the Word took notes which hee afterwards diligently perused and wrought the Sermon upon his affections by meditation Vers 3. If thou cryest after knowledge Bene orasse est bene studuisse James 1.17 said Luther Knowledge is Gods gift James 1.5 and must be sought at his hand fith hee is the Father of lights and sells us eye-salve Rev. 3.17 And liftest up thy voice As resolved to give God no rest till thou hast it A dull suitor begs a denial Then shall men know if they follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Teach mee teach mee saith David often Lord shew mee thy glory said Moses newly come from the Mount Vers 4. If thou seekest her as silver Opulentissima metalla quorum in alta latent vena saith Seneca your richest metals lie lowest Sen. Epist 23. Viscera terrae extrahimus ut digito gestetur gemma quam petimus saith Pliny Wee draw out the very bowels of the earth that wee may get the gem that wee desire Lib. 2. c. 65. Shall wee not do as much for this pearl of price the knowledge of God and his Will of our selves and our duties Beg wee must vers 3. but withall wee must dig too vers 4. and continue to do so searching for her as for hid treasures Ora labora for else the talk of the lip onely brings want Prov. 14.23 What man finding a rich Mine of Gold or Silver is content with the first Oar that offers it self to his view and doth not dig deeper and deeper till hee become owner of the whole treasure So here Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 if yee cease not till yee get all the dimensions of knowledge mentioned by the Apostle Ephes 3.18 till yee see that blissful sight Ephes 1.18 19. Vers 5. Then shalt thou understand Then shalt thou bee as those noble Romans were chap. 15.14 full of goodness filled with all knowledge able also to admonish others in fine a well-accomplisht Christian that hath Christian for his name and Catholick for his sirname Such a Catholick as Austin describeth when hee saith â—oni Catholici sunt qui fidem integram sequuntur bonos more 's Those bee good Catholicks that beleeve well and live well These bee not those antient Roman-Catholicks Vers 6. Out of his mouth cometh knowledge If it could bee said by the divine Chronologer Bucholc Ex Adami sapientissimi doctoris ore prâ—manavit tanquam ex soâ—â—e quicquid in mundo est utilium doctrinarum disciplinarum scientiae sapientiae Out of Adams mouth even after the Fall as out of a fountain slowed all the profitable knowledge skill and wisdome in the world how much better may the same bee said of the onely wise God who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in working Isa 28.29 Platonici lumen mentium esse dixerant ad discenda omnia eundem ipsum Deum â quo facta font omnia The Platonists said Aug. de civ Dei that God the Maker of all was that light of the mind whereby wee learn all Vers 7. Hee layeth up sound wisdome Hebrew Substance reality that which hath a true being in opposition to that which is not so riches are described Prov. 23.5 Heaven onely hath a foundation earth hath none Heb. 11. Job 26.7 but is hanged upon nothing Grace hath solid substance in it and true worth whereas opinion onely sets the price upon all outwards things The Prophet Amos complains of the Epicures of his time that they are the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall they drank Wine in bowls and chanted to the sound of Viols c. Amos 6.4 5 6. This to some might seem brave and desirable But vers 13. the Prophet in true judgement thus speaks to them Yee which rejoyce in a thing of nought c. yee imbrace a shadow yee pursue after things that profit not but perish in the use 1 Cor. 6.13 for Meats for the belly and the belly for Meats but God will destroy both it and them Some sense
Vers 20. That thou mayest walk in the way This is another work of wisdome as to keep us from bad company so to put us into good where much good may be learned Dr. Taylor Martyr rejoyced that ever he came in prison Act. Mon. there to bee acquainted with that Angel of God John Bradford so hee called him Latimer and Ridley while they lived kept up Craâ—mer by intercourse of Letters and otherwise from entertaining counsels of revolt Ibid. A childe having been brought up with Plato returned home to his Fathers house Sen. de ira lib. 3 cap. 11. and hearing his Father to chide and exclaim furiously in his anger used these speeches to his Father I have never seen the like with Plato Vers 21. For the upright shall dwell in the land Of Canaan a type of Heaven for by these outward and corporal things inward spiritual and eternal are understood Here the Wise-man speaks after the manner of Moses Law under which hee lived Deut. 11. And howsoever upright men suffer hardship and hunger here yet they enjoy great tranquillity and felicity as seeing God in all and depending wholly upon him for help Well for the present and it will bee better hereafter This is the upright mans Motto Heaven thinks hee will make amends for all Hee that sees visions of glory will not matter with St. Stephen a shower of stones how much less will hee think much though the Lord give him the bread of adversity and water of affliction Isa 30.20 Vers 22. But the wicked shall bee cut off Certainly suddenly utterly cum maxime velint vivere when they have feathered their nests and set up their rest and reckon upon long life as the fool in the Gospel God will shoot at them with an arrow suddenly and fetch them off when they least look for it The wicked may dye sinning The Saints shall not dye till the best time not till that time when if they were but rightly informed they would even desire to dye Shall bee rooted out Heb. plucked up as degenerate plants Exâ—rientur sed exurentur God shall likewise destroy thee for ever hee shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living Sâ—lah Psal 52.5 CHAP. III. Vers 1. My Son forget not WEE should bee able to say to Wisdome as Coenis did to her Lady Antonia Frustra Domina jussisti haec enim atque caetera omnia quae mihi imperas Dio in respons ita semper in memoria habeo ut ex ea deleri non possint You need not Madam bid mee do your business for I so remember your commands as I need never bee minded of them Jussa sequi tam velle mihi quam posse necesse est I am ready to my power to do your pleasure But let thine heart keep As the Ark kept the two Tables as the Pot kept the hidden Manna Vers 2. For length of dayes A sweet mercy and generally desired Psal 34.12 Short life is reckoned as a curse Psal 55.24 yet in some case it is a blessing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion Prus Orat. 28. 1 King 14.13 Isa 57.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God taketh away his from the evil to come as when there is a fire in an house or Town men carry out their Jewels but then God makes them up in his Cabinet they do enter into peace their souls go to heaven they rest in their beds their bodies rest sweetly and safely in the grave till the resurrection of the Just Isa 57.2 And is not this far better than the longest life here Length of dayes may prove a curse when it brings shame sorrow c. as it did to Cain Cham c. And peace shall they adde to thee Without which to live is nothing else but to lye a dying Rebecca for want of this was weary of her life so was Elijah when hee sate under the Juniper tree All the dayes of the afflicted are evil Prov. 15.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they dwell together they do not live together said Themistocles of married folk that agree not Non ille diu vixit sed diu fuit said Seneca of one And again Non multum navigavit sed multum jactatus est Hee was tossed much up and down but sailed not far as being driven about by contrary winds Shall they adde to thee Multiplicem pacem significat saith one Peace peace as Isa 26.3 that is a multiplied peace with God with ones self with others or a renewed continued peace to day to morrow and every day Or a perfect sheer pure peace Vers 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee That is true mercy not that which is natural or moral onely but that which is right both quoad fontem quoad finem They that do otherwise as heathens and hypocrites lay up their treasure in the eyes and ears of men which is a chest that hath neither lock nor key to keep it Binde them That is my Commandements Hee seems to allude to Deut. 6.8 See the Note there Vers 4. So shalt thou finde favour As did Joseph Moses David hee was a man after Gods own heart and whatsoever hee did pleased the people It is God that gives credit hee fashioneth mens opinions and inclineth their hearts as Ezra oft acknowledges with much thankfulness Chap. 7.27 c. Vers 5. Trust in the Lord To trust in God is to bee unbottomed of thy self and of every creature and so to lean upon God that if hee fail thee thou sinkest Confidence is the least and yet the best wee can render to the Lord for hereby wee acknowledge his Soveraignty and set the Crown upon his head as it were See Judg. 9.15 And lean not to thine own understanding Which because men do hence it is many times that the fairest blossoms of their endeavours wither and the unprobablest things do come to pass God loves to confute men in their confidences as hee did the Philistims in their Champion Goliah Wee must not therefore trust no not Trust it self but God on whom it relies who is therefore called our Trust They trust not God at all that do it not alone He that stands with one foot on a rock and another foot upon a quicksand will sink and perish as certainly as he that stands with both feet on a quicksand Lord lead mee to a Rock that is higher than I saith David Whither when hee was once got then hee sate and sang The Lord is my rock and my salvation c. Psal 27.1 Surely as one said of general Councils they seldome were successeful because men came with confidence leaning to their own understanding and seeking for victory rather than verity so it holds as true in other like cases Vers 6. In all thy waies acknowledge him Ask counsel at his mouth aime at his glory bee evermore in the sense of his presence and light of his countenance
into That Evil one shall not touch him 1 John 5.18 viz. tactu qualitativo as Cajetan expounds it with a deadly touch nibble hee may at their heels but cannot reach their heads shake hee may his chain at them but shall not set his fangs in them or so far thrust his sting into them as to infuse into them the venome of that sin unto death vers 17. Next for evil of pain Though many be the troubles of the righteous Psal 34. and they fall into manifold temptations Jam. 1.2 they go not in step by step into these waters of Marah but fall into them being as it were precipitated plunged over head and ears yet are bidden to bee exceeding glad as a Merchant is to see his ship come laden in Their afflictions are not penal but probational not mortal but medecinal c. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob bee purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sin Isa 27.9 Look how the scourging and beating of a garment with a stick drives out the moths and the dust so doth afflictions corruptions from the heart and there is no hurt in that no evil happens thereby to the just But the wicked shall bee filled with mischief To treasure up sin is to treasure up wrath Rom. 2. Every bottle shall bee filled with wine Jer. 13.12 the bottle of wickedness when once filled with those bitter waters will sink to the bottome The Ephah of wickedness when top full shall be born into the land of Shinar and set there upon her own base Zach. 5.8 11. Hee that makes a match with mischief shall have his belly full of it Hos 4.17 Prov. 14.14 hee shall have an evil an evil an onely evil Ezek. 7.5 that is judgement without mercy as St. James expounds it Chap. 2.13 Non surgit hic afflictio as the Prophet Nahum hath it Chap. 1.9 affliction shall not rise up the second time God will have but one blow at him hee shall totally and finally bee cut down at once The righteous are smitten in the branches but the wicked at the root Isa 27.8 those hee corrects with a rod yea with the rods of men hominum debilium of weak or old men as the word signifies 2 Sam. 7.11 but these with a grounded staff Isa 30.32 and yet the worst is behinde too For whatsoever a wicked man suffers in this world is but hell typical it is but as the falling of leaves the whole tree will one day fall upon them It is but as a drop of wrath fore-running the great storm a crack fore-running the ruine of the whole building It is but as a paying the use-mony required for the debt that must bee paid at last Vers 22. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord Who hath therefore threatned to cut them off Psal 12.3 and to broil them on coals of Juniper Psal 120.4 which burn sweetly fiercely lastingly and to make them eat their false words Act. Mon. fol. 1825. as Master Lewes of Manchester made the Summoner that came to cite his wife eate the citation by setting a dagger to his heart But they that deal truly are his delight Hee desireth truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 and all his are children that will not lye Isa 63.8 they will rather dye than lye Nec prodam nec mentiar said Firmus in Augustine Non ideo negare volo ne peream sed ideo mentiri nolo ne peccem said that good woman upon the rack mentioned by Hierome As they love in the truth 2 John 1. so they speak the truth in love Ephes 4.15 and are therefore dear to the Father in truth and love 2 John 3. especially since they do truth as well as speak it 1 John 6. and do not more desire to be truly good than they hate to seem to be so onely Vers 23. A prudent man concealeth knowledge scil Till hee findes a fit time to vent it for then the lips of the wise do spread abroad knowledge Chap. 15.7 hee is no niggard where there is need but loves not to outlash Taciturnity is a virtue with him Tacitus a good historian Curtlus lib. 4 Persae magnam rem sustineri posse non credunt ab eo cui tacere grave sit The Persians hold not him fit for great imployments that cannot keep counsel saith Curtius But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness In it is and out it must Pleni rimarum sunt they can keep no counsel hold no secrets must needs tell all whatever come of it ut qui nec tacere nec prudenter loqui noriut they can neither hold their tongue nor use it to purpose The Moralist adviseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either to say nothing or that which is better than nothing And Socrates being asked by one how hee might have the reputation of a wise man Frist said hee thou must hold thy tongue oftner than speak Secondly thou must learn how to frame thy speeches Vers 24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule i. e. It shall make rich and so get preferment for regina pecunia Mony bears the Mastery and is a common medler in most businesses Agathocles by his industry gat to bee King of Sicily Crumwel to bee Earl of Essex Cranmer to bee Arch-bishop of Canterbury c. But the slothful or deceitful shall bee under tribute Cajetan renders it Dolus erit ad liquefactionem Deceitful dealing shall melt to nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tributum fic dictum quia paulatim liquescere facit facultates Buxtorf The same word signifieth both melting and tribute because too much tribute wasteth mens estates as when the spleen swells the rest of the body consumes King Johns exactors received from his subjects no less summes of curses than of coin Hee gathered money the sinewes of warre but lost their affections the joynts of peace He had a troublesome reign ill beloved of his people and farre a lesse King only by striving to be more than he was the just reward of violations what tribute hee paid to the Popes Legat at his absolution eight thousand Marks besides other huge summes Mat. Paris insomuch as that John Florentinus the Legat was nicknamed Ferentinus for bearing away so much mony I need not here relate Speed And yet this King was not slothful for his endless turmoils kept his body still in motion his mind in passions and his prowesse in ure deceitful I cannot deny him in breaking promise with His Subjects about their just liberties But a great part of that blame may well lye upon his Court-parasites who suggested that now hee was a King without a Kingdome a Lord without a Dominion and a Subject to his Subjects c. Wicked Counsellours as if it were not enough to bee above men Daniel but to bee above mankind as those Princes would bee that would not bee under the Law Vers 25. Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop
could say Job 9.30 31. If I wash my self with snow-water and make my hands never so clean yet God would plunge him in the ditch so that his own cloths should abhor him And if thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities saith David who should stand before thee Psal 130.3 Vers 10. Divers weights and divers measures c. See the Notes on chap. 11.1 16.11 Now if the very weights and measures are abomination how much more the men that make use of them And what shall become of such as measure to themselves a whole six daies but curtal Gods seventh or mis-imploy it Vers 11. Even a childe is known by his doings c. Either for the better as wee see in young Joseph Sampson Samuel Solomon Timothy Athanasius Origen c. It is not a young Saint an old Devil but a young Saint an old Angel Or for the worse as Canaan the son of Ham who is therefore cursed with his Father because probably hee had a hand in the sin Ismael Esau Vajezatha the youngest son of Haman Esth 10.9 Hebricians observe that in the Hebrew this youths name is written with a little Zain Amama but a great Vau to shew that though the youngest yet he was the most malicious against the Jews of all the ten Early sharp say we that will be thorn Vers 12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye c. There are that have ears to hear and hear not that have eyes to see and see not for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 12.2 Now when God shall say to such as Isa 42.18 Hear yee deaf and look yee blind that you may see when hee shall give them an obedient ear and a Scripture-searching eye senses habitually exercised to discern both good and evil Heb. 5.14 so that they hear a voyce behind them saying This is the way c. and they see him that is invisible as Moses then is it with them as it is written Eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. i. e. Natural eye never saw natural ear never heard such things 1 Cor. 2.9 10 But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit Vers 13. Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty In sleep there is no use either of sight or hearing or any other sense And as little is there of the Spiritual senses in the sleep of sin Zach. 4.1 It fared with the good Prophet as with a drowsie Person who though awake and set to work yet was ready to sleep at it and Peter James and John if the Spirit hold not up their eyes may be in danger to fall asleep at their prayers Matth. 26. and so fall into Spiritual poverty for if Prayer stands still the whole trade of Godliness stands still And a powerless Prayer proceeding from a spirit of sloth joyned with presumption makes the best men liable to punishment for profaning Gods Name so that he may justly let them fall into some sin which shall awaken them with smart enough See chap. 19.15 with the Note Vers 14. It is naught it is naught saith the buyer Or saith the possessour and so Melancthon reads it as taxing that common fault and folly of slighting present mercies but desiring and commending them when they are lost Virtutem incolumem odimus sublatam ex oculis quarimus invidi Israel despised the pleasant land Psal 106.24 and the precious Manna Numb 11.6 and Solomons gentle Government 1 King 12.4 Our corrupt nature weighs not good things till we want them as the eye sees nothing that lyes upon it Vers 15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies Quintilian defines an Oratour Vir bonus dicendi peritus A good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that can deliver himself in good language Such a master of speech was St. Paul who was therefore by those Heathen Lystrians called Mercury because he was the chief Speaker Acts 14.12 Such afore him was the Prophet Isaiah and our Saviour Christ who spake as never man spake his enemies themselves being Judges Such after him was Chrysostome Basil Nazianzen famous for their holy eloquence So were Mr. Rogers and Mr Bradford Martyrs in whom it was hard to say whether there were more force of eloquence and utterance in preaching Act. Mon. fol. 1782. Justin lib. 1. or more holinesse of life and conversation saith Mr. Fox Now it Darius could say that he preferred one Zopyrus before ten Babylons And if when one desired to see Alexanders Treasures and his Jewels he bade his Servants shew him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not his talents of silver and such other precious things but his friends Liban exemplar Progym Chri. 1. What an invaluable Price think we doth the King of Heaven set upon such learned Scribes as doe out of the good treasure of their hearts throw forth good things for the use of many Vers 16. Take his garment and so provide for their own indempnity See the notes on chap. 6.1 2 3 4 5. And take a pledge of him for a strange woman i. e. for a Whorish woman utcunque tibi sit cog nita vel etiam cognata Hee that will undertake for such a ones debts or run in debt to gratifie her should bee carefully lookt to and not trusted without a sufficient pawn Euseb in vit Constant How can hee bee faithful to mee that is unfaithful to God said Constantinus Chlorus to his Courtiers and Counsellors Vers 17. Bread of deceit is sweet to a man Sins murthering-morsels will deceive those that devour them There is a deceitfulnesse in all sin Heb. 3.13 a lye in all vanity Jer. 2.8 The stollen waters of adultery are sweet Prov. 9.17 but bitternesse in the end such sweet meat hath sowre sauce Commodities craftily or cruelly compassed yeeld a great deal of content for present But when the unconscionable Cormorant hath swallowed down such riches he shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly Joh. 20.15 Either by remorse and restitution in the mean time or with despair and impenitent horrour hereafter His mouth shall be filled with gravel Pane lapidoso as Seneca hath it with grit and gravel to the torment of the teeth that is terrour of the Conscience and torture of the whole man Such a bitter-sweet was Adams Apple Esaus mess the Israelites Quails Jonathans Hony the Amalekites Cates after the sack of Ziklag 1 Sam. 30.16 Adonijahs Dainties 1 King 1. which ended in horrour ever after the meal is ended comes the reckoning Men must not think to dine with the Devil and then to sup with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven to feed upon the poyson of Asps and yet that the Vipers tongue shall not slay them Job 20.16 When the Aspe stings a man it doth first tickle him so as it makes him laugh till the poyson by little and little gets to the heart Speed in Q. Elizah and then it pains
he hath vowed to God sith his is a Covenant of Mercy ours of obedience and if hee shall be All-sufficient to us we must be Altogether his Cant. 2.16 Vers 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin Heb. Nec des Give not liberty to thy mouth which of itself is so apt to over-flow and run riot in sinful and superfluous language Reign it in therefore and lay Lawes upon it lest it cause thy flesh to sin thy self to become a sinner against thine own soul Say to it in this case as Christ did to those Pharisees in the Gospel Why temptest thou me thou hypocrite or as the Witch said to Saul that sought to her Wherefore layest thou a snare for my life to cause me to dye 1 Sam. 28.9 Shall my prayer become sin and my religious vowes through non-payment a cause of a curse Psal 109.7 When thou art making such an ill bargain say to thy mouth as Boaz said to his Kinsman At what time thou buyest it Ruth 4. Rom. 6. ult thou must have Ruth with it so thou must have Gods curse with it for that 's the just hire of the least sin how much more of thy crimson crime And let thy mouth answer No I may not doe it I shall mar and spoyl a better inheritance I shall anger the Angel of the Covenant who if his wrath be kindled yea but a little he will not pardon my transgression for Gods an◠is in him Exod. 23.21 Who as he is Pater miserationum the Father of mercies so he is eus ultionum the God of recompences Psal 94.1 True it is that Anger is not properly in God Fury is not in me Isa 27.4 but because he chides and smites for sin as angry men use to doe therefore is Anger here and elsewhere attributed to him that men may stand in awe and not sin sith sin and punishment are linked together with chains of Adamant Vers 7. For in the multitude of dreams and in many words i. e. As in the multitude of dreams so in many words c. There may bee some matter in some of either but neither of either wants their vanities Dreams are of divers sorts See the Note on Gen. 20.3 Epicurus judged them all vain The Telmisenses Tertul. de anima c. 46. nulla somnia evacuabant saith Tertullian made no dreams to bee vain But that some dreams are Divine some diabolical and some natural Peculiare solatium naturalis oraculi as one speaketh good symptomes and indications of the natural constitution no wise man ever doubted That of the Philosopher hath a truth in it Aristot Ethic. Justum ab injusto non somno sed somnio discerni that a good man may be distinguished from a bad though not by his sleep yet by his dreams in his sleep But fear thou God And so eschew this evil of fond babbling in Gods service especially which is no lesse a vanity than plain doting and procures Divine displeasure Fulgent Deum siquis parum metuit valde contemnit He that fears not Gods wrath is sure to feel it Psal 90.11 Vers 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor And so mayst bee drawn to doubt of Divine providence and to with-draw thine awful regard to the Divine Majesty to forgoe godlinesse and to turn flat Atheist as Diagoras and Averroes did Horat. Marvel not at the matter Nil admirari prope res est una Numici A wise man wonders at nothing he knows there is good cause why God should suffer it so to be and gives him his glory Opera Dei sunt in mediis contrariis saith Luther Luther in Genes Nazian Cypr. Gods works are effected usually by contraries And this hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he may be the more marvelled at saith Nazianzen Hence he commonly goes a way by himself drawing light out of darkness good out of evil Exod. 15.11 heaven out of hell that his people may feelingly say Who is like unto thee O Lord glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing Wonders Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeeth in the earth Psal 58.11 For he that is higher than the highest regardeth And wherein they deal proudly Psal 76.12 he is above them Exod. 18.11 and over-tops them Psal 2.4 sets a day for them and sees that their day is coming Psal 37.16 The most High cuts off the spirit of Princes hee slips them off as one should slip off a flower between his fingers or he cuts them off as Grape-gatherers doe the clusters off the Vines such a Metaphor there is in the Original He is terrible to all the Kings of the earth those dread Soveraigns those Hammers of the earth and Scourges of the world as Attilas stiled himself such as Sennacherib Mundi flagellum whom God so subdued and mastered that the Aegyptians in memory of it set up his statue in the Temple of Vulcan with this inscription Heredot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all that behold me 2 Chro. 19.6 learn to fear God It was therefore excellent counsel that Jehoshaphat gave his Judges Take heed what you doe for yee judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord our God bee upon you take heed and doe it Look upon him that over-looks all your doings saith he and then learn to sit upon the Tribunal in as great though not in so slavish a fear of doing wrong as Olanes in the History did upon the flayed skin of his Father Sisannus nayled by Cambyses on the Judgement-Seat or as a Russian Judge that fears the boyling Caldron or open battocking or the Turkish Senate when they think the great Turk to stand behind the Arras at the dangerous door In fine let the Grandees and Potentates of the Earth know and acknowledge with Constantine Valentinian and Theodosius three great Emperours as Socrates reports it of them that they are but Christi Vasalli Christs Vassals and that as he is Excelsus super Excelsos High above all even the highest so hee hath other high ones at hand viz. the Holy Angels who can resist the King of Persia as Michael the Prince did Dan. 10.13 Fright the Syrians with a pannick terrour 2 King 7.6 smite the Assyrians with an utter destruction Isa 37.36 deliver Peter from the hand of Herod and from the expectation of the Jewes Exod. 12. Acts 12.11 make a wonderful difference in the slaughter of the first-born of Aegypt Tyrants shall be sure sooner or later to meet with their match Look what a hand the Ephori had over the King of Sparta the Tribunes had over the Roman Consuls and the Prince Palsgrave of Rhine ought by the ancient orders to have over the Emperour of Germany Palatino haec dignitatis praerogativa est ut ipsum Caesarem judicare damnare possit Parci
