servants and services never the like known we pull upon our land Amos his famine not of bread but which is a thousand-fold worse of hearing the words of the Lord. A famine long since foretold and feared by our Martyrs and Confessours Am. 8.11 and now if ever if God forefend not in procinctu to fall upon us as the most unworthy and unthankfull people that ever the Sun of heaven beheld or the sun of Christs Gospel shone upon so fair and so long together The best way of prevention is prevision and reformation beginning at our own as Gidcon did at his fathers houshold Judg. 6.27 And the best Almanack we can rely upon for seasonable weather and the lengthening of our tranquillity is our obedience to God love to our neighbours care of our selves c. Verse 12. Then Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel c. So mighty in operation so quick and powerfull is the good word of God in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers when seconded and set on by his holy Spirit See for this Esay 55.10 11. Jer. 23.28 29. Act. 19.20 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Heb. 4.12 See that scala coeli ladder of heaven as One calleth it Rom. 10.14 15. and consider how mightily the word of God grew and prevailed in those primitive times It spread thorow the world like a Sun beam saith Eusebius it was carried about into all places as on Eagles or rather as on Angels wings Athanasius of old and Luther alate were strangely upheld and prospered against a world of Opposites to the truth they preached Melch. Adâ—m in vit Farel Farellus gained five great cities with their territories to Christ How admirably and effectually King Edward the sixth was wrought upon by a sermon of Bishop Ridleys touching works of charity see his life written by Sir John Heywood Pag. 169 170 c. It is the spirit that quickeneth the seed of the word and maketh it prolificall and generative And as in the body there are veins to carry the blood and arteries to carry the spirits that quicken the blood so is it with the word and spirit in the soul If Gods Spirit open not mans heart the word cannot enter If he illighten not both Organ and Object Christ though never so powerfully preacht is both unkent and unkist as the Northern Proverb hath it The word heard profited them not because not mixt with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 They heard it onely with the hearing of the ear with that gristle that grew on the outside of the head whereas they should have drawn up the inward ear to the outward that one and the same sound might have pierced both But this all that hear cannot do because all are not of God Joh. 8.47 and so have not his ear-mark spirituall senses habitually exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult they have an heavy ear which is a singular judgement Esay 6.10 With all the remnant of the people i.e. The generality of the returned captives followed their leaders A remnant they are called because but few in comparison of those many hedge-rogues Mr. Dyke calleth them potters they are called 1 Chro. 4.23 men of base and low spirits that dwelt still in Babylon among plants and hedges being the base brood of those degenerated Israelites who when liberty was proclaimed for their return to Jerusalem chose rather to get their living by making pots for the king of Babylon These are ancient or rather obsolete things as Junius rendreth it worn out and forgotten and indeed they deserve to be utterly forgotten and not written or reckoned among the living in Jerusalem Esay 4.3 Obeyed the voyce of the Lord their God with the obedience of faith and this they did by the good example of their Rulers Thus when Crispus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved many of the Corinthians beleeved also Acts 18.8 When the kings of Judah were good or evil the people were so likewise Great men are the looking-glasses of their countrey according to which most men dresse themselves Qualis Rex talis grex Why compellest thou the Gentiles said Paul to Peter sc by thine example to Judaize Gal. 2.14 and the words of Haggai the Prophet whose mouth God was pleased to make use of And this is added for a confirmation of the Prophets calling to the work because of long time before there had been no Prophet among the people nor any to tell how long as the Church complaineth Psal 74.9 as the Lord their God had sent him Heb. according as the Lord their God had sent him after the same manner they heard and obeyed the Prophet as the Lord had sent him they did not wrest his words to a wrong sence nor did they question his Commission but receiving it as the word not of man but of God they set forthwith upon the work yeelding as prompt and present obedience as if God with his own mouth had immediately spoken to them from heaven and the people did fear before the Lord as if He himself had been visibly present in his own person So Saint Peters hearers Acts 10.33 Now therefore say they we are all here present before God to hear all things commanded thee of God If young Samuel had known that it was the Lord that called him once and again he would not have returned to his bed to sleep If men were well perswaded that the God of heaven bespeaks them by his faithfull Ministers they would not give way to wilfull wandrings but hear as for life and fear to do any thing unworthy of such a presence they would work out their salvation with fear and trembling yea work hard at it as afraid to be taken with their task undone Psal 103. â—3 Eccles 12. They that fear the Lord will keep his covenant saith David Fear God and keep his commandements saith Solomon And in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him saith Peter Acts 10.35 Verse 13. Then spake Haggai the Lords messenger Or Angel See the Note on Mal. 1.1 Then speaks Namely on the four and twentieth day of the moneth as it is in the last verse untill which day they had been building for three weeks together But Governour Tatnai and his complices came upon them and discouraged the people and hindred the work Ezra 5.3 It was but need full therefore that Gods command should be repeated and a speciall promise added I am with you saith the Lord. Where we may well take up that of Tully concerning Brutus his Laconicall Epistle Quam multa quà m paucis how much in a little I am with you saith the Lord you need not therefore fear what man can do unto you God is All-sufficient to those that are Altogether his See 2 Chron. 15.2 Cint 2.15 The Church is called Jehovah Shammah that is The Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 God is in the middest of her shee shall not be moved Psal 46.5 Immota
these all serve them as Absoloms mule did her master hanging betwixt heaven and earth but rejected of both Let a man be as swift as Asahel God can easily overtake him Life of Edw. 6. by St. Ioh. Heyw. his sin will find him out and he shall but in running from his deâ—â—â— run to it as the Historian speaketh of those Scots defeated by the English at Muscleburough fled that they so strained themselves in running for their lives that they fell down breathlesse and dead Surely as the coney that flies to the holes in the rocks doth easily avoyd the dogs that persue her when the hare that trusts in the swiftnesse of her legs is at length overtaken and torne in peeces So those that trust in God shall be secured whereas those that confide in themselves or the creature shall be surprized and come to an ill end David ran to God in distresse and was releeved Saul goes to the witch and from thence to the swords-point Judas to the Pharisees and thence to the halter the strong shall not strengthen his force but be made weake as water None of the men of might have found their hands Psal 76.5 their hands are palsied their sinews crackt and cripled It is God that both strengtheneth and weakneth the armes in the day of battle Ezek. 30.24 Verse 15. Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow Arcitenens though he can do it never so dexterously yet if he trust in his bow Psal 44 6. God will break it Ier. 49 35. Herodot Aug. de civ Dei l. 5. c. 26. or otherwise render it unusefull as it befell the army of Senacherib in Egypt of Maximus against Theodosius and the French in the battle between our Edward the third and their king Philip who being enraged with a defeat Daniels hist 237. resolved presently to revenge it being elevated with an assured hope of triumphant victory But it fell out otherwise for there fell at the instant of the battle a piercing showre of raine which dissolved their strings and made their bowes unusefull c. neither shall he that rideth the horse though it be as good an one as Cain is fained by Dubertas to have mannaged or as Alexanders Bucephalus or Julius Caesars great horse serviceable and full of terrour A horse is so swift that Iob saith he eateth up the ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pansan and the Persians dedicated him to their God the Sun as the swiftest creature to the swiftest power-divine But as the sun in heaven can neither be out-run nor stopt in his race so neither by men nor meanes can God be frustrated or his anger avoyded the Canaanites had both horses and charrets the Israelites had neither and yet they found an horse a vaine thing for victory c. Psal 33.17 and 147.10 Verse 16. And he that is couragious Heb. strong of his heart a Cucurdelion as one of our kings was called Egregie cordatus homo one of a Roman resolution to vanquish or die they were wont to say of cowards in Rome that there was nothing Romane in them But let a man be as bold as Brutus whom One pronounced Romanorum ultimum the last of the Romanes as if after Rome had brought forth no couragious man and worthy of her self Let him be couragious among the mighty such as were those Lion-like chieftaines among Davids worthies Scanderbeg Zisca Huniades who was in that unhappy battle at Varna by a just hand of God upon him for joyning with that perjured Popish king Ladisâ—aus beaten out of the field and forced to flee away naked in that day escaped narrowly with his life as he did also another time when after a slaughter of 34000. Turks he was compelled to save himself by flight and all alone by uncouth wayes to travell three dayes and nights without meat or drink and afterwards being on foot and disarmed which is here meant by naked confer Esay 20.3 Mich. 1.8 1 Sam. 19.14 Turk hist 310. Mr. Clarks Life of Hunniad pag. 98. he fell into the hands of two notable theeves who despoiled him of his apparrel c. and on the next day he light upon a shephard of whom he for Gods sake craved something to eat and obtained bread and water and a few onions as the Turkish history hath it CHAP. III. Verse 1. HEare this word that the Lord hath spoken c. Here beginneth the second sermon tending to confirme what had been affirmed in the former and evincing the equity of the judgements there threatened for their hatefull ingratitude and other horrible offences condemned and cryed out upon by the very Heathens heare this word Verbum hoc decretorium this notable word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Mat. 22.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are three articles in the Originall and there is not the least tittle in the text upon which there hangeth not a mountaine of sense say the Rabbies this neck-verse that the Lord hath spoken And shall he not do it who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered Ioh. 9.4 against you O children of Israel By his word Christ many times secretly smites the earth Es 11.4 that is the consciences of carnall men glued to the earth He sets a continuall edge upon the word and consumes them by his rebukes till he have wearied them with his secret buffets and terrours and then in the end casts them into a reprobate sense as he did the Pharisees who were toties puncti repuncti minime tamen ad resipiscentiam compuncti against the whole family The Dodecaphylon all the twelve tribes Malcolâ—n in Act. Apost the whole house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah Isay 48.1 God stands not upon multitudes Psal 9.17 nor matters whether it be against a nation that he speaketh and acteth or against a man only Iob 34.29 which I brought up from the land of Egypt This they oft heare of by way of exprobation as chap. 2.10 God seeming to repent him for their detestable unthankfulnesse as David did of the kindnesse he had shewed unworthy Nabal in safegarding his substance 1 Sam. 25. and to complaine as Frederick the third Emperour of Germany did that of those courtiers whom he had advanced Valer. Max. Christian Camd. Elis he found scarce any that proved faithfull to him but the worse for his courtesy or as Q. Elisabeth that in trust she had found treason Verse 2. You only have I known That is owned and honoured culled and called chosen and accepted to be my people when I had all the world afore me to chuse in Deut. 10.14 15. and nothing to move me thereto but mine own meer grace even the good pleasure of my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Not passing by the least without a sensible check the least I say that is allowed and wallowed in
grace as we say and as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever those Jews were that had a whores fore-head Jer. 3.3 sinews of iron and brows of brasse Esay 48.49 When neither fear of God nor shame of the world will rein men in what hope is there of such Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor saith an Heathen Curtius He is an undone man that knoweth no shame Prevent it in time for the modest beginnings of sinne at first will make way for immodest proceedings The thickest ice that will bear a cart beginneth with a thin trembling cover that will not a pibble Verse 6. I have cut off the nations And hang'd them up in gibbets as it were before your eyes for your admonition ut ruina majorum sit cautela minorum Greg. Mor. that their destruction might be your instruction that seeing your neighbours house on fire you might look to you own that observing other to suffer ship-wrack you might see to yor tackling This is the use God expects we should make of his judgements upon others Luke 13.3 5. and 17.26 29. Matt. 12.13 41.42 1 Cor. 10.1 2 c. and surely he deâ—erveth to be made an example that will not take example by others their towers are desolate Or their corners sc of their munitions whereon towers were set Or their extremities q. d. I have over-turned them from one end to another Drusius and Ribera interpreteth it of their Princes See the Note on chap. 1.16 I made their streets wast c. See chap. 2. vers 5 6 14 15. To the end that when my judgements were thus on the earth the inhabitants of the world but especially of the Church might learn righteousnesse Esay 26.9 that the righteous seeing the vengeance might wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Psal 59.10 taking warning by his harmes Observe here by the way what great account God makes of his people sith for their instance and instruction hee thus wasteth the wicked like as the Persian kings when their sonnes had committed a fault made their servants to be beaten before them Verse 7. I said surely thou wilt fear me As in a schoole when one boy is whipt the rest tremble and as in the Common-wealth poena ad paucos metus ad omnes so it should be in the Church Other mens woes should be our warnings others sufferings our sermons others lashes our lessons Gods house of correction a school of instruction where we should hear and fear and do no more so Deut. 17.13 He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crusht to piece in feeling said that Martyr and receive instruction This I promised my self of thee but am disappointed Jer. 5.3 See verse 2. thou art therefore ripe for destruction So their dwelling should not be cut off They should have redeemed their sorrows and saved their citie And this God speaks to others as weary of speaking any longer to them to so little purpose but they rose early and corrupted c. Manicabant they made hast that no time might be lost the wofully wasted that best part of the day the morning which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 furthereth every businesse in corrupting their practises doing evil as they could Once saith a Reverend man Peters argument was more then probable These men are not drunk for it is but the third hour of the day Drunk cup. by D. Harris Now men are growen such husbands as that by that time they will return their stocks and have their brains crowing before day Verse 8. Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord c. Stand forth and hear your doom which that ye may know that I do not precipitate or rashly passe upon you Wait ye upon me c. and yet that ye may not presume upon my patience know that there is a day set a determination setled for your full payment Nostra Deus sub it is non damnat crimina pocnis Compensat long as sed gravitate moras to gather the nations To put them up as it were sheep into a pound for slaughter See more of this Jer. 25. to pour upon them mine indignation Here 's mention made of Gods prey of his indignation fierce anger fire of jealousie against nations and kingdomes the better to perswade people to that which they are so hardly drawn to beleeve viz. that God is not made all of mercy but though fury be not in him to speak properly Isay 27.4 Exod. 34.7 Yet that he will not by any means Clear the guilty but punish them severely taking vengeance of their inventions Psal 99.8 Verse 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language Then when my sword hath rid circuit Eccles 14.17 and bin bathed in the blood of all nations for their many and mighty sinnes I will turn to the people I will turn mine hand upon the little ones mine elect that remnant reserved for royal use These I will bring not into the fire onely but through it and will refine them as silver is refined c. Zach. 13.7 9. so that their tongue shall be as choice silver Pro. 10.20 their lip shall be a pure lip at it is here a lip of excellency Prov. 17.7 so that they shall scatter pearls Mat. 7.6 throw abroad treasure Mat. 12.35 even apples of Gold in shrnes of silver Prov. 25.11 1 Joh. 3.3 they shall purifie themselves as God is pure Old things shall be past with them all things shall become new new constitution new communication new conversation Look how the Conquerour sought to bring the French tongue into England commanding it to be taught in schooles spoke in courts c. so doth the Lord Christ wo rideth about the world upon his white horses the Apostles and other Ministers conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 where-ever he prevails hee turneth to such a pure language even the language of Canaan not the Hebrew tongue as R. Abraham senses this text which all nations shall speak saith he in the kingdome of Christ what they doe in heaven I have not to say some are confident but words of grace Col. 4.6 words of truth and sobernesse Act. 26.25 right words Job 6.2 spiritual speeches Ephes 4.29 Scripture language 1 Pet. 4.11 That they may call upon the name of the Lord As all Gods people doe 't is their character 1 Cor. 1.2 he hath no dumb children they no sooner breath but pray Act. 9.11 for prayers is the breath of the spirit Rom. 8.26 and the fruit of faith hence it is called the prayer of faith and under the phrase of calling upon the name of the Lord here is meant beleeving in his name and reposing upon Christ for safety here and salvation hereafter To seâ—ve him with one consent Heb. with one shoulder that is unanimously and with conjoyned endeavours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A metaphor from oxen yoked setting their shoulders together to the work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
that our special care should be to give God his due to seek first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all other things shall seek us Cicero Caetera aut aderunt aut caetera non oberunt But most people are so busied about their own houses their cottaeges of clay the body that Gods house 2 Cor. 5.1 the soul lies wast and neglected the lean kine eat up the fat the strength of the ground is spent in nourishing weeds Earthly mindednesse sucketh the sap of grace from the heart as the Ivy doth from the Oake and maketh it unfruitfull Men are so taken up about the world that they think not on Gods kingdome as the Duke of Alva told the French king Fren. Hist who asked him whether he had observed the late great Eclipse No said he I have so much to doe upon earth that I have no leisure to look toward heaven But is not one thing necessary and all other but by-businesses And have we not in our dayly prayer five petitions for spirituals and but one for temporals Are we not taught to make it our first request that Gods name may be hallowed though our turnes should not be served Is not Esau stigmatized for selling his birth-right for a messe of broth And is not Shemei chronicled for a foole Heb. 12.16 who by seeking after his servants lost his life Pope Sixtus for a mad man that sold his soul to the devil to enjoy the Popedome for seven years what shall it profit a man to win the world and lose his own soul to win Venice and then be hanged at the gates thereof as the Italian proverb hath it Surely such a mans losse will be 1. Mat. 16. Incomparable 2. Irreparable for what shall a man give in exchange of his soul It was no evill counsel that was given to John the third King of Portugal to meditate every day a quarter of an hour on that divine sentence It would be time well spent to ponder as oft and as long together on this Text Is it time for you O ye that are so sharp set upon the world so wholly taken up about your private profits your pleasures and preferments to sit in your ceiled houses as Ahab once did in his ivory Palace or Nebuchadnezzar in his house of the kingdome as he vain-gloriously calleth it Dan. 4.30 and Gods house lie waste and his service neglected to whom we owe our selves 1 Cor. 6.19 our lives Mat. 16.25 our parents children friends means Mat. 19.29 our gifts and abilities 1 Cor. 4.7 our honours and offices Psal 2.10 11 12. all that we are and have How justly may God curse our blessings Job 16.15.16.18 21. 1 Cor. 12.21 as he threateneth these selfe-seeking God-neglecting Jews both here and Mal. 2.2 scatter brimstone upon our houses drp up our roots beneath and above cut off our branches drive us from light into darknesse and chase us out of the world with his terrours Col. 3.2 Phil. 2.21 Surely such are the ceiled dwellings of the wicked and this is the place of him that knoweth not God that inverteth the order appointed of him by coveting not the best guists but an evil covetousnesse Hab. 2.9 by setting his affections not on things above but on things on the earth by seeking their own things every man and not the things of Jesus Christ Verse 5. Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Haggai was but a yong man saith Epiphanius Now therefore lest any one that heard him should despise his youth and slight his doctrine he shews his authority he comes to them cum priviligio he delivers not the conceptions of his own brain but the Word and mind of God For as Chrysostom saith of St. Paul so may we say of all the rest of the pen men of the Holy Scripture Cor Pauli est cor Christi their heart is Christs own heart and their words are to be received reverenced and ruminated not as the words of mortal men but as they are indeed the words of the everliving God 1 Thes 2.13 Greg. in Reg 3 Excellently spake he who called the Scripture Cor animam Dei the heart and soul of God It is every whit of it divinely inspired or breathed by God saith the Apostle and is profitable both for reproof and for instruction in righteousnesse 2 Tim. 3.16 See an instance hereof in this Text together with the Prophets rhetorical artifice in first chiding and now directing them to reprove and not withal to instruct is to snuffe the lamp but not powre in oyle that may feed it consider your wayes Heb. set your hearts upon them diligently recogitate and recognize your evil doings and so shall ye soon find out the cause of your calamity Judge your selves so shall ye not be judged of the Lord accept of the puntshment of your iniquity so iniquity shall not be your ruine your ruth but not your rums Capite consilium ex rebus ipsis velexperiment is Learn at least by the things ye have suffered Let experience the mistrisse of fooles reduce you to a right mind Lay to heart your manifold miseries those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one calleth them Free Schoolmasters curst enough and crabbed but such as whereby God openeth mens ears to discipline and eyes to observation of his works and their own wayes Job 36.8 9 10. according to that of Ezechiel chap. 40.4 Son of man behold with thine eye and hear with thine ears and set thy heart upon all that I shall shew thee c. the senses must be exercised that the heart may be affected with the word and works of God according to that mine cye affecteth my heart Lam. 3.51 and Solomon gat much of his wisedom by observation as appeareth by his Ecclesiastes which some have not unfitly called Solomons Soliloquy It is but little that can be learn'd in this life without due and deep Consideration which is nothing else but an act of the Practical understanding whereby it reflects and staies upon its own intentions and comparing them with the rule it proceeds to lay a command upon the will and Affections to put them in execution Thus David considered his wayes and finding all out of order he turned his feet to Gods testimonies Psal 119.59 And to still Gods enemies Psal 4.4 he bids them commune with their own hearts and be still or make a pause viz. till they have brought their consideration to some good upshot and conclusion For when consideration hath soundly enlightened a mans mind informed his judgement according to that light that candle held to his mind and determined is will according to that judgement it must needs bring forth sound resolutions purposes and practises as it did in the Ninivites Ephraim Ier. 31.19 Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.27 the Prodigal Luke 15. the Church in Hosea chap. 2.6.7 She considered she was crossed and hedg'd in with afflictions and resolveth to return to