the Barons of England in King John's daies Marcidi Ribaldi Walsing Epit. hist Gallic p. 30. Godw. Catal. when declaring against the Pope and his Conclave by whom they were excommunicated they cried out thus in their Remonstrance Fy on such rascal ribals c. Adelmelect Bishop of Sherborn Anno 705. reproved Pope Sergius sharply to his face for his Adultery So did Bishop Lambert reprehend King Pepin for the same fault Anno 798. And Archbishop Odo King Edwin burning his Concubines in the fore-head with an hot Iron and banishing them into Ireland Father Latimer dealt no less faithfully with King Henry the Eighth in his Sermons at Court. And being asked by the King how hee durst bee so bold to preach after that manner hee answered that duty to God and to his Prince had enforced him to it and now that hee had discharged his conscience his life was in his Majesties hands c. Truth must bee spoken however it be taken If Gods Messengers must be mannerly in the form yet in the matter of their message to Great ones they must bee resolute It is probable that Joseph used some kinde of Preface to Pharaoh's Baker in reading him that hard destiny Dan. 4.19 Gen. 40.19 Such likely as was that of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar My Lord the Dream bee to them that hate thee c. or as Philo brings him in with an Utinam tale somnium non vidisses c. But for the matter hee gives him a sound though sharp interpretation Vers 5. Whoso keepeth the commandement scil The Kings commandement Hee that is morigerous and goes as far as hee can with a good conscience in his obedience to the commands of his Superiours Shall feel no evil i. e. hee shall lack no good encouragement Rom. 13.3 4. Or if men slight him God will see to him Ephes 6.7 8. as hee did to the poor Israelites in Egypt and to David under Saul Mordecai lost nothing at length by his love and loyalty to God and the King Sir Ralph Percy slain upon Hegely-Moor in Northumberland by the Lord Montacute General for Edward the Fourth hee would no waies depart the field though defeated but in dying said I have saved the bird in my breast Speed 869. meaning his oath to King Henry the Sixth for whom hee fought And a wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgement scil When and how to obey Kings commands the time the means and manner thereof dispatching them without offence to God or man And this a wise mans heart discerneth saith the Preacher it being the opinion of the Hebrews that in the heart especially the soul did keep her Court and exercise her noble operations of the understanding invention judgement c. Aristotle saith Sine calore cordis anima in corpore nihil efficit Without the heat of the heart the soul does nothing in the body The Scripture also makes the heart the Monarch of this Isle of Man Vers 6. Because to every purpose there is time Therefore the wise man seeketh after that nick of time that punctilio of judgement that hee may do every thing well and order his affairs with discretion A well-chosen season is the greatest advantage of any action which as it is seldome found in haste so it is too often lost in delay Therefore the misery of man is great upon him Because hee discerns not apprehends not his fittest opportunity hence hee creates himself a great deal of misery When Saul had taken upon him to sacrifice God intimates to him by Samuel that if hee had discerned his time hee might have saved his Kingdome So might many a man his life his livelihood nay his soul The men of Issachar in Davids daies are famous for this that they had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do 1 Chron. 12.32 their posterity are set below Stork and Swallow for want of this skill Jer. 8.7 and deeply doomed Luke 19.44 Vers 7. For hee knoweth not that which shall bee Mans misery is the greater because hee cannot fore-see to prevent it but hee is suddenly surprized and hit many times on the blinde side as wee say Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae Men are in the dark in regard of future events God onely knows them and is thereby oft in Isaiah distinguished from the dung-hill-deities of the Heathens In his mercy to his people hee gave them Prophets to tell How long and when these failed the Church heavily bewails it Psal 74.9 Howbeit a prudent man fore-seeth an evil and hideth himself Amb. de Offic. l. 1. cap. 38. Prov. 22.3 See the Note there By the strength of his mind saith Ambrose hee presageth what will follow and can define what in such or such a case hee ought to do Sometimes hee turns over two or three things in his mind together of which conjecturing that either all may come to pass jointly or this or that severally or whether they fall out jointly or severally hee can by his understanding so order his actions as that they shall bee profitable to him Vers 8. There is no man that hath power c. Death man is sure to meet with whatsoever hee miss of but when hee knows not neither Of Dooms-day there are signs affirmative and negative not so of death Every one hath his own Balsam within him say some Chymicks Greg. Moral his own bane it is sure hee hath Ipsa suis augmentis vita ad detrimenta impellitur Every day wee yeeld somewhat to death Stat sua cuique dies Our last day stands the rest run Virg. Ancid Nulli cedo Death is this onely King against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30. The mortal Sithe is Master of the Royal Scepter and it mows down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the grass of the field saith a Reverend Writer Mr. Ley his Monitor of Mortality And again Death suddenly snatcheth away Physicians oft as it were in scorn and contempt of medicines when they are applying their preservatives or restoratives to others as it is storied of Caius Julius a Surgeon who dressing a sore-eye as hee drew the Instrument over it was struck with an Instrument of death in the act and place where hee did it Besides diseases many by mischances are taken as a bird with a bolt whiles hee gazeth at the bow There is no discharge in war Heb. No sending either of Forces to withstand death or of messages to make peace with him The world and wee must part and whether wee bee unstitcht by parcels or torn asunder at once the difference is not great Happy is hee that after due preparation is passed thorow the gates of death ere hee bee aware saith one Whether my death bee a burnt-offering of Martyrdome or a Peace-offâ—ring of a natural death I desire it may bee a Free-will-offering a sweet sacrifice to the Lord saith another Neither shall wickedness deliver No It is righteousness
Champion as Christ who is in love with her and will take her part fight her quarrel and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn Isa 54.17 As the ecclipsed Moon by keeping her motion wades out of the shadow and recovers her splendour So it shall bee with the Spouse Yea shee shall bee able to answer those that reproach and cast dirt upon her for her keeping close to Christs colours and suffering hardship for him as the Emperour Adrian did the Poet Florus who sate on an Ale-bench and sang Nolo ego Caesar esse Ambulare per Britannos Rigidas pati pruinas c. The witty Emperour replied upon him assoon as hee heard of it Melanchthon in Chron. Carion Nolo ego Florus esse Ambulare per tabernas Latitare per popinas Pulices pati rotundos Vers 5. Stay mee with flaggons Not with cups or bowls onely but with flaggons larger measures of that Wine that was set before her in Christs Wine-house Comfort mee with Apples such as fall from Christs Apple-tree spoken of in the former verse the precious mellifluous promises which are sweet like the Apples of the Garden of Eden as the Chaldee here hath it Boulster mee up with these for I am even sinking and swooning with an excess of love with an exuberancy of spiritual joy in God my Saviour such as I can hardly stand under Stay mee therefore saith shee to the Ministers Poly. hist cap. 56. Smells are applied to the nostrils of them that faint those pillars to support the weak Gal. 2.9 and to comfort the feeble minded 1 Thes 5.14 Stay mee or sustain mee with flaggons comfort mee with Apples Solinus tells of some near the River Ganges that live odore pomorum sylvestrium by the smell of Forrest Apples which is somewhat strange For I am sick of love Surprized with a love-qualm as an honest Virgin may bee meeting her Love unawares enjoying him in the fulness of joy and fearing the loss of his company for a long season Lomb. Seâ—t lib. 3. distine 34. Vide August Epist 121. ad Hoxorâ— This is timor amicalis which Lombard thus describeth ne offendamus quem diligimus ne ab eo separemur The fear of love is lest wee should offend him whom our soul loveth and so cause him to withdraw Hic timor transit in charitatem saith Gregory This fear passeth into love and overwhelms the spirit sometimes This was it that made Jacob when hee saw nothing but visions of love and mercy cry out How dreadful is this place This made that mixture of passions in those good women that coming to look Christ Gosr in Vit. Bern. departed from the grave with fear and great joy From this cause it was that Bernard for a certain time after his conversion remained as it were deprived of his senses by the excessive consolations hee had from God Cyprian writes to his friend Donatus that before his conversion hee thought it impossible to finde such raptures and ravishments as now hee did in a Christian course Epist l. 1. Confess l. 6. c. 22. Hee begins his Epistle thus Accipe quod sentitur antequam discitur c. Augustine saith the like of himself What unconceiveable and unutterable extasies of joy then may wee well think there is in Heaven where the Lord Christ perpetually and without intermission manifesteth the most glorious and visible signs of his presence and seals of his love Hee pours forth all plenteous demonstrations of his goodness to his Saints and gives them eyes to see it minds to conceive it and then fills them with exceeding fulness of love to him again so that they swim in pleasure and are even overwhelmed with joy a joy too big to enter into them they must enter into it Mat. 25.21 Oh pray pray with that great Apostle that had been in Heaven and seen that which eye never saw that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened Verbis exprimi non potest experimento opus est Chrys you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes 1.18 3.19 A glory fitter to bee beleeved than possible to bee discoursed An exceeding excessive eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Such a weight as if the body were not upheld by the power of God it were impossible but it should faint under it How ready are our spirits to expire here when any extraordinary unexpected comfort befalls us The Church is sick of love Jacobs heart fainted when hee heard of Josephs life and honour in Egypt The Queen of Sheba was astonied at Solomons wisdome and magnificence so that shee had no spirit more in her Viscount Lisley in Henry the Eighths time died for joy of an unexpected pardon What then may wee think of those in Heaven and should not wee hasten in our affections to that happy place Oh do but think saith one though it far pass the reach of any mortal thought what an infinite inexplicable happiness it will bee to look for ever upon the glorious body of Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty far above the brightest Cherub and to consider that even every vein of that blessed body bled to bring thee to Heaven Think of it I say and then exhale thy self in continual sallies as it were of most earnest desires to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ which is far the better Phil. 1.23 As in the mean while let thy soul sweetly converse with him in all his holy Ordinances but especially at his Holy Table where hee saith unto thee as once to Thomas Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and bee not faithless but beleeving Let thy soul also there reciprocate and say My Lord and my God! Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in Earth Psa 73.25 none in comparison of thee Rabboni Come quickly Vers 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace mee As if shee should have said I called unto you my friends to relieve and raise mee falling into a spiritual swoon but behold the consolation that is in Christ Phil. 2.1 2 the comfort of love the fellowship of the Spirit the bowels and mercies of my dear Husband hee hath fulfilled my joy hee hath prevented your help or at least hee hath wrought together with the means and made it successeful You have stayed mee with flaggons Psal 23.2 but hee hath restored my soul You have bolstered mee up with Apples but when that would not do hee hath put his left hand under my head as a pillow to rest upon and with his right hand hee hath embraced mee as a loving Husband cherisheth his sick wife and doth her all the help hee can Ephes 5.29 The whole virtue and power of the Ministry cometh from Christ They do their worthy indeavour to stay and under-prop our Faith but
justness of their cause their obedience to God c. This Hereticks can never make good Well they may pretend that they suffer for righteousness sake and stile themselves as the Swenck feldians did The confessours of the glory of Christ Well they may cry out as that Heretick Dioscorus did in the Council of Chalcedon I am cast out with the Fathers I defend the doctrine of the Fathers I transgress them not in any point Well they may seem to bee ambitious of wearing a Tiburn-tippeâ— as Campian and cry out with Gentilis the Antitrinitarian Se pro gloria Altissimi Dei pati that hee suffered death for the glory of the most High God Hee that hateth dissembleth with his lips saith Solomon of such subtle Foxes and layeth up deceit within him When hee speaketh fair beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov. 26.24 25. Hereticks are notably cunning and no less cruel as the Arians and Donaetists were of old the Papists Matth. 8. Socinians and others of the same bran at this day These Foxes have holes they cunningly creep or shoot themselves into houses by their pithanology and counterfeit humility they lead captive silly women and by them 2 Tim. 3.6 their husbands they take them prisoners as the word signifies and then make prize of them 2 Pet. 2.3 they bring them into bondage and devour them as St. Paul saith of those deceitful workers the Foxes of his time 2 Cor. 11.13 20. they fraudulently foist in false doctrines 2 Pet. 2.1 Heresies of perdition and so corrupt the Vineyard as the Master of the Vineyard complains Jer. 12.10 shipwrack the Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 subvert whole houses Tit. 1.11 and are therefore to bee taken or clubd down as Pests and common mischiefs to mankind to the younger sort especially those tender Grapes which they chiefly covet and catch at And here in hunting of these cruel crafties that counsel would bee taken that Saul gave the Ziphites concerning an innocent man that deserved it not Go I pray you prepare yee and know 1 Sam. 23.22 23 and see his place where his haunt is and who hath seen him there for it is told mee that hee dealeth very subtilly See therefore and take knowledge of all the lurking places where hee hideth himself c. Vers 16. My Beloved is mine and I am his Hitherto the Church hath related Christs words to her self and others Now shee shuts up the whole discourse with praise of Christ here and prayer to him vers 17. In praising him shee preacheth her own blessedness in that spiritual Union that mystical marriage that is betwixt them My Beloved is mine c. q. d. I am sure hee is mine and I can boldly speak it Many lay claim to him which have no share in him they deeply affirm of him but have no manner of right to him their faith is but fancy their confidence presumption they are like that mad-man of Athens that claimed every rich ship that came to shore when as hee had no part in any or Haman who hearing that the King would honour a man concluded but falsely that himself was the man Like Idolatrous Micah they conceit that God will bless them for the Levites sake Judg. 17.13 which was no such matter And like Sisera they dream of a Kingdome when as Jaels nail is nearer their Temples than a Crown The condition of such self-soothers and self-seekers is nothing different from his that dreaming upon a steep place of some great happiness befallen him starts suddenly for joy and falling down with the start breaks his neck at the bottom The true beleever is upon a far better ground his faith is unfeigned his hope is unfailable Hee knows whom hee hath trusted hee knows and beleeves the love that God hath to him 1 John 4.16 hee hath gotten a full gripe of Christ and is sure that neither death nor life c. shall separate him from Christ Hee hath comprehended him or rather is comprehended of him Phil. 3.12 Christ hath laid hold on him by his Spirit and hee hath laid hold on Christ by Faith the property whereof is to put on close to Christ and Christ to him yea to unite us to Christ so that hee that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 as truly one as those members are one body which have the same soul or as man and wife are one flesh as they two are one matrimonial flesh so Christ and his people are one mystical Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 Well therefore may the Church here glorifie Christ and glory in her own happiness by him saying My Beloved is mine and I am sure of it and cannot bee deceived for I am his all that I am is his I have made a total resignation of my whole self unto him and have put him in full possession of all I am crucified with Christ Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in mee Gal. 2.20 Christ is All-sufficient to mee and I am altogether his His is as a Covenant of mercy mine of obedience Wherein I do as it were by Indenture with highest estimations most vigorous affections and utmost indeavours bestow my self upon him and I accept of whole Christ in all his offices and efficacies Hee feedeth among the Lillies Before shee was to seek and goes to Christ to bee resolved where hee fed Chap. 1.7 Now after more intimate communion with him shee is able to resolve herself and others where hee feeds his flock viz. among the Lillies that is in sweet and soft pastures Psal 23.2 in those Mountains of spices Cant. 8.14 those bounties of holiness the glorious Ordinances wherein Christ feeds his people and feasts them daily and daintily pleasantly and plentifully with the best of the best fat things full of marrow Wine on the Lees well refined Isa 25.6 to the gladding of their hearts and greatning of their Faith so that they grow up as the Lillies Hos 14.5 as the Calves of the stall as the willows by the water-courses Isa 44.4 And as Lillies are not more beautiful than fertile Una radice quinquagenos saepe emittente bulbos Plin. yea the dropping of the Lilly will cause and beget more Lillies so the Lilly-white Saints will bee working upon others and bringing them to Christ as Andrew did Peter and Philip Nathaniel John 1.41 45. True goodness is generative Charity is no churl c. Vers 17. Until the day break and the shadows flee away Until that day dawn that last and glorious day when Christ the Sun of Righteousness shall appear and chase away the shadows of sin and misery wherewith I am here benighted Umbra terrae noctem facit Isidor Etym. lib. 5. cap. 13. Turn about my Beloved And though thou leave mee for a time as thou art a God that hidest thy self Isa 45.15 yet never forsake mee but let thine heart bee ever upon mee and thine hand ready to help at
unto men and there-hence hee went forth abroad the whole world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Here therefore the Spouse seeks him amongst the people of God and in his Word and Ordinances Shee knew well that hee fed his flock among those Lillies used to go down into that his garden of spices Cant. 6.1 2. to take a turn amidst those golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.13 to take a view of his Wedding guests Mat. 22.11 yea to eat and drink in their presence and to teach in their streets Luk. 13.26 Abroad shee gets therefore and that presently I will rise now Saith shee lest I lose mine opportunity for if so I may seek it with tears and go without it with sorrow Men may purpose promise and expect a time of healing and curing when they shall bee deceived and finde a time of trouble Jer. 14.17 Many I say unto you shall seek to enter and shall not bee able Luk. 13.24 yea they shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord but they shall not finde him hee hath withdrawn himself from them Hos 5.6 They came too late belike they sought not the Lord while hee was to bee found vel sero vel certe non serio quaerebant they called not upon him while hee was near they stayed till hee was out of call Prov. 1.28 till hee was resolved to return either no answer at all or such a sad answer as the Jews had from him because they stood out their day of grace Yee shall seek mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come John 7.34 And again I go my way and yee shall seek mee and shall dye in your sins John 8.21 Oh dreadful sentence The Church her self here though never so dear to Christ seems to some to bee guilty of sloth and slackness in seeking after Christ and doing it in her bed as loth at first to disease her self or in holding him while shee had him if whilst shee was sleeping hee slipt away from her side The wise Virgins also were napping and nodding Mat. 25. and holy Austin confesseth that hee could not answer that clear text whereby hee was called out of his sinful course Confess lib. 8. cap. 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead c. but onely by that wish of the sluggard Modo ecce modo Sinite paululum c. A little more sleeps a little more slumbers c. little and yet sleeps in the plural Thus Modo Modo non habent modum Sinite paululum ibit in longum as that Father hath it Somewhat it was surely that makes the Church resolve as here I will rise now or Let mee rise now I will stir up the gift of God that is in mee I will stir up my self to take better hold of Christ Here is a tacit taxing her self for some former slackness after her former enjoyments and familiar entercourse with Christ Wee are too ready after wee have run well to lye down and take cold which may cause a consumption to please our selves in unlawful liberties when wee have pleased the Lord in lawful duties Hezekiah after his notable service both of prayer and thanksgiving fondly over-shoots himself to the Babylonish Embassadors Jonah after his Embassage faithfully discharged to the Ninivites breaks forth into anger against the Lord. Peter being commended by Christ for the profession of his Faith Mat. 16. fell presently so far wide that hee heard Get thee behinde mee Satan I sought him but I found him not For trial and exercise of her faith and constancy Then shall yee know if yee follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 So then shall wee finde if wee follow on to seek Christ fetching him out of his hiding-place as the woman of Canaan did For hee would have hid himself saith the Text but hee could not For a certain woman c. Mark 7.24 25. And as shee set him out so shee followed him close refusing to bee either said nay or sit down with silence or sad answers The like did Jacob Gen. 32. hee wrestled with might and slight hee would have a blessing whether God would or no as wee may say with reverence Let men go saith God No thou shalt not saith Jacob. Let mee alone that I may destroy this people No 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propter improbitatem by no means saith Moses In seeking of Christ faith is not onely importunate but even impudent Luk. 15.8 and threatens Heaven as Nazianzen said of his sister Gorgonia If hee have lost his mercy shee will finde it for him Isa 63.15 If hee look strange and stern shee will both know him and claim him amidst all his austerities Vers 16. Art not thou our Father Psal 63.8 If hee bee gone never so far shee will follow hard after him so Davids phrase is even as hard as her old leggs will carry as Father Latimer said with Return for thy servants sake Wee are thine c. vers 17 19. O Lord faith the Church in Habakkuk Art not thou from everlasting my God and mine Holy One It was a bold question but God assents to it in a gracious answer ere hee went further Wee shall not dye say they abruptly Hab. 1.12 Nay after two daies for so long it may bee hee will hold us off to try how wee will hold out seeking hee will revive us in the third day hee will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight Hos 6.2 Or if wee should dye in this waiting condition and in a spiritual desertion yet wee could not misse of Heaven because hee hath said Blessed are all they that wait for him Isa 30.18 Vers 3. The watchmen that go about the City found mee i. e. The Angels who are Gods watchmen over the world and are so called somewhere in Scripture as also Ministring Spirits guardians of the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.10 Ezek. 33.2 c. But here I conceive are meant either those Princes of the world strangers to the mystery of Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 and therefore can tell no tale nor tidings of him For why they are of Gallio's Religion which is no better than a meer irreligion Act. 18.15 being de regione magis soliciti quam de religione as one saith Or else the Officers and Ministers of the Church set as Watch-men upon Jerusalems walls with charge never to hold their peace day nor night Isa 62.6 But they alass prove too too oft blind watch-men dumb doggs sleeping lying down loving to slumber Isa 56.16 And such it seems were these here by the small directions they gave the Church or intelligence of her best Beloved Howbeit because the Priests lips should preserve knowledge Heb. 13.1 and they are given for Guides to God however they prove shee repairs to them or rather lighting upon them enquires for Christ Saw yee him whom my soul loveth They that love Christ in
Christ have regested And is that the part and posture of a vigilant Christian Might it not better have beseemed you to have had your loyns girt up your lamp in your hand and your self to have waited for your Lords return that when hee came and knocked you might have opened unto him immediately Luk. 12.35 36 Or being got to bed must you needs mend one fault with another Is it such a pains to start up again and let in such a guest as comes not to take any thing from you but to enrich you much more than once the Ark did Obed-Edom And in this sense some take those words in the former verse for mine head is filled with dew c. as if Christ came unto her full of the dew of blessings to enrich her Sure it is that Christ is no beggerly or niggardly guest His reward is with him hee brings better commodities than Abrahams servants did to Laban or the Queen of Sheba to Solomon even purest gold whitest rayment soveraign eye-salve any thing every thing that heart can wish or need require Revel 3.17 19. How unworthily therefore deal they and how ill do they provide for themselves that either deny or delay to entertain him when either by the motions of his Spirit by the words of his mouth or by the works of his hands he knocks at the doors of their hearts and would come in to them How do they make void or reject the counsel of God against themselves with those unhappy Lawyers Luk. 7.30 being ingrati gratiae Dei as Ambrose speaketh and judging themselves unworthy of ever-lasting life with those perverse Jews Acts 13.46 Who can say it is otherwise than righteous that Christ should regest one day upon such ungrateful Gadarens Depart from mee yee wicked that such as say to him as Felix did once to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee Acts 24.26 should hear from him Get you to the Gods whom yee have chosen for I will not help you c. and that those that would not obey this sweet precept Open to mee c. Come down Zachaeus Luke 19.5 for to day I must abide at thy house c. should have no other left to obey but that dreadful Go yee cursed c. The Church here did but lust a while and linger when shee should have been up and about and shee soon rued it deerly bewailed it bitterly Now what was it that she did Did shee rate Christ for comming at such unseasonable hours did shee answer him currishly or drive him from her door No surely but onely pleads excuse and pretends inconvenience Shee had put off her cloathes washt her feet c. A great chare shee had done and it would have undone her doubtless to have dressed her again and set her fair feet on the foul ground There is none so wise as the sluggard Prov. 26.16 Hee hath got together a great many excuses which hee thinks will go for wisdome because by them hee thinks to sleep in a whole skin Sinne and shifting came into the world together But what saith the Apostle Surely his counsel is most excellent and worthy of all acceptation Heb. 12.25 See that yee refuse not him that speaketh sc by his Blood Word Sacraments motions of his Spirit Mercies c. Look to it as the Greek hath it that yee refuse not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr that yee shift him not off by frivolous pretences and idle excuses as those recusant guests did Mat. 22.5 as Moses would have done Exod. 3.11 14. 4.1 10. and Jeremiah c. 1.6 So again Heb. 2.3 How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation Hee saith not if wee reject renounce persecute but if wee neglect let slip undervalue c. If when God sends forth his mercy and his truth Psal 57.3 and looks that wee should send a Lamb to that Lamb of God the Ruler of the land Isa 16.1 wee send messages after him saying Wee will not have this man to rule over us Luk. 19.14 Wee break his cords those cords of love Hos 11.4 and kick against his bowels and instead of serving him make him to serve with our sins and even weary him with our iniquities Isa 43.24 How shall wee escape What hill shall hide us What will yee do in the end thereof Vers 4. My Beloved put in his hand by the hole Or Dimissit manuâ— a foramine He let fall his hand from the hole where hee was lifting at the latch or seeâ—ing to put by the bar hee took it so unkindly to bee so ill answered that hee â—â—parted in displeasure and would bee no further troublesome Sleep on noâ— quoth hee as Mark 14.41 and take your rest Hee that will hear let him â—â—ar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Pompâ—io Romano ap Plutarch and he that hath a minde to forbear let him forbear Ezek. 3.27 but at his own peril the best that can come of it is repentance that fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother Delicatares est Spiritus Dei saith one The â—pirit of God is a delicate thing and hee that grieves that holy thing whereby â—ee is sealed by giving way to a spirit of sloth and slumber may lose his joy of faith and go mourning to his grave And although with much a do he maâ— get assurance of pardon yet his conscience will be still trembling as Davids Psal 51. till God at length speak further peace Even as the water of the Sea after a storm is not presently still but moves and trembles a good while after the storm is over Take heed therefore Cavebis autem si pavebis Rom. 11.21 But to take the words as they are here translated My Beloved put in his hand by the hole that is hee touched mine heart by his holy Spirit and notwithstanding my discourteous dealing with him left a sweet remembrance of himself behind him As hee would not away but continued still knocking till hee had an answer so though the answer pleased him not yet hee called not for his love-tokens back again hee cast her not off as Ahashuerus did Vashti no hee hates putting away Mal. 2.16 but as the Sun with his bright beams follows the passenger that hath turned his back upon it So deals Christ by his back-sliding people Psal 23.6 Jonah 2.8 Jer. 3.22 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow mee all the daies of my life saith David follow mee though I forsake mine own mercies saith Jonah And as the same Sun-beams do convey the heat and influence thereof to the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities that winter had brought upon it So doth Christ that Sun of Righteousness arise to his servants that are benighted with sin and sorrow with healing in his wings that is with the gratious influence of his holy Spirit conveying the vertues of his blood to their