for hath he said it and shall he not do it Here is firm footing for faith and men are bound to rest in Gods Ipse dixit Abraham did and required no other evidence Rom. 4. He cared not for the deadnesse of his own body or of his wives womb He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleef c. No more must we if we will be heirs of the world with faithfull Abraham Gods truth and power are the Jachin and Bozez the two pillars whereupon faith must repose beleeâ—ing God upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible Verse 2. But who may abide the day of his coming The Prophet Esay asketh Who shall declare his generation Esay 53.8 Daniel 2.11 that is the mystery of his incarnation that habitatio Dei cum carne which the Magicians held imposlible or the history of his birth life and death as some sence it whose tongue shall be able to speak it or pen to write it Who can think of the day of his coming so the Vulgar reads this text viz. of all the glory graces benefits of that day But the Hebrew word is the same as Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity and is so rendred here by the Chaldee and Kimchi Who can sustain or abide the day of his coming sc in the flesh What wicked man will be able to endre it for he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth that is the consciences of carnall men glued to the earth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Esay 11.4 And this is spoken of the Branch that grew out of the root of Jesse vers 1. when thâ—â— goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the Carpenter With what terrour struck he the hearts of Herod and all Jerusalem by the news of his nativity Mat. 2.3 And si praesepe vagientis Herodem tantum terruit quid tribunal judicantis If Christ in the cradle were so terrible what will he be on the Tribunall The Text that troubled those miscreants was Mic. 5.2 which some taking tsagnir in the Neuter Gender render thus And thou Bethlehem Ephrata it is a small thing to be among the Princes of Judah out of thee shall come a ruler c. This Herod and his complices could not hear of without horrour as neither could that other Herod of the same of Christs mighty works Mart. 14.1 2. such a glimpse of Divine glory shone in them The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulnesse surprizeth the hypocrites and they run as farre and as fast as they can from Christ with these frightfull words in their mouthes Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall abide with the everlasting burnings The Ruffianly souldiers were flung flat on their backs when he said no more but Lam he August Joh. 18.6 Quid autem judicaturus saciet qui udicandus hoc fecit What will he do when he comes to judgement who was thus terrible now that he was to be judged Oh that the terrour of the Lord might perswade people to forsake their sins and to kisse the Son lest he be angry Though a lamb he can be terrible to the kings of the earth and though he break not the bruised reed Matth. 12.20 yet his enemies he will break with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell Be wise now therefore O ye kings c. Psal 2.9 10. And as the Sun Moon and eleven Starres in Joscphs vision did obeysance to him so let our souls bodies all our temporall naturall morall and spirituall abilities bee subject and serviceable to Christ as ever wee hope to look him in the face with comfort and who shall stand when he appeareth Heb. at the sight of him True it is that Christ coming to help us in distresse for the want of externall pomp in his Ordinances and worldly glory in his Ministers and members and splendour of humane Eloquence in his Doctrines is despised by those that form and frame to themselves a Christ like to the mighty Monarchs of the earth like as Agesilaus King of Spartans coming to help the King of Egypt was slighted in that countrey for his mean habit and contemptible outside But if the Centurion were worthy of respect because he loved the Jewish Nation and built them a Synagogue Shall not Christ much more even as Prince of the Kings of the earth sith hee loved us and washed us with his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father Revel 1.5 6 By whom also hee is made unto us righteousnesse imputatively wisdom sanctisication and redemption effectively by way of inherency and gracious operation Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 Jer. 10.7 as the men of Bethshemesh once said Who would not fear this king of Nations saith Jeremy this king of Saints saith John for to him doth it appertain Rev. 15.3 4. sith there is none like unto him neither can any stand before him when he appeareth any more then a glasse bottle can stand before a Cannon shot O come let us worship and bow aown Psal 95. let us keel befoâ—e this Lord our maker If we harden our hearts he will harden his hand and hasten our destruction There 's no standing before this Lion no bearing up sail in the tempest of his wrath you must either be his subjects or his footstool either vail to him or perish by him Thine arrows are sharp iâ— the hoaâ—t of the kings enemtes whereby the people sall under thee Psal 45.5 What a world of miseries have the refractary Jews suffered and do yet for rejecting the Lord Jesus They might have known out of their own Cabalists besides Dâ—ntels seventy weeks and other Scripture-evidences that the Mesliah was amongst them for it is there expressely recorded Vide Malcolin in Act. 18.28 that Messias should come in the time of Hillels disciples one of whom was Sâ—â—â—on the 〈◊〉 who embraced the child Jesus in his arms who also foretold that that child was set for the 〈◊〉 and rising again of many in Israel and soâ— a signe which shouiâ—â—â— spâ—kâ—n against Luk. 2.34 35. thâ—u the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed And to the same purpose St. Peter 1 Epist cap. 2. ver 7 8. But before them both Our Prophet here For he is like a refiners fire Intimating that the times of the Messiah would be discriminating shedding times and that he would separate the precious from the vile the gold from the drosse the sheep from the goats That Nabal should no more be called Nadib the vile person liberali the churle bountifull Esay 32.5 but that good people should be discerned and honoured hypocrites detected and detested as was Judas Magus Denias c. slit up and slain by Christs two-edged
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In him to use the words of that divine Poet doctrine and life colours and light combine and mingle He doth moreover subject and make humane Learning subservient to Divine And finally useth it moderately without affectation and modestly without ostentation If we should now work an Embleme of this giver in his gift brought unto the Spouse of Christ as that reverend learned pious Doctor did upon his four Preachers and apply all his images and motto's to this Author they that know him and have heard him and seen his constant conversation would we presume justifie our judgement but we forbear onely taking leave before we take leave of thee to super-adde thus much to our thoughts of this Book That though in his former Commentaries he hath done excellently yet this excelleth them all as in other things so in this especially that the Text is expounded more largely and large satisfaction given to the Reader in the sence of the word which well becommeth a work of this nature So that here is not onely work for the studies of young Divines but the gravest may ask counsell of this Elihu who is so full of matter the Spirit of God within him constraining him thus to lay out himself for the good of the Church Private men also if they please to take the pains here may find what will very much both profit and delight Let us request a concurrence of thine with ours and the prayers of many for this Reverend and worthy Author that hee may live long and long a burning and shining light and bee enabled by the influence of Divine beams before his eyes be closed to open the rest of holy Scripture which we hope is his purpose and are sure is the earnest desire and expectation of his fellow-brethren And that his path may bee as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day His and thine in the service of Christ John Bryan Obadiah Grew Coventry August 29 th 1654. Christian