Away then with all such mock-stays See the fruit of creature-confidence Job 6.17 8.15 and know that no man trusts Christ at all that trusts him not alone Hee that stands with one foot on a rock and another foot on a quick-sand will sink and perish as certainly as hee that standeth with both feet on a quick-sand See Psal 6.2.2.5 6. I raised thee up under the Apple-tree c. Here the Bride answereth to the Bridegrooms question Who is this or What woman is this that cometh up from the Wilderness c that goes in a right line to God leaning on her Beloved that will not break the hedge of any commandment to avoid any peece of foul way I am shee saith the Church even the very same that raised thee up under the apple-tree c. viz. by mine earnest prayers When thou wast asleep under the apple-tree and I had straightly charged the Damosels of Jerusalem not to disquiet thee by their sins yet I took the boldness to arouse thee and say as Psal 44.23 Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever and with those drowning Disciples Master earest thou not that wee perish Sometimes saith one God seems to lose his mercy and then wee must finde it for him as Isa 63.10 sometimes to sleep and then wee must waken him quicken him Psal 40.17 Isa 62.7 God will come but he will have his peoples prayers lead him Dan. 10.12 I come for thy Word Christ himself is the apple-tree here mentioned as Cant. 2.3 Though there are that interpret it of the Cross that tree whereon hee bare our sins in his own body 1 Pet. 2.24 Others better of the tree of offence the forbidden fruit Gen. 2. And that when Eve tasted of that fruit which they here-hence conclude to have been an apple though the word bee more general Nux enim pomum dicitur then as Christs mother shee brought him forth by believing the promise there made unto her that Messiah of her seed should break the Serpents head Look how the Virgin Mary conceived Christ when shee yielded her assent When the Angel spake to her what said shee presently Be it as thou hast said Let it bee even so shee yielded her assent to the promise that shee should conceive a son and shee did conceive him So Eve believed the promise of pardon and salvation shee saw it afar off was perswaded of it and embraced it Heb. 11.13 and is therefore said here to bear and bring forth Christ yea to travell of him with sorrow as the word signifies for as there is no other birth without pain so neither is the new birth Those that have passed through the narrow womb of repentance and been born again will say as much See Isa 26.17 If God brake Davids bones and the Angels back saith one hee will break thy heart too if ever hee save thee No sound heart ever went to heaven as in another sense none but sound could ever come thither Cor integrum cor scissum Rent your hearts c. Vers 6. Set mee as a seal upon thine heart i. e. Bee thou as a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 with Exod. 28.21 29. Remember mee for good and make mention of mee to thy Father Have mee also in pretious esteem as great men have the signets upon their right hands and as whatsoever is sealed with a seal that is excellent in its own kinde as Isa 28.25 hordeum signatum excellent barly Christ wears his people as a signet or as great men wear their jewels to make him glorious in the eyes of men neither will hee bee plundered of them by the Churches enemies to touch them Zech. 2.8 is to touch the apple of his eye that tenderest piece of the tenderest part The Proverb is Oculus fama non patiuntur jocos The eye and the good name can bear with no jests As the Saints are in Christs heart ad commoriendum convivendum so they are also upon his arm so that if they do but come and say in any danger or difficulty Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient days c. Isa 51.9 hee will redeem his people with his arm Psal 77.15 yea with his out-stretcht arm Exod. 6.6 that is with might and open manifestation of his love hee will awake as one out of sleep and like a man that shouteth by reason of wine Psal 78.65 For love is strong as death And yet death is so strong that it passeth over all men Rom. 5.12 and devoureth them as sheep Psal 49.14 as a rot it over-runneth the whole flock having for its Motto Nulli cedo I yield to none Onely love is strong as death nay stronger Jonathan would have died for the love of David David of Absolom Arsinoe interposed her self between the Murtherers weapons sent by Ptolomy her brother to kill her children Priscilla and Aquila for St. Pauls life laid down their own necks Rom. 16.4 Paul was in deaths often for Jesus sake Those primitive Martyrs loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 12.11 Certatim gloriosa in certamina ruebatur saith Sulpitius they were prodigal of their dearest lives and even ambitious of Martyrdome that thereby they might seal up their entire love to the Lord Jesus If every hair of mine head were a man Act. Mon. fol. 1438. I would suffer death in the opinion and faith that I am now in said John Ardley Martyr to Bishop Bonner Ignis crux bestiarum conflictationes ossium distractiones c. Let mee suffer fire cross breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body and all the torments that men or devils can devise so I may enjoy my Lord Jesus Christ said holy Ignatius whose Motto was Amor meus crucifixus my love was crucified Love is it self a passion and delights to shew it self in suffering for the party beloved yea though it were to pass through a thousand deaths for his sake And this is here yielded as a reason why the Spouse first awakened Christ and now desires to bee so nearly knit unto him to bee set as a seal upon his hand yea upon his heart the love of Christ constrained her and lay so hard upon her that she could do no less than beg such a boon of him than covet such a courtesie as a compensation of her dearest love to him And surely to account Christ precious as a tree of life although wee bee fastned to him as to a stake to bee burned this is love and this our labour of love cannot be in vain in the Lord. Jealousie is cruel as the grave Or zeal is hard as hell This follows well upon the former Contra Adamant c. 13. for Non amat qui non zelâ—t saith Augustine Zeal is the extream heat of love and other affections for and toward any whom wee esteem burning in our love to him desire
Let them infants mourn for the teats denied them in this day of humiliation as Jon. 3.5 6. or so dryed up that there is no milk for them Others render it Beating upon their breasts plangentes pectora palmis Ver. 13. Vpon the Land of my people shall come up thorns Here the Prophet proceedeth to denounce the destruction of the Land that should one day come by the Babylonians and yet he foretelleth that afterwards God shall receive them into favour and restore unto them such a Kingdom as wherein righteousness and peace shall meet and mutually salute In the Joyous City Or revelling City see chap. 22.2 13. Zeph. 2.15 Ver. 14. The multitude of the City shall be left for the City shall be left of its multitude The Forts and Towers Heb. Ophel and Bachan The Hebrews tell us that these were two high Towers in Jerusalem now they were to be dismantled and lye wast Ver. 15. Vntill the Spirit be poured upon us from on high Donec Dominus dignabitur suum favorem gratiam denuo nobis impertiri Till God shall please once more to impart unto us his grace and favour So he sets them no certain time of restauration as desirous thereby to stir them up to pray continually and to bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life This effusion of the Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 that is of the best thing upon the basest is a very great mercy And the wildernesse be a fruitful field Heb. a Carmel Such a change worketh the Spirit of grace it maketh barren hearts fruitful and manifesteth hypocrites whatever they seem to be no better than wild trees that beare no good fruit Ver. 16. Then judgement shall dwell in the wildernesse In this and the next Verse he setteth forth the sweet effects of Gods Spirit in the Saints in hypocrites also when once they come to be converted these are Righteousnesse Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost as Rom. 14.17 By Righteousnesse and Judgement there is to be understood the Righteousnesse of Faith together with all those good works the fruits thereof Obedience I mean which Luther was wont to call fidem incarnatam Faith incarnate Ver. 17. And the work of Righteousnesse shall be Peace Peace both of Countrey and of Conscience none other but this last can last for ever Quietnesse and assurance for ever Such as the world giveth not such as the wicked meddleth not with the Cock on the dunghil knoweth not the worth of this jewel it is the new name that none knoweth but he who hath it Oh this blessed quietnesse and assurance for ever this boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the Faith of him Eph. 3.12 having a full certainty Luk. 1.4 yea a confident glorying and boasting Rom. 5.3 so as to stand upon Interrogatories 1 Pet. 3.21 such as are those Rom. 8.35 36 37. and to have God to make answer as Isa 43.25 Ver. 18. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation Great peace have all those that love Gods Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119.165 Peace shall be within their walls and prosperity within their Palaces From this and the next Verse one well gathereth that when the heart lyeth lowest it lyeth quietest in loco humili humilis erit civitas sc Dei. Ver. 19. When it shall hail coming down on the Forrest When reprobates here compared to a Forrest or tall wood shall be hail-beaten that is grievously plagued as those Egyptians once were Exod. 9.22 26. it shall be hail or well with the Elect the Church as a City that standeth in a low bottome is secure and safe her afflictions also working together for her good In humbling her God remembreth her for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 136.23 Ver. 20. Blessed are ye that sow besides all waters Conclusionem texit ipse Propheta The Prophet concludeth with an exclamation as admiring the happinesse of such as should live till the Common-wealth should be thus restored but especially when Christ should come in the power and purity of his Ordinances filling his people with the fruits of Righteousnesse and fattening them for the purpose with those waters of the Sanctuary as Nilus doth the land of Egypt c. Oh the heaped up happinesse of such O terque quaterque beati Say they sow in tears yet they shall reap in joy Psal 126.5 say they send thither the feet of the Ox and the Asse those laborious and useful creatures to ear the ground and fit it for receipt of seed Psal 144.14 they shall surely eat the fruit of their labours Psal 128.2 They shall reap in due time if they faint not Gal. 6.9 His faecunda sine dubio messis indulgantiae orietur saith Arnobius their labour cannot be in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult CHAP. XXXIII Ver. 1. VVOe to thee that spoilest Minatur vastationem vastatori Sennacherib vel Antichristo quem praesignat Oecol Sennacherib and Antichrist are here threatned And thou wast not spoiled Thou abusest thy present peace and the riches of Gods goodness and patience toward thee to fall foule upon others unprovoked And dealest treacherously This some understand of Sennacherib Oecol See 2 King 18.14 17. others of Shebna and other Traitours in Jerusalem who dealt underhand with the enemy against Hezekiah and might haply meet with the like meed as he did who betrayed the Rhodes to the Turkes who fleaed him and salted him Or at least as Charles the fourths Agents did from Philip Duke of Austria who paid them the summe he promised them but in counterfeit money saying that false coyn is good enough for such false knaves as they had shewed themselves Thou shalt be spoiled Of Kingdome and life and all by thy treacherous sons Chap. 37 38. Siquis quod fecit patitur justissima lex est See Judg. 7.11 with the Note and fear thou God who loveth to retaliate to pay wicked men home in their own coyn to fill them with their own wayes to overshoot them in their own bow c. Vae ergo vastatoribus one time or other God will be even with such Ver. 2. O Lord be gracious unto us Brevicula sed pulchra precatio a short but sweet prayer of the Prophet teaching thereby the people to put the promise in suit and to do it effectually using a throng of strong arguments as here is Much in few Be thou their arm Here the Church seemeth to pray for her children as they before had prayed for her Plena est affectibus haec precatio Every morning Heb. In the mornings That is speedily seasonably continually and for Christs sake Voce enim matutinis allusum ad juge sacrificium Scultet Piscat A Voce Angeli Vulg. Exod. 29. Ver. 3. At the noise of the tumult the people fled i. e. The Assyrian Souldiers shall flee at the coming of the Angel with a hurry noise in the aire for greater terrour but he shall give them their pasport This
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.
Gentlewomen and others like beasts and dogs being naked and coupled together were led into the woods and there ravished Such as resisted the Souldiers stript naked whipped them cropt their ears and so sent them home again I will not meet the as a man But as a Lion rather Absque omni humanitatis contemperatione Scult Tractabo te pro divina potentia mea Piscat thou shalt have vengeance without mixture of mercy See 2 Sam. 7.24 Isa 13.6 27.7 8 Hos 5.14 Men use sometimes to deal favourably with women but they shall not do so with thee Ver. 4. As for our Redeemer c. This comes in by way of Parenthesis for the comfort of Gods poor people Ver. 5. Sit thou silent Here he threatneth Babylon with loss of her former fame she shall be buried in obscurity and oblivion as out of sight and out of mind no longer called the Lady of Kingdoms but a wretched drudge ut de Hecuba tradunt Tragici For thou shalt no more be called Heb. thou shalt not add to be called Ocolampadius senseth it thus Thou wast wont to be called the Lady of Kingdoms now they shall call thee Non adjicies as desperate and irrecoverable And why Ver. 6. I was wrath See on Zach. 1. ver 15. I have polluted mine inheritance God is his peoples inheritance and they are his but now for their sins He had dealt with them as with a profane and unclean thing Thou didest shew them no mercy Heb. thou didst set them no bowels Cruelty cries for vengeance See Jer. 50.17 with 51.24 Vpon the ancient Who should have been born with for their age and weakness Ver. 7. I shall be a Lady for ever Presumption precedeth destruction Psal 10.6 Rev. 18.7 So that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart The daughter of Pride is security and pleasure is her neece ver 8. Nor didst remember the latter end of it Heb. her latter end Memorare novissima tua in aeternum non peccabis See Lam. 1.4 Ver. 8. Thou that art given to pleasure Delicatula It is not good to take pleasure in pleasure no not to go as far here as we may verecunda sunt omnia initia peccati sin seemeth modestat first c. Thou faist in thine heart I am sc the Lady of the world Heathen Rome was called by the Heathens Terarum dea gentiumque Rome Papal saith as much Rev. 17.4 And none else besides me i. e. None worth speaking off The Jesuites brag in like sort of their transcendent learning and professe skil beyond the periphery of possible knowledge I shall not sit as a widdow i. e. Be bereft of my Monarchy which is as it were my husband Neither shall I know the losse of children I shall not cease to subdue Countries and Kingdoms which are added unto me as so many children Ver. 9. But these two things shall come upon thee in a moment Accidit in puncto c. Babylon was suddenly taken in one night as the Prophet had foretold chap. 21. and as the history testifieth Dan. 5. Periit inter pocula For the multitude of thy sorceries Thy taking upon thee to divine of each mans life and fortune by the Stars and Horoscope for which profession the Chaldeans were famous But what a madness was it in Cardanus who by the like skill went about to demonstrate that it was fatal to our Saviour Christ Alsted Encycl lib 30. cap. 10. to dye the death of the Cross Ver. 10. Thou hast trusted in thy wickednesse God calleth that wickednesse which they counted wisdom None seeth me Ne Deus quidem novit rationes meas Graceless men having hid God from themselves think also to hide themselves from God Thy wisdom and thy knowledge Thy Magical arts and practices Quantus artifex pereo quadrabit in te peritum periturum Ver. 11. Therefore shall evil come upon thee An evil an only evil as Ezek. 7.5 both unexpected and inexpiable such as thou canst neither avoid nor abide Ver. 12. Stand now with thine enchantments Try thine utmost skill and let 's see what thou canst do forthy self Sen. Hâ—nc divinaâ—oâ—es per Antoâ—nomasiam Châ—lâ—aeâ— appellati this is spoken in way of derision Wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth But found them to be no better than toilesome toyes quae nec ignoranti nocent nec scientem juvant Against judiciary Astrology see Aug. de civ Dei lib. 5. cap. 1 2 3 4 5. Ver. 13. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels As all such are sure to be with a woe to boot as take counsel but not of God and that cover with a covering but not by his spirit that they may add sin to sin Isa 30.1 Thus do those vain Astrologers that pretend to read mens fates and fortunes in the Heavens velut in Minervae peplo and thence to foretell good and evil But experience frequently confuteth them as it did Abraham the Jew who foretold by the stars the coming of their Messiah Anno Domini 1464. And Albumazar a Mahometan Wizzard who predicted an end of the Christian Religion Anno 1460. at utmost A great flood was foretold by these Diviners to fall out in the year 1524. cum planetae comitis in piscibus celebrarent Hollinsh in 1524. This caused the Prior of St. Bartholomews in London wise-man-like to go and build him an house at Harrow on the hill for his better security Stand up and save thee Save thee if they can but Baltasar found they could not though he called for them all Dan. 5.7 8. and they likely had promised him an everlasting Monarchy as some did the Romans imperium sine fine but falsly for now the Roman Empire is at a very low ebbe and who shall be Emperour This was wâ—itten Sept. 19. 1637. is much questioned Ver. 14. Behold they shall be as stubble As dryed stubble Nah. 1.10 See the Note there They shall not deliver themselves Much lesse others There shall not be a coal to warm at Like a fire of flax which is soon extinct and leaves no embers or cinders behind it In a spiritual sense it may be said of most of our hearts and houses as here There 's not a coal to warm at Deest ignis as Father Latimer was wont to say the fire of zeal is wanting that flame of God Cant. 8.6 Ver. 15. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured But all in vain viz. with thy Wizzards and Diviners those deceivers of the people Cic de divinat lib. 2. concerning whom Cato once said Potest Augur Augurem videre non ridere Can those fellows look one on another and not laugh when they consider how they cozen people and cheat them of their moneys Cic. orat 4. in Ver. hence they are called merchants also in the next words as some think qui non tam coeli rationem quam coelati argenti ducunt Such
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
the Lord sc As an aggravation of Israels great unkindness and unthankfulness to so liberal a Lord Summam Cantici sui paucis complectitur so bountiful a Benefactour Good turnes exaggerate unkindnesses and mens offences are increased by their obligations See Deut. 32.7 14. According to his mercies c. Which are such as words are too weak to utter hence this Copia verborum and all too little See the like Ephes 2.5 7. Ver. 8. For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lye q. d. I presume they will not it were a foul shame for them if they should deceive my expectation deale disloyally shew themselves deceitful in the Covenant The Officers of Merindol in France answered the Popish Bishop that moved them to abjure that they marvelled much that he would offer to perswade them to lye to God and the world And albeit that all men by nature are lyars yet they had learned by the Word of God that they ought diligently to take heed of lying in any matter be it never so small Also that they ought diligently to take heed that their children did not accustome or use themselves to lye and therefore punish them very sharply when they took them with any lye Act. Mon. 866. even as if they had committed a robbery for the devil is a lyar c. Here the Bishop rose up in a great anger and so departed Ver. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted See Exod. 3.7 9. Judg. 10.16 Zach. 2.8 Act. 9.4 Jer. 31.20 Of God we may better say than the Poet did of Augustus 2. de Ponto Eleg. 2. Est placidus facilisque parens veniaeque paratus Et qui fulmineo saepe sine igne tonat Qui cum triste aliquid statuit sit tristis ipse Cuique fere poenam sumere poena sua est And the Angel of his presence saved them i. e. Jesus Christ who is called the face of God Exod. 33.14 15. the image of the invisible God Colos 1.15 whom who so hath seen hath seen the Father also Joh. 14.9 He who is in the bosom of the Father Joh. 1.18 and as an everlasting Priest mediateth and ministreth in the presence of his Father making request for us Heb. 9.24 Rev. 8.3 that Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 And he bare them As Parents do their young children And carryed them As Eagles do their young See Exod. 19.4 Deut. 32.11 with the Note Ver. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit By sinning against light checks of conscience motions of the Spirit mercyes without measure c. Junius thinketh this a clear place for proof of the Trinity in Unity So he was turned to be their enemy This was an ill turn for them abused mercy turneth into fury with the froward God will wrestle Psal 18. Ver. 11. Thou he remembred i. e. Israel remembred the dayes of old Heb. of antiquity the dayes of yore as some old Translations have it See Psal 89.50 c. Saying Where is he that brought them up out of the sea q. d. How is it that he is not now to be found as then he was for the succour of his poor people They had vexed his holy Spirit and therefore he withdrew himself See Hos 5.6 With the shepherd of his flock Or shepherds as some ancient copies had it viz. Moses and Aaron Psal 77.20 Where is he that put his holy spirit within him But this holy Spirit they had vexed ver 10. and now they sorrowfully enquire after Delicata res est spiritus sanctus ita nos tractat sicut tractatur saith a Father i. e. The Spirit of God is a delicate thing he deals with us as we deal by him Ver. 12. That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm Or that maâ—e his gallant arm to go at Moses his right hand Funâ—cius Dividing the water before them So that Pseudo-Moses the devill likely made many over credulous Jews of Creet believe that he would do for them whom he cozened into the midst of the sea to their destruction Anno Christi 434. Some are of opinion that this affectionate prayer was purposely penned by the Prophet for the use of those poor Jews who after the coming of Christ and manifestation of the Gospel should see themselves to be rejected by God and his Church and should now beg to be owned again cui sanc instituto omnia magis quam dici queat conveniunt saith Hyperius the ensuing petitions suit very much Ver. 13. That led them through the deep Which threatened to swallow them but indeed preserved them so doth every main affliction As a horse in the wildernesse Or as an horse goeth in the plain when led by his rider in qua non est lutum vel lapis where there is neither mire to stick in nor stone to stumble at See Psal 106. Leniter commode Ver. 14. As a beast goeth down into the valley i. e. Gently and leisurely according to that known Distich Ascendente tuo vel descendente caballo Vox ait ista Fave vox ait illa Cave The Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest Or led them until he brought them to rest sc in the promised land To make thy self a glorious name q. d. So thou maist do again if thou please to shew mercy unto us Name is here put for fame or renown Ver. 15. Look down from heaven Affectus dolentium atque ardenter petentium scite exprimuntur a pathetical and pithy prayer And behold from the habitation of thy holiness c. They pray otherwise now then when the Temple stood Psal 121.1 now they look higher and Oh that they would do so The modern Jews pray thus daily but because not from a right principle they are not heard Where is thy zeal Thine ancient fervour and forwardness in vindicating thy people and being avenged of their enemies The sounding rumbling or yerning of thy bowels c. Sometimes God seemeth to loose his mercy and then we must find it for him as here sometimes to sleep or delay and then we must waken quicken him Psal 40.17 Isa 62.7 Are they restrained Chrysostom exhorteth people whether God grant or not to pray still for when God denies it is as good as if he grants And if we pray for any temporal mercy the very ability to pray Hom. 30. in Gen s is better then the thing we pray for for Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Ver. 16. Doubtlest thou art our Father Though thou frownest and withdrawest The people of God saw that He was angry that their hearts also were hard yet they thought they should know him amidst all his austerities and they make to him for help And doubtless help the Jews might yet have could they seriously say as here Certainly thou art our Father and would no longer rest upon carnal things boasting of Abraham their Father Circumcision
neither know Gods will nor hold themselves much bound to do it Of the poorer sort in Swethland it is storied that they do alwayes break the Sabbath saying that 'T is for Gentlemen only to keep that day Ver. 5. I will get me unto the great men Who have been better bred and abound with liesure and other helps to holy living But these have altogether broken the yoke Of God of the Law and of Discipline These are lawless and awless and think they may lay the raines in the neck and run riot Ver. 6. Therefore a Lyon of the forrest shall slay them So Nebuchadnezzar is called for his cruelty a Wolf for his voracity and a Leopard for his sliness and swiftness All the malignities of other Creatures meet in the Churches enemies Ver. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this How with the safety of mine honour and justice Swearing then by creatures as by our Lady by St. Anne by this light c. or by Idols as by the Masse by the Rood c. or by qualities as by Faith Troth c. is not so small a sin as many deem it sith God maketh here a great question how he can pardon it For why it is a forsaking of him a giving away his honour to another a disgrace done to a mans self sith we alwaies swear by the greater Heb. 6.16 and a means to procure his utter mine without Gods greater mercy Amos 6.14 Zeph. 1.3 4 5. Men sport themselves with oaths as the Philistines did with Sampson which will at last pull the house about their ears Zach. 5.4 When I fed them to the full they then committed adultery Fulnesse in good men oft breeds forgetfulnesse and in bad men filthines◠Gula vestibulum luxuriae gluttony is the gallery that incontinency walketh through The Israelites ate and drank and rose up to play sc with their Midianitish Mistrisses to the provoking of Gods fierce wrath Fulness of bread made way to Sodoms sin Lunatikes when the Moon is declining and in the wain are sober enough but when full more wild and exorbitant Ceres and Bacchus are great friends to Venus c. Watch therefore and feed with fear And assembled themselves by troops Heb. they trooped themselves Libido effrons plu◠quam pecuina such was their impudency Ver. 8. They were as fed horses As stallions and stone-horses that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mare-mad as the Septuagint have it Ver. 9. Shall I not visit for these things i. e. Shall I not take cognisance of them and punish them surely and severely Ver. 10. Get yt up upon her battlements and destroy Ascendete exscindite up and lay about you lustily A commission granted out to the enemy to execute Divine vengeance God can never want a weapon to beat his rebels with But make not a full end See chap. 4.27 For they are not the Lords He disowneth them and giveth them primo occupaturo to him that shall first seize them as the Pope took upon him to do this Kingdom of England in the dayes of Henry 8. whom he had excommunicated and deprived Ver. 11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Both Aholah and Aholibah are stark naught I renounce them therefore and shall take no further charge of them And why Ver. 12. They have belyed the Lord Or They give the Lord the lye as Montfort Earle of Lecester gave his Soveraign Henry 3. the lye Every unbeleever doth as much Daniels hist 172. Oecolamp upon the matter 1 Joh. 5.10 See the Note there Nam etiamsi non semper ore obloquitur factis tamen obluctatur And said It is not he sc That speaketh but the Prophets speak their own dreams and fancies Or as some render the text He is not there is no God to reward us if we do well or to punish us if we do worse See my Common-place of Atheisme Ver. 13. And the Prophets shall become wind All their threats and bugbear-tearms devised on purpose to affright silly people who are no wiser then to believe them shall come to nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. they are but bullatae nugae bruta fulmina bubbles of words brute light-bolts both they and their menaces shall vanish together they shall blow over Thus shall it be done unto them The evils that they foretell shall befall themselves not us nos male mulctabimus ipsos and we will see them soundly punished for false Prophets Poor Jeremy was ill-handled amongst them many times as we shall see in sundry Chapters following Hoc fuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ver. 14. Because ye speak this word Ungodly men shall one day answer with all the world on fire about their ears for all their hard and haughty speeches Jude 15. They shall find that neither their own words are wind but such as they shall give a sad account of nor the Prophets words wind unless it be to blow them into the bottomless lake and to torment their consciences haply in the mean while more then wind doth mens bodies when gotten once into the veines or bowels Behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire That 's somewhat worse then wind Oh fear this fire vengeance is in readiness for the disobedient 2 Cor 10.5 every whit as ready in Gods hand as in the Ministers mouth See Zach. 1.6 with the Notes Gen. 10.8 Ver. 15. It is a mighty Nation it is an ancient Nation As ancient as Nimrod the first founder of that first of the four Monarchies Hence Babylon is called the land of Nimrod Mic. 5. whom the Poets call Saturn and his son and successour Jupiter Belus A Nation whose language thou knowest not For the Babylonians spake Syriack Dan. 2.4 as did also the Jews afterwards viz. after the captivity in Babylon where they learnt it and lost their own language Ver. 16. Their quiver is an open Sepulchre As holding arrows that wound deadly and that shall dispatch many being drenched in their gall Ver. 17. And they shall eat up thy harvest Partim gladio partim gula Consider the calamity of war and take course to prevent it Ver. 18. I will not make a full end with thee In the midst of judgement God remembreth mercy See chap. 4 27. and here ver 10. Howbeit from this text some gather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that now in this last captivity of theirs God hath made a full end with the Jews and that wrath is come upon them to the utmost or to the end as the Greek hath it 1 Thes 2.16 Ver. 19. Wherefore doth the Lord our God all these things unto us Why could not they yet tell And had they not been oft enough if any thing were enough told wherefore But they were never willing to hear on that ear Some of our hearers turn the deaf ear and say What tell you us of these terrible things c. Many sit before us as senseless as