Reader THough an Attestation from me to this work is but to light a candle to the Sun the Authour being so well known and approved of in the Church of Christ by his former labours yet out of my respect to the Authour and desire of thy profit I thought fit to tell thee that besides the golden Eloquence sweet Similitudes and fitly applied Histories which thou shalt find interwoven thorow all this Work thou shalt meet with more for Exposition and opening of the difficult Texts in this then in most of his former Commentaries And there is no Verse thorow all these twelve Prophets upon which he hath not said something And that which may make this Work more desireable is that there is very little in English written upon this portion of Scripture Besides the Authour is now grown Aged and so better experienced in this kind of writing then formerly In the latter part of this Book thou shalt meet with a Treatise called The Righteous mans Recompence upon Mal. 3.16 c. which therefore is fitly annexed to the former The subject is most Divine Comfortable and Necessary full of practicall Divinity and matter of daily use for every Christian The manner of handling it exceeding delightfull concerning which I may say with the Poet Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. I presume that I shall need to adde no more but to request thee to joyne thy prayers with mine to the God of heaven that he would prolong the Authors life that he may go over the rest of the Bible as he hath already begun and to subscribe my self From my study in Threedneedle street July 27th 1654. Thine in the Lord Sa Clarke IOHN TRAP Anagr. HARP ON IT So sweet is Scripture Harmony that we Bring it to argue it's Divinity But yet we understand the Musick better When you HARP ON IT both by note letter We think you finger't well and if you will We shall entreat you to HARP ON IT still S. Clarke A. M. To the Reverend Mr. J. Trap upon his Commentary c. To the Reverend Mr. J. Trap upon his Commentary c. John Trap Anagr. Oh! in part John Trappe Anagr. Part in hope And was I so mistrustfull us to fear There would no more of Trap in Print appear Oh! now I see 't was but IN PART in pledge What we received before was but to edge Our appetites So 't hath We like and wish We might feast every day on such a dish May you live to complete this work for we Love that good fruit should ripen on the tree I 'le fear no more but that while heavens favor Lends you to us you 'le freely give your labor 'T is our new treasure though 't be your old store Farewell but yet I PART IN HOPE of more J. Clark A. M. In Eruditum Autorem Livelaeus ille magnus qui lustris abhinc Quaâ—â—ordecim Lingua Professor Sanctae erat Academiarum in alâ—â—ra nostratium Et partumen capitis inter masculos Scitosque foetus luce Lucem quam attulit Aliqâ—ot Prophetarum minorum quos vocant Donavit O si gâ—ns tegâ—ra saepius Ardextiusque voâ—a sundiâ—â—â—iia Non coelâ—â—um ante copias kine emigrans Auxisset istâ—m quam Prophetis omnibus Saltem minoribus suam caliginem Sic pâ—orsus exemisset Interpres sacer Quibus ille tantoperè suo merito placet Adeste TRAPPI has paginas evolvite Aâ—â—â—e futâ—â—as eruditâ— omnibus Pâ—â—quâ— gratas atque Livelaei fuit 〈◊〉 veri aureum quo pauculos Ex â—â—is Protheâ—s clarâ—â—â—â—s reddidit Livelaeus alâ—er TRAPPVS Autor Vividus Vt Liberâ— siâ—â—â— Libris felix suis Vtriâ—que plâ—â—â—â—â— piis elegantibus Eâ—rlesiámqâ—e plurimùm ditantibus Morinecesse est aâ—teris sue ut Patri At alteris divina sic pandentibus Orà cla sic docentibus sic entheis Actas futura est quanta Vivacissinâ—is Thomas Dugard A.M.R.B. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tho. Dugard A.M.R.B. A Table of such Texts of Scripture as in the Annotations on the twelve Minor Prophets and in the Treatise annexed are occasionally explained Chap. Vers GEnesis 37.35 I will go down to the grave to my son mourning Page 581 Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf c. I am the Lord Page 808 Numb 11.15 Moses said I pray thee kill me out of hand Page 240 23.21 God seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel Page 927 Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish and unwise people Page 109 11. As the Eagle carrieth her young ones on her wings Page 578
fulfilled at the restitution of all things which they make to be at the time of the call of the Jewes But when I find Nebuchadnezzar and other enemies of the Church to be called Lions Leopards Wolves c. as Jerem. 5.6 and elswhere I cannot but think that these might be here meant in part at least Virg. ponentque ferocia Poeni Corda volente Deo according to Peters vision Act. 10. and that God will so meeken the spirits of his converts that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all his holy mountain Esay 11.9 The literall sense is very good I grant but yet it is still to be taken as all such promises are 1. with exception of the cross here 2. with expectation of the full accomplishment hereafter in the state of perfection And I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth These words seem to be opposed to that threat Chap. 1.5 I will break the bowe of Israel c. And it is as if he should say After that I have broken their power and tamed their pride by the enemies forces then I will punish those enemies and so take order with them that they shall not hurt my people by any of their hostilities Lo peace is a piece of Gods Covenant and covenant-mercies are very sweet when all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 Not mercy onely but truth too that comes by vertue of a covenant Mark what God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ishmael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac And in the same Chapter Divines observe that in ten verses thereof God repeateth his Covenant which he made with Abraham thirteen times to note thus much that that was the mercy indeed that must satisfie Abraham in all his troubles sorrows and afflictions For the Covenant of Gods peace shall not be removed no not when the mountains shall depart and the hils be removed Esay 54.10 The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psal 29.11 and will make them to lie down safely Being gathered under my wings they shall repose themselves upon my power and providence committing themselves to me in well-doing All true and solid security whether inward or outward all true peace whether of countrey or of conscience floweth from Gods favour Psal 3. 4. Hence the Apostle wisheth grace and peace and the Angels sang Ephes 1.2 Luke 2 14. Deut. 33.16 Glory be to God on high and peace on earth even the peace of good-will toward men the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush The Lord is with me saith David I will not fear what man can do unto me I will sleep and wake and wake and sleep again Psal 3. for the Lord sustaineth me No wonder I slept so soundly and safely said King Philip when Antipater watched me Abner watched not so well when David fetcht away Sauls spear and pitcher and was barely told of it Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.5 Lev. 26.5 Psal 116.7 Ishbosheth was slain whiles he slept The Saints go ever under a double guard the peace of God within them and the power of God without them and may therefore in utramque aurem dormire lie down safely See Ier. 23.6 call their souls to rest Verse 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever This because it could not be easily beleeved is thrice repeated We beleeve not what ever men may dream to the contrary without much ado and many conflicts When faith goes about to lay hold on Christ the devils raps her on the fingers and would beat her off Hence she is fain to take great pains for it to work hard for her living The Apostle speaks more then once of the work of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 1.3 and 2 Epist 1.11 And it is no lesse difficult say Divines to beleeve the Gospel then to fulfill the Law No man can come unto the Son except the Father draw him the soul naturally hangs back and had as lief put off its immortality as put on Christ Joh. 6. The devil also doth his utmost to hinder The contest was not so great betwixt Michael and him concerning Moses his dead Body as it is here betwixt the beleever and him concerning Christs living body And should not God mightily assist the businesse would never be done Hence faith is called the faith of Gods power Tarnan Col. 2.12 the faith of his operation and what an Almighty power God doth therein put forth is elegantly described by the Apostle in that sixfold gradation Ephes 1.19 which shews it to be more then a morall swasion Betroth thee I will I