as the motion of the heart and lungs is ever beating and t is a pain to restrain it to hold the breath so here Strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat intus Ovid. Trist Cogitur vires multiplicare suas Ver. 10. For I heard the defaming of many fear on every side This passage is borrowed from Psal 31.13 See the Note there Some render the text I heard the defamation of many Magor-missabibs many of his complices and Coryphaei spies set a work by him to defame and bespattle me Report say they and we will report Calumniare audacter broach a slander and we will blazon it set it afoot and we will set it afloat give us but some small hint or inkling of ought spoken by Jeremy whereof to accuse him to the King and State and we desire no more Athanasius was about thirty times accused and of no smal crimes neither but falsly The Papists make it their trade to belye the Protestants their chieftaines especially They reported of Luther that he dyed despairing of Calvin that he was branded on the shoulder for a rogue of Beza that he ran away with another mans wife c. And for their Authors they alledge Baldwin and Bolsecus a couple of Apostates requested by themselves and as some say hired to write the lives of these Worthies their profest enemies But any thing of this kind serves their turn and they cite the writings of these runnagates as Canonical All my familiars Heb. every man of my peace from such there is the greatest danger Hence one prayed God to deliver him from his friends for as for his enemies he could better beware of them Many friends are like deep ponds clear at the top but all muddy at the bottom Ver. 11. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one Instar Gigantis robusti Vt formidabilis heros Pisc as a strong Giant and mine only champion on whom I lean Here the Spirit begins to get the better of the Flesh could Jeremy but hold his own But as the ferry man plyes the oar and eyes the shoar homeward where he would be yet there comes a gust of wind that carryeth him back again so it fared with our Prophet See ver 14.15 c. Ver. 12. But O Lord of hosts See chap. 11.20 and 17.10 Let me see thy vengeance on them Some pert and pride themselves over the Ministery as if it were a dead Alexanders nose which they might wring off and not fear to be called to account therefore but the visible vengeance of God will seise such one day as it did Pharaoh Ahab Herod Julian For unto thee have I opened my cause Prayer is an opening of the souls causes and cases to the Lord. The same word for opened here is in another conjugation used for uncovering making bare and naked Gen 9.21 Gods people in prayer do or should nakedly present their souls causes without all cover-shames or so much as a ragge of self or flesh cleaving to them Ver. 13. Sing unto the Lord praise ye the Lord Nota hic alternantis animi motus estusque Here the Spirit triumpheth over the flesh as in the next verses the flesh again gets the wind and hill of the Spirit Every good man is a divided man For he hath delivered the soul of the poor i. e. Of poor me as Psal 34.4 Ver. 14. Cursed be the day wherin I was born What a suddain change of his note is here out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethren saith James these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.10 But here humane weakness prevailed and this part of the Chapter hath much of man in it The best have their outbursts and as there be white teeth in the blackest Blackmore and again a black bill in the whitest swan so the worst have something in them to be commended and the best to be condemned See on ver 7. Some of the Fathers seek to excuse Jeremy altogether but that can hardly be neither needeth it Origen saith that the day of his birth was past and therefore nothing now so that cursing it he cursed nothing This is lâ—ke those amongst us who say they may now without sin swear by the Masse because it is gone out of the Country c. Isidor that Jeremie's cursing is but conditional if any let that day be cursed c. Ver. 15. Cursed be the man Let him have a curse for a reward of his so good news Thus the Prophet in a fit of impatiency carrieth himself as one who being cut by a Surgeon and extreamly pained striketh at and biteth those that hold him or like him in the Poet Aeneid l. 2. Quem non incusavi amens hominumque Deumque Surely as the bird in a cage because pent up beats her self so doth the discontented person Look to it therefore Satan thrusteth in upon us sometimes praying with a cloud of strange passions such as are ready to gallow us out of that little wit and faith we have Resist him betimes The wild-fire of Passion will be burning whilst the incense of Prayer is in offering this scum will be rising up in the boyling pot together with the meat See Jon. 4.1 with the Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jon. 4.4 Ver. 16. And let that man be A most bitter curse but causelesse The devil of discontent where it prevaileth maketh the heart to be for the time a little hell as we see in Moses Job David Jeremy men otherwise made up of excellencies These sinned but not with full consent A godly man hath a flea in his ear somewhat within which saith Dost thou well to be angry Jonah Ver. 17. Because he slew me not c. Why but is not life a mercy a living Dog better then a dead Lion See on Job 3.10 10.18 19. Vincet aliquando pertinax bonitas Rev. 2 10. Ver. 18. Wherefore came I forth c. Passions are a most dangerous and heady water when once they are out That my dayes should be consumed with shame Why but a Christian souldier may have a very great arrear 2 Tim. 4.7 8. CHAP. XXI Ver. 1. THe word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord This History is here set down out of course For Jerusalem was not besieged till chap. 32. and Jehoiakim reigned Chapter 25. It was in the ninth year of Zedekiah that this present Prophecy was uttered Est hic hysterologia sive praeposterus ordo 2 King 25.1 2. This Zedekiah was one of those semiperfectae virtutis homines as Philo calleth some Professours cakes half-baked Hos 7.8 no flat Atheist nor yet a pious Prince Of Galba the Emperour as also of our Richard the third it is recorded that they were bad men but good Princes We cannot say so much of Zedekiah Two things he is cheifly charged with 1. That he brake his oath and faith plighted to the King of Babylon
this is elegantly here set forth and in the two next verses but better times are at hand Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur Ver. 6. Ask ye now and see c. Was it ever heard of in this world that a male did bear The Poets indeed fable that Minerva was born of Jupiters brain Pictoribus atque poetis Quidlibet audendi fas est Wherefore do I see every man Heb. Every strong or mighty man With their hands on their loynes And not on their weapons And all faces turned into palenesse Through extream fear the blood running to the heart and the heart faln into the heeles The Septuagins for palenesse have the yellew jaundise the Vulgar gold-yellownesse Piscator Morbus regius the Hebrew properly implyeth the colour of blasted corn Deut. 28.22 It importeth that the most stout-hearted warriours should be enervati exangues more parturientium bloodlesse and spiritlesse as travelling women Ver. 7. Alasse for that day is great i. e. Troublesome and terrible somewhat like the last day the day of judgement which is therefore also called the Great day because therein the great God will do great things c. It is even the time of Jacobs trouble Such as never befell him before Those very dayes shall be Affliction so Mark expresseth the last desolation chap. 13.19 not Afflicted only but Affliction it self But though it be the time of Jacobs troubles let it be also the time of his trust for there will be shortly a day of his Triumph But he shall be saved out of it Not from it but yet out of it the Lord knoweth how to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 and though Sense say it will not be Reason it cannot be yet Faith gets above and sayes it shall be I descry land Ver. 8. I will break his yoak from off thy neck The forementioned misery did but make way for this mercy that it might be the more magnified Let the Saints but see from what to what and by what Jesus Christ hath delivered them and they cannot but be thankful Ver. 9. But they shall serve their Lord their God Without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their lives Luk. 1.74 75. See Joh. 8. Rom. 8. And David their King i. e. Zorobabel of Davids line Hag. 2.23 but especially Christ the King of Saints as the Jew-Doctours also expound it Whom I will raise up to them To be Messiah the Prince Dan. 9.25 Christ the Lord Act. 5 31. Ver. 10. Therefore fear thou not O my servant Jacob This is Isay-like and indeed the Prophet here setteth himself verbis consolantissimis as one saith with most cordial comforts to chear the hearts of Gods poor afflicted Ver. 11. For I am with thee To preserve thee and to provide for thee to support thee and to supply thee Though I make a full end of all Nations See Isa 27.7 8. with the Notes See also on chap. 5.10 18. But I will correct thee in measure Heb. According to judgement not summo jure rigidâ justitiâ not as I might but in mercy and with moderation Aliqui reddunt Mundando non mundabo te id est non excoquam te exacte ad purum putum And will not leave thee altogether unpunished Heb. Et innocentando non innocentabo te in very faithfulnesse I will afflict thee that I may be true to thy soul and not cruel to thy body Ver. 12. Thy bruise is incurable i. e. Inevitable by Gods irrevocable decree Or it is incureable in it self but not to me who am an Almighty Physician or Chirurgion See Ezek. 37.11 they seemed free among the dead free of that company Ver. 13. There is none to plead thy cause Thou art friendlesse That thou mayst be bound up Thou art helplesse Ver. 14. All thy lovers have forgotten thee Thy sweet-hearts thine Idols thy carnal friends thy Priests Prophets riches pleasures all these have given thee the bag as we say they stand aloof from thy help They seek thee not Sink thou mayst or swim for them thou art no part of their care For I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy As if I cared not where I hit thee or how much I hurt thee Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit With the chastisement of a cruel one So it may seem and so Job thought chap. 30.21 but that was his errour See here what a passe a Saint may be at and how deeply he may suffer when his sins are increased God out of love displeased may lay upon him and not spare leave bloody wailes on his back c. For the multitude of thine iniquities Because thy sins are many and mighty or hony See Am. 5.12 with the Note Ver. 15. Why cryest thou for thine affliction And not rather for thy sins cry not perii but peccavi not I am undone but I have done very foolishly See Lam. 3.39 40. Ver. 16. Therefore all they that devoured thee shall be devoured Or neverthelesse or yet all they that devoured thee c. q. d. That thou mayst experience that in love I corrected thee and for thy good though to thy so great grief I will have my penny worths on thine enemyes measuring to them as they have done to thee Ver. 17. For I will restore health It goes best with the Church when worst with her enemies It shall do so much more when all Christs foes shall be made his footstool Because they called thee an outcast Concluding so from thine afflictions Quam chara dus esset docuit quod est victa quod elocata quod servata Cic. pâ—o Flacco The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how well God regards them that have been so oft subdued by the Chaldees Greeks Romans c. This was but a slender argument only God is moved by the enemies insolencies and insultations to look in mercy the rather upon his poor despised and despited people Saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Illusio ex allusione this was a jear by playing upon her name as if Zion signified a dry or waste place Per ludibrium blasphemam contumeliam and therefore not much to be desired Strabo indeed saith as much of Judaea And Mount Zion at this day nihil habet eximium nihil expetendum hath no great desireablenesse in it But certainly Judea was once a land flowing with milk and honey and Mount Zion was in no small request Howsoever none ought by their bitter taunts to add affliction to the afflicted but rather to weep with those that weep be pittiful be courteous 1 Pet. 3.8 Ver. 18. The captivity of Jacobs tents i. e. The poor captives that now live at Babylon as strangers in tents or huts And the City shall be builded upon her own heap Or hill sc in Mount Moriah Jerusalem shall be inhabited in Jerusalem Zech. 12. All this was prolusio perfectae liberationis in Christo saith Junius a type and pledge
of perfect deliverance by Christ Ver. 19. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving Mox ubi fides inde prodit laâ— confessio Faith is a fruitful grace the very womb wherein all the rest are conceived Ver. 20. Their children also shall be as aforetime How easily can the Lord turn again the captivity of his people set them statu quo prius Zach. 10.6 They shall be as if I had not cast them off See the Note there Ver. 21. And their Nobles shall be of themselves Forreiners shall no more domineer over them but they shall have Governours of their own Nation who shall be more tender of them and careful of their good Some apply all this and well they may to Jesus Christ who is here called Magnificus Dominator Christus Fortis ille Gâ—gat est Oecol his Magnificent or honourable One and his Ruler who also is one of them and proceedeth from amongst them See Deut. 18.18 And I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me Either as God coequal and coessential with me or as Mediatour and so he shall approach unto me by the hypostatical union in respect of which he came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could and by the execution of his Priestly office wherein he intercedeth for my people and reconcileth them unto me For who is this that engaged his heart Who but my Son Christ durst do it or was fit to do it he is a super-excellent person as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze Who this he Ver. 22. And ye shall be my people and I will be your God sc Through Christ and by his mediation As for those that are not in Covenant with God by Christ as the devil will one day sweep them so mean while Ver. 23. Behold the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury Sensim sese conglomerans ac demittens in eorum capita the vengeance of God followeth them close at heeles till at length they be wherried away by that terrible tempest at death Job 27.20 Ver. 24. The fierce anger of the Lord See chap. 23.20 In the latter dayes ye shall consider it In the dayes of the Messias but especially at the end of the world when all these things shall have their full accomplishment CHAP. XXXI Ver. 1. AT the same time i. e. In the beginning of Zedekiah's raign as before was this word uttered Or rather in those latter times forementioned chap. 30.24 after the return from Babylon but especially in the dayes of the Messiah The modern Jews vainly apply it to the coming of their Messiah quem tantis etiamnum ululatibus exposcunt whom they yet expect but to no purpose Ver. 2. The people that were left of the sword Of Pharaoh's sword who pursued them Fieri dicitur quod tentatur aut intenditur and though he smote them not because the Lord kept him off yet he is said to have done it like as Balac afterwards arose and fought against Israel Josh 24.9 he had a mind so to have done but that he was over-awed he did not indeed because he durst not When I went to bring him to rest i. e. To the land of Canaan after so long trouble and travel I effected that then though it were held improbable or impossible so I will do this promised reduction of my people from Babylon Indaeorum quiritantium verba Zeg Ver. 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me This seemeth to be the peoples objection You tell us what was done of old but these are ancient things and little pertaining to us who are now under a heavy captivity jam refrixit obsoleta videtur Dei beneficentia Hereunto is answered Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love I am one and the same I am Jehovah that change not whatever thou mayst think of me because I seem angry at thy misdoings Therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Or Therefore will I draw out loving kindnesse toward thee as Psal 36.10 See the Note there Ver. 4. Again I will build thee See chap. 34.18 Thou shalt he adorned with thy tabrets All shall be haile and merry with thee as heretofore yea thou shalt have spiritual joy which is res severa severe and solid such as doth not only smooth the brow but fill the breast Ver. 5. Thou shalt yet plant vines Profunda pax erit nemo te perterre faciat Thou shalt have plenty peace and security The planters shall plant them and shall eat them as common things i. e. Shall have Gods good leave and liking so to do Heb. Shall profane them i. e. not abuse them but use them freely even to an honest affluence See Levit. 19.23 with the Note Ver. 6. The watchmen upon the mount Ephraim Such as are set to keep those vineyards ver 5. Shall cry Arise ye and let us go up to Zion As the ten tribes first made defection so shall they be forwardest in the Reformation England was the like alate Ver. 7. Shout among the chief of the Nations Heb. neigh unto the heads of the Nations ut illa vobis adhinniant pariter in Christi fide jubilent that they may joyn joyes with you and help to make up the quire Publish ye and praise ye and say O Lord save The Saints have never so much matter of praise but that they may at the same time find cause enough to pray for more mercy Psal 18.3 Ver. 8. Behold I will bring them Here 's a present answer to such a Prayer and this promise hath its performance chiefly in the Kingdom of Christ who will not suffer the least or the weakest of his to miscarry See Esa 35.5 6. Ver. 9. They shall come with weeping Prae gandio inquit flebunt they shall weep for joy having first soaked themselves in godly sorrow by the spirit of grace and of supplications or deprecations poured upon them Zach. 12.10 being sollicitous about their salvation And I will make them to walk by the rivers of waters Heb. To the brooks of waters i. e. to the holy ordinances as Psal 23.3 For I am a Father to Israel I do all of free-grace Ephraim is my first-born And therefore higher then the Kings of the earth Psal 89.27 Ver. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord O ye Nations Hear and bear witnesse of the gracious promises that I make to my people for I would have them noted and noticed Ver. 11. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob Redemption is a voluminous mercy an accumulative blessing From the hand of him that was stronger then he sc The Chaldean but especially from Satan Matth. 12.29 Joh. 12.31 Ver. 12. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion i. e. In the Temple shall they celebrate that singular mercy in the Congregation of the faithful And shall flow together i. e. Flock together by troops and caravans flock thither by sholes To the goodnesse of the Lord Or
be not with day and night See on ver 20. If there be not a constant intercourse of either Ver. 26. Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob The body of the faithful whom he ruleth by his Word and Spirit Psal 105.1 6. Rom. 9.6 Gal. 3.16 17. 6.16 And will have mercy on them This is a complexive promise and better then mony answereth all things CHAP. XXXIV Ver. 1. THe Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord Still he voucheth his Author for more authority sake And this is held to be his sixteenth Sermon And all the Kingdoms of the earth of his dominion For never any Monarch was master of the whole earth Ver. 2. Go and speak unto Zedekiah Tell him plainly what shall become of him and his though thou be sent to prison for thy plain-dealing Ver. 3. And thou shalt not escape Whatever vain hopes thou maist nourish and although thou thinkest thou hast a stake in store howsoever the world goes with the rest See chap. 32.4 5. Ver. 4. Yet hear the Word of the Lord A word of comfort The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 Out of his philanthropy he giveth this wicked Prince a mitigation of his just punishment and a further time to repent as Rev. 2.21 And possibly this goodnesse of God might in time lead him to repentance as Rom. 2.4 Thou shalt not dye by the sword And yet Josiah his Father a far better man did so unsearchable are Gods Judgements and his wayes past finding out Ver. 5. But thou shalt dye in peace Yet not as his Father Josiah did in that peace of God unlesse he amended his manners for he was reckoned among the naughty figs. And with the burnings of thy fathers the former Kings With the usual solemnities at the exequies of the better sort of Kings Nec una fuit veteribus sepeliendi ratio See 2 Chron. 16.14 21.19 The Jews have a tradition that Nebuchadnezzar upon a festival day caused him to be brought out of prison and so abused him before his Princes to make them sport that for shame and grief thereof he dyed soon after Joseph Antiq. lib. 10. c. 11. and then Nebuchadnezzar to make him some recompence caused him to be honourably buried suffering his quondam-subjects to burn sweet odours and to bewail his death Flanctús haec fuit â—ormula juxta Seder-Olam Heâ— quia mortuus est Rex Zedeâ— â—as bâ—bens faeces omnium aetatum i. e. Luens peccata priorum saeculorum interprete Genebrardo And they will lament thee The dues of the dead are honorifice lugeri honeste sepeliri to be honourably lamented and laid up which yet is not granted to all good men but heaven makes amends For I have pronounced the word Both the comminatory part of this message and the consolatory But Zedekiah was so moved at the former that he regarded not the latter Ver. 6. Then Jeremiah spake all these words Never fearing what might follow And he had no soner done but he was clapt up See chap. 32.3 Ver. 7. And against all the Cities of Judah which were left These were not many for the Chaldaean conquerour as an overflowing scourge had passed through Judah and gone over all reaching even to the neck as Isa 8.8 Ver. 8. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord Here beginneth a new Sermon reckoned the seventeenth And here ought to begin a new Chapter saith Piscator After that the King Zedekiah had made a Covenant In their distresse they made some shews of remorse and some overtures of reformation So did Pharaoh Exod. 8.8 15 28 32. 9.28 34. 10.17 20. And the Israelites of old Judg. 10.15 16. Psal 78.34 35 36. See the Notes there Daemon languebat c. Pliny in one of his Epistles to one that desired rules from him how to order his life aright I will said he give you one rule that shall be instead of a thousand Vt tales esse perseveremus sani quales nos futuros esse profitemur infirmi i. e. That we continue to be as good in health as we promise and begin to be when sick Hic septimus annus fuit typus aeternae liberationis post curriculum sex dierum mundi sex mille annorum Ver. 9. That every man should let his man servant Should manumit and dismisse him at six years end according to the Law Exod. 21.1 2. The seventh year was called the year of liberty and then they were to let go their brethren that served them and this in a thankful remembrance of their deliverance from the Egyptian servitude But this they had neglected to doe and now to pacify Gods wrath and to prevent if it might be the Chaldaeans cruelty this course they took and not altogether without successe For the seige was thereupon raised for a season and had they returned to God with all their heart and with all their soul who knows what might have been further done for them But they did nothing lesse therefore came wrath upon them to the utmost Ver. 10. Then they obeyed and let them go They seemed to be very good as long as it lasted See on ver 8. So when God layes seige to men by sicknesse or otherwise then Covenants are made and kept for a while concerning the putting away of their sins but no sooner doth God slack his wrath but they retract their vows and return to their wonted wickednesse Aegrotus surgit sed pia vota jacent Ver. 11. But afterwards they turned and caused their servants Coveteousness prompting and pricking them on thereunto for that is the root of all evil Stimulante avaritia 1 Tim. 6.10 The Chaldaeans had drawn off to go belike to fight with the relief that was comeing out of Egypt chap. 37.7 11. and now these silly Jews thought themselves out of the reach of Gods rod perfidiously repealed their vows reimbondaged their servants and are therefore worthily threatened with a more cruel servitude to the Chaldaeans for this their relapse and breach of Covenant with God Jun. Ver. 12. Therefore the Word of the Lord Of God the Son Came to Jeremiah from the Lord From God the Father Ver. 13. I made a Covenant with your Fathers Heb. I cut a Covenant See v. 18. Out of the house of bondmen Such were you when there why then should you pull up the bridge before others which your selves have gone over make slaves of those whom God had made free Levit. 25.39 42. Ver. 14. At the end of seven years let ye go He layeth before them Gods Law which they had transgressed out of Exod. 21.2 Deut. 15.12 A Law so full of equity humanity and benignity that the honester Heathens approved and observed it as the Romans and Athenians Only these latter had an action at Law which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Master against his servant ungrateful for
shadow Psal 39.6 Ye shall be cut in pieces Practisers of unjust flatteries do oft meet with unjust frowns Ver. 6. Ye shall receive of me gifts and reward This was that they gaped after but missed of and therefore out of envy called not Daniel and his companions as some think lest they should share with them And great honour Great learning deserveth great honour Aeneas Sylvius was wont to say that popular men should esteem it as silver Noblemen as gold Princes prize it as pearles Ver. 7. They answered again and said Let the King c. Thus these proud boasters vaunt of a false gift and become like clouds without rain as Solomon hath it Prov. 25.14 See ver 4. Ver. 8. I know of certainty There 's no halting afore a cripple Politicians can sound the depth of one another Dan. 11.27 That ye would gain the time Chald. buy or redeem it that is make your advantage of it to evade the danger And indeed if these sorcerers could have gained longer time much might have been done for either the King might have dyed or been employed in war or pacified by the mediation of friends c. Time oft cooleth the rage of hasty men as 1 Sam. 25.33 How Hubere de Burgo Earl of Kent escaped the Kings wrath by a little respite see Godwins catalogue of Bish p. 193. Ver. 9. There is but one decree for you But that was a very tyrannical and bloody one T is dangerous to affront great men though in a just cause Eccles 10.4 Saevum praelustri fulmen ab arce venit Ovid. Procul à culmine◠procul à fulmine Till the time be changed The Latine hath it till there be another state of things See on ver 8. Tell me the dream and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof If you cannot tell it surely you cannot interpret it sith they are both of a divine instinct and nothing is hid from God Ver. 10. There is not a man upon earth Yes there is But this is the guise of worldly wisdom fingit se scire omnia excusat ac ocoulit suam ignorantiam it would seem to know all things and to be ignorant of nothing that is within the periphery of humane possibility Ver. 11. And it is a rare thing Exceeding mans wit Except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh They cohabit not with men that we might converse and confer with them Here these wisards 1. Superstitiously affirm a multitude of gods which the wiser heathens denyed Thales Pythagoras Socrates Plato Chrysippus c. 2. They deny Gods Providence as did also the Epicures who held that the gods did nothing out of themselves The Peripatetikes also held that they had nothing to do with things below the Moon yea the Platonists and Stoikes placed the gods in heaven only and other spirits good and bad in the aire which conversed with men and were as messengers betwixt them and the gods Thus these famous Philosophers became altogether vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened Rom. 1.21 3. They seem to affirm that man can know nothing of God unless he cohabited in the flesh with him But we have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 this is a Paradox to the natural man 1 Cor. 2.14 Lastly they deny the incarnation of Christ that great mysterie of godliness God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Joh. 1.14 Ver. 12. For this cause the King was angry and very furious A cutting answer may mar a good cause Prov. 15.1 See on ver 9. And commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon So rash is rage it is no better then a short madness Cicero Sed de vita hominis nulla potest esse satis diuturna cunctatio saith the Orator In case of life and death nothing should be determined without mature deliberation for like as Saturn the highest of the planets hath the slowest motion of them all Willet So saith one should Princes which sit in their high thrones of Majesty be most considerate in their actions Ver. 13. And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain And the wise men were slain saith the Vulgar Latine some of them likely were cut off The end of worldly wisdom is certain destruction And they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain Wicked decrees are wrested to the butchery of the Saints as was that of the six Articles here in Henry the eighths dayes Tremel Ver. 14. Then Daniel answered with counsel Retulit consilium causam he conferred with Arioch the chief slaughterman giving him good reasons wherefore to defer further execution This good turn he did for the Magicians and Astrologers who were his utter enemies Ver. 15. Why is the decree so hasty from the King Daniel though now in danger of his life forgetteth not his old freedom of speech and God so wrought that the King who was stiffe to the Magicians was tractable to Daniel ver 16. Ver. 16. Then Daniel desired the King to give him time Not to study or deliberate but to pray with fervency and perseverance which is the best help to find out secrets Jer. 33.3 And that he would shew the King the interpretation Beatus ait Plato qui etiam in senectute veritatem consequitur he is happy who findeth out the truth though it be long first saith Plato Ver. 17. Then Daniel went to his house A house then he had though he had lost house and home for God and thither he repaireth as to his Oratory well perfumed with prayers And made the thing known to Ananiah c. That they also might pray setting sides and shoulders to the work as country men do to the wheel when the cart is stalled Ver. 18. That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven All Gods children can pray Cant. 5.8 Those daughters of Jerusalem though not so fully acquainted with Christ yet are requested to pray for the Church But these three were men of singular abilities no doubt and were themselves deeply concerned Concerning this secret In case of secrets and intricacies or riddles of Providence prayer is most seasonable as being Tephillah the usual Hebrew word for prayer a repair to the Lord for enquiry or for his sentence Gen. 25.22 23. Ver. 19. Then was the secret revealed Oh the power of joynt prayer It seldom or never miscarrieth Act. 4. while the Apostles were praying together the house where they prayed shook to shew that heaven it self was shaken and God overcome by such batteries Alb. Mag. In a night vision Vigilia noctis as he watched in the night for he watched as well as prayed Eph. 6.18 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven Who had not turned away his prayer nor his mercy from him Psal 66. ult They that pray heartily shall never want matter of praise