will I will saith God here and some think the Sacred Trinity is here though darkly according to the manner of those times brought in betrothing the Church in this trina repetitio And mark that he doth not say I will be reconciled unto thee and receive thee again after thy foul-playes with me for Reconciliationes ferè sunt vulpinae amicitiae inter homines Men are seldom reconciled heartily but I will espouse thee marry thee unto me and that for ever I will null the Bill of divorce love you no lesse then if you had continued true to me or were now a pure Virgin Quis hanc Dei bonitatem dignè collaudet saith Drusius Who can sufficiently set forth this goodnesse of God When God once pardoneth sin he will remember it no more he will not come with back-reckonings Discharges in justification are never repealed or called in again Peccata non redeunt is a true axiom and it is no lesse true that peccata non minuunt justificationem God can pardon sins of all sizes and assoon disperse the thick cloud as the cloud Esay 44.22 See the matchlessnesse of his mercy to a repenting adulteresse Jer. 3.5 What greater love can he shew to her then to marry her again and rejoyce over her as a bridegroom rejoyceth over his bride Esay 62.5 Yea to rest in his love and to joy over her with singing Zeph. 3.17 and to do this for ever as it is here promised so that there shall be no more breach of conjugall love and communion for ever betwixt them Ama amorem illius Oh love this love of his saith Bernard and reciprocate And as the wife will keep her bed onely for her husband saith Mr. Bradford Martyr although in other things she is content to have fellowship with others Acts Mon. fol. 1503. as to speak sit eat drink go c. so our consciences which are Christs wives must needs keep the bed that is Gods sweet promises alonely for our selves and our husband there to meet together to embrace and laugh together and to be joyfull together If sin the law the devil or any thing would creep into the bed and lie there then complain to thine husband
obedientia nostra saith Pareus here we say thus when we beleeve and obey There shall be restored therefore between God and his people a most sweet harmony and an intimate conjunction such as he had before described to be betwixt himself and all the second causes for his Churches sake And truly it is never will with us indeed till the heavens answer the earth till Christ the Sun of righteousness so shine into our hearts that we melt and comply as here and as Zach. 13 9. See the Note CHAP. III. Verse 1. THen said the Lord unto me Go yet c. This Yet is emphaticall and it is as if he had said Go over the same subject again in a shorter discourse and lay before them the same truthes but in more lively colours that the obstinate may be left without excuse and the penitent may not be left without comfort Iterum abi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go to them once more and be instant with them or stand over them as Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 4.2 and as Saint Paul doth in crying down the Jewes conceit of being justified by the works of the law and in disgracing the sin of fornication so common at Corinth Chrysostom at Antioch having preached sundry Sermons against swearing was at length asked when he would preach upon another subject He answered when you leave swearing I le leave preaching against swearing Austin would have a preacher so long to pursue and presse the same point De Doct. Christian. Deut. 6.7 Shanan et Shanah repetere sicut in acuende untill by the gesture and countenance of the hearers he perceive thaâ—â—hey understand it and will practise it This is to whet the word of God upon peâ—â—le as Moses his phrase is by going oft over the same thing as the knife doth thâ— whet-stone A like type to the former is here first propounded secondly expounded that at length it might fasten A preacher must not desist though at first he prevail not as some from this second injunction collect that this Prophet would have done but he must turn himself into all shapes and fashions both of speech and of spirit to win people to God with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.2 And this the Lord here teacheth Hosea to do by his own example of patience and tolerance notably set forth in this ensuing type Love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulteresse This was an harder task then to take her chap. 1.2 in hope she would prove honest But now that she hath plaid the adulteresse and so deserved to be discarded yet to love her yea and that when she is habituated and hardened in her lewd practises as the Hebrew word signifieth Durus est hic sermâ— who can bear it If none else can Nontam actum quam habitum significat Rivet yet God both can and will as appeareth by this whole Parable wherein the Prophet is commanded to represent God as in the former type Chap. 1. and by loving that wife which he had taken before though she had plaid false with him to shew what was the love of God toward Israel She forsaketh me saith He who give her all the good she either hath or hopeth for and followeth after those that put bottles of wine to her mouth she loves those flagons c. Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity c. howbeit I will not relinquish her but will love her freely as if she had never offended me O matchless mercy O concio plena consolationis Mercer O most comfortable Sermon God so loved the world the Mundus immundus that he gave his onely begotten Son c. This was a Sic withouta Sicut there being nothing in nature that can possibly parallel it See Rom. 5.8 God loveth Apostates idolaters adulterers yet not as such but as he intendeth and respecteth their conversion to himself which nothing will sooner effect then the sense of such an undeserved love I am not ignorant that another sense is set upon these words as thus Go yet love a woman not married as yet but espoused unto thee who may hereafter be thy wife but is for her adultery rejected for a long season so God loved the Israelites as an adulterous spouse and therefore for a long while neglected but yet at length to be taken by him to wife according to Chap. 2.15.19 Beloved of her friend sc of some paramour as Jer. 3.1 thou hast played the harlot with many lovers These the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-friends the whore was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so they flattered their own vices putting gilded names on them as our blades name drunkenness good-fellowship harlots she-sinners c. The Septuagint render it a woman that loveth naughty things or naughty packs But I like the former interpretation better and it is agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrast Who look to other gods Look and lust ut vidi ut perij the mind lodgeth in the eye and looketh out at that window of wickednesse If I beheld the Sunne when it shined Job 31.26 27. or the Moon walking in brightnesse And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand c. Job alludeth to the practise of those old Idolaters which was to kisse their Idols if they could reach them as 1 King 19.18 Cicero tels of the image of Hercules cujus mentum osculis adorantium attritum fuit and the Papists so kisse their pictures that hard Marble is worn with it Spec. Europ saith Sir Edwin Sands an eye-witnesse But when they could not come at the Idol to kisse it they looked up and kissed their hand in token of homage and this was called adoration Quast applicatio manus ados This looking to other gods imports a turning toward them Se Deut. 31.18 20. a loving them a longing after them and an expectation of some good from them No wonder therefore that such whorish hankerings and honings were offensive to the jealous and just God but the unjust knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 men are forbidden so much as to lift up their eyes to their Idols Psal 121.1 Ezek. 23.27 And shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills saith David as some read that Text as if from thence came my help Absit Christs Spouse hath a Doves chast eye and he would have her like that Persian Lady Cant. 4. who being at Cyrus his Wedding and asked how she liked the Bride-groom How saith she I know not I saw no body there but my husband and love flagons of wine See Judg. 9.27 Amos 2.8 Bechive of Rome Luxury is the ordinary companion of Idolatry as Exod. 32.6.1 Cor. 10.7 Rovel 18.13 14. O monachi vestri stomachi c. At Paris and Lovain the beshin vine is called Vinum Theologicum the Divinity-wine it is also called Vinum Cos â—we caloris odoris saporis optims Those Clergy-Locusts lick up
Pekah as he had done Pekahiah Menahem killed Shallum as Shallum had done Zacharias so true is that of the Poet Ad generum Cereris sine caede sanguine pauci Descendunt Reges Juvenal siccâ morte tyranni What got most of the first Caesars by their adoption or designation to the Empire Nisi ut citius interficerentur but to be killed so much the sooner All or most of them till Constantine died unnaturall deaths As afterwards Phocas the traytour killed the good Emperour Mauritius stewing him in his own broth Heraclius slew Phocas putting him to a shamefull and tormentfull death c. Conradinus King of Germany and Duke of Sweveland was beheaded by Charles King of Naples and Sicily Balthas exner Val. Max. Christian. pag. 274. and the heads-man presently beheaded by another ne extaret qui jactaret tam generosum sanguinem à se effusum saith mine Authour that there might not be any left to boast that he had spilt so noble blood Our Richard the third Daniels hist 249. that bloody and deceitfull man is said to have used the instruments of his cruell plots his cut-throats I mean as men do their candles burn the first out to a snuffe and then having lighted another tread that under-foot Faux that fatall actor of the intended Powder-tragedy should have been thus rewarded by his brethren in evil had the plot taken effect It is that famous and never to be forgotten fifth of November 1651. wherein I writ these lines And therefore in way of thankfulnesse to our ever-gracious Deliverer I here think good to set down the relation as Mr. John Vicars in his Quintessence of cruelty or Poem of the popish Powder-plot hath declared it to the world as he had it from Mr. Clement Cotton the Composer of the English Concordance who also received it from Mr. Pickering of Titsmarsh-grove in North-hampton-shire and it is thus This Mr. Pickering being in great esteem with King Iames had an horse of speciall note on which he used to hunt with the King This horse was borrowed of him a little before the blow was to be given by his brother in law Keyes one of the Conspiratours and conveyed to London for a bloody purpose which thus was plotted Faux on the day of the fatall blow was appointed to retire himself to St. Georges-fields where this said horse was to attend him to make his escape so soon as the Parlament-house was blowen up It was likewise contrived that the said Mr. Pickering noted for a Puritan should be that very morning murthered in his bed and secretly conveyed away As also that Faux himself should have been murthered in St. Georges-fields and there so mangled and cut in pieces as that it might not be discovered who he was Whereupon it was to be bruited abroad that the Puritans had blown up the Parliament-house And the better to make the world beleeve so there was Mr. Pickering with his horse ready to make an escape but that God stirred up some who seeing the hainousnesse of the fact and he ready to escape by flight in detestation of so horrible a deed fell upon him and killed him and so had hackt him in pieces And yet to make it to be more apparant to be so indeed there was his horse found also which was of speciall speed and swiftnesse to carry him away and upon this rumour as massacre should have gone thorow the whole Kingdome upon the Puritans But when this plot thus contrived was confest by some of the Conspiratours and Faux in the Tower was made acquainted with it who had been born in hand to be bountifully rewarded for that his service in the Catholike cause when he saw how his ruine was contrived he also thereupon confessed freely all that he knew touching that horrid and hideous conspiracie which before all the torture of the rack could not force him to The truth of all this is attested by Mr. William Perkins an eminent Christian and Citizen of London who had it from the mouth of Mr. Clement Cotton which I could not but here insert as coming to my minde and Pen on the very day whereon 46. years since it should have been acted when my self was but four yeers of age and it being the utmost that I can remember but if ever I forget let my right hand forger her cunning Remember O Lord these children of Edom Psal 134.5 7 8. c. these Romish Edomites Esauites Jesuites who said Rase it Rase it even to the foundation O daughter of Babylon c. The Rabbines call the Romists Edomites they interpret the mount of Esau Obad. ver 21. to be meant of Rome and well they may for their blood-guiltinesse for which they are hated of God Psal 5.6 Who cannot but remember 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their sins as a cart-rope have reached up to heaven Rev 18.5 there having been a concatenation or a continued series of them as the Greek there imports and as some here interpret blood touching blood according to Esay 1.15 Your hands are full of blood And Chap. 4.4 The filth of the daughter of Zion and the blood of Jerusalem This sence the Chaldee Paraphrase maketh The Septuagint with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mingle blood with blood seem to understand it of incestuous matches and mixtures forbidden Levit. 18.6 and yet avowed by David George and his disciples and practised in the Court of Spain by Papall dispensation Verse 3. Therefore shall the land mourn Here the Lord proceeds to give sentence and it is dreadfull indeed Lugebit terra languebit incola c. You will not mourn therefore your land shall the ugly face of your sin shall appear in the miserable desolation of your Countrey There is no truth mercy or knowledge of God in your land which even groans under your burden the axeltree thereof being ready to break therefore it shall be eased of you by my sore and great and strong sword which shall soon make work amongst you and lay all wast And as Gods red horse of warre is followed by the black horse of famine and that blace one by the pale horse of pestilence Rev. 6.4 5 8. so shall it be here As by swearing and lying c. you have broke out so shall my whole wrath break out upon you as mighty torrent As blood hath touched blood so punishment shall follow hard upon sin for these two are knit together with chains of Adamant saith the Poet. if thou do evil sin lies at the door saith God Gen. 4.7 that is supplicium imminet idque proximum praesentissimum saith Junius there Evil shall hunt the wicked man to destroy him his sin shall find him out as a blood-hound and haunt him as an hell-hag Where iniquity breaks-fast calamity will be sure to dine to sup where it dines and to lodge where it sups No sooner had man sinned but the earth was cursed for his sake Gen. 3.17
the better lift up their hearts and eyes to heaven saying as it were to all worldly cares and cogitations as Abraham did to his servants whom he left at the foot of the hill Gen. 22.5 Abide you here with the Asse Hierom upon this place hath this Note Israel saith he loveth high places for they have forsaken the high God and they love the shadow having left the substance But what could be more absurd then to think as they did that God who is omnipresent was neerer to them on hills and high places and further off them in vallyes See Esay 57.7 Ezek. 6.13 This they had partly also learned of the heathens from whom neverthelesse God had shut them up as it were in an Island so their land is called that having little commerce with them Esay 20.6 they might not learn their manners But our nature is very catching this way and doth as easily draw and suck Idolatry to it as the loadstone doth iron or Turpentine fire under oaks and Poplars and Elmes because the shadow thereof is good So they proceed from one evill to another for sin is infinite and when a man is fal'n down one round of Hels ladder he knowes not where he shall stop or how he shall step back These Idolaters as they had their high places in imitation of the Patriarks so their groves of shady trees consecrated to their Idols to strike reverence into their hearts as they conceited and for the greater solemnity Sin comes commonly clothed with a shew of reason Exod. 1.10 Come let us deale wisely say they yet every oppressour is a fool Prov. 28.16 It will so bleare the understanding that a man shall think he hath reason to be mad and that there is some sence in sinning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But especially will-worship hath a shew of wisdome Colos 2. ult or the reason of wisdome as the word there signifieth the very quintessence of it Hence the Papists write Rationals whole volumes of reason for their rites and ceremonies in Divine service the shadow is good say these therefore we get under trees And Iohn Hunt See Dr. Sheldons mark of the beast serm a blasphemous Papist in his humble Appendix to King Iames Chap. 6. was not afraid to say That the God of the Protestants is the most uncivil and evil-mannered God of all those who have borne the name of Gods upon the earth yea worse then Pan God of the Clowns which can endure no ceremonies nor good manners at all O tongue worthy to be pulled out cut in gobbets and driven down the throat of this hideous blasphemer for he could not but know the God of the Protestants as he scornfully termeth him to be the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Did not Rabshakeh rail after this rate upon good Hezekiah for taking down the high-places and Altars of God as he called them which yet God well approved of 2 King 18.22 Mr. Boroughs maketh mention of a Lady in Paris who when she saw the bravery of a Procession to a Saint shee cried out Oh how fine is our religion beyond that of the Huguenots They have a mean and beggerly religion but ours is full of solemnity and bravery c. The Catholikes in their Supplication to King Iames for a Toleration plead that their religion is inter caetera so pleasing to nature and so sutable to sense and reason that it must therefore needs be the right A proper Argument surely and not all out so convincing as that of Cenalis Bishop of Auranches who writing against the Christian Congregation at Paris and basely slandering their meetings as if they were to maintain whoredome Act. Mon. will in conclusion needfully prove if he could the Catholikes to be the true Church because they had bells to call them together but the Huguenots had claps of Harquebuzes or Pistolets for that purpose Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome Impunè they shall do it and for a punishment of your Idolatry and in asmuch as you have prostituted your souls that is my spouse to the devil your houses shall be whorehouses to your utter disgrace and heart-break Certain it is that where there is most Idolatry there is most adultery as at Rome which is nothing else but a great brothel-house and hath fully made good that of the Poet Roma quod inverso delectaretur amore Nomen ab inverso nomine fecit Amor. Thus God punished the idolatrous Ethnikes by delivering them up to passions of dishonour or vile affections to Sodomitical practises which did abase them below those four-footed beasts which they adored Rom. 1.23 24 c. Some put off all manhood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 became dogs worse then dogs scalded in their own grease verse 27. and this is there called a meet recompense such as God here threatneth Mr. Levely a very learned Interpreter thinketh that when God saith here your daughters shall commit whoredome and your daughters in law for so he renders it shall commit adultery he meaneth it not of voluntary whoredome but of that which is forced according to that of Amos to Amaziah Chap. 7.17 Therefore thus saith the Lord the wife shall be an harlot in the City and they sonnes and daughters shall fâ—ll by the sword c. that is thy wife shall be ravished by the enemy Theodoret also is of the same judgement Verse 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome q. d. I will not once foul my fingers with them or be at pains to correct them but they shall take their swinge in sin for me c. Origen in a certain Homily quoting this Scripture Hom. 8. in Exod. 20. saith Vis indignantis Dei terribilem vocem audire c. Will you hear the terrible voice of a provoked God hear it here I will not punish c. You shall be without chastisement for an argument that you are bastards and not sons Never was Jerusalems condition so desperate as when God said unto her My fury shall depart from thee I will be quiet and no more angry Ezek. 16.42 Feri Domine seri cried Luther Strike Lord strike and spare not Ferre minora volo nè graeviora feram There is not a greater plague can befall a man then to prosper in sinfull practises Bernard calleth it misericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem a killing courtesie Ezek. 3.20 I will lay a stumbling-block before him that is saith Vatablus I will prosper him in all things and not by affliction restrain him from sin Job surely counts it for a great favour to sorry man Job 7.17 18. that God accompts him worth melting though it be every morning and trying though it be every moment And Ieremy calleth for correction as a thing that he could not well be without Correct me O Lord c. For themselves are separated with whores Rivet God seemeth to speak this to others by change of person
falsely Ier. 6.13 every one of them Assuunt mendacium mendacio from the Prophet even to the Priest they work a deceitfull work Prov. 11.18 their bellies prepare deceit Iob 15.35 they have an art in lying in stitching one lie to another as the word signifieth Psal 119.69 Idolatry is a reall lie as she in the book of Martyrs answered the Doctour that asked her Dost thou beleeve that the body of Christ is in the Sacrament of the Altar really and substantially I beleeve said she that so to hold is a reall lie and a substantiall lie These Idolaters having plaied false with God and treacherously dealt with him what wonder though they lie deceive rob spoil both within doors and without in private negotiations and publike transactions but especially forge lies against those that withstood their superstitious vanities and prey upon their goods as Heb. 10.34 Sublata pietate tollitur fides is a truth irrefragable Take away piety and fidelity is gone as we see in that unrighteous Judge Luke 18.2 and as Abraham concluded of the men of Gerar Gen. 20.11 and lastly as Constantinus Chlorus the father of Constantine the Great experimented in his own Councellours and Courtiers whence that famous Maxime of his recorded by Eusebius He cannot be faithfull to me who is unfaithfull to God religion being the ground of all true fidelity and loyalty Verse 2. And they consider not in their hearts Heb. They say not in their hearts that is they set not down themselves with this consideration they commune not with their consciences upon this most needfull but much neglected matter A good mans work lieth much within doors he loves to be dealing with himself and working good and wholsome considerations upon his own affections He is never lesse alone then when hee is alone for still hee hath God and himself to talk to that I remember all their wickednesse i. e. Record and register them as in a book with a pen of iron and point of a Diamond Ier. 17.1 that I seal them up in a bag Job 14.17 as the Clark of Assizes seals up Inditements and at the Assizes brings his bag and produceth them Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed-up among my treasures Deut. 32.34 So little reason is there that wicked men should please themselves in hope of impunity And yet they do Psal 94.7 they strive to perswade themselves that the Lord doth not see neither doth the God of Jacob remember They hide God from themselves and then think they have hid themselves from Him Herein they are alike foolish as the Struthiocamelus Plin. lib. 10. cap. 1. a bird as big as a Camell and taller then a man When this Bustard would hide her selfe she thrusts her head into a thicket as conceiving that no body seeth her because she seeth no body and so becomes a prey to the hunter Caveatur carnalis securitas Let us walk evermore in the sense of Gods presence unlesse we had rather be carnally secured then soundly comforted now their own doings have beset them about Their studied wickednesse their contrived iniquities so Luther expounds the word doings Studia corum Tigurin for wicked men are great students and break many a nights sleep in pernicious ploddings Prov. 4.16 But as the Blackbird is taken by birdlime made of his own excrements so is the wicked beset by his own devices as by so many serjeants set on by God Some think and not without probable reason that the Prophet in this phrase of besetting them about alludeth to the future siege of Samaria wherein these sinners against their own souls were so straitly beset by the enemy that they could not flee or stir without danger And this he saith shall befall them Now that is shortly and sooner then they think for Indeed how should it be otherwise when as their doings are bâ—â—ore my face Eregione velut adversa ac detestata Over-anent and in full view as a continuall eye-sore to me Psal 57.5 90.8 so that though I could or would forget them yet they will not suffer me to do so such is their impudency and importunacy for vengeance Lyra makes it a metaphor from a thief taken in the act with his back burden of stollen goods and as it were beset with them and so brought before the Judge His own iniquities shall take the wicked saith Solomon Prov. 5.22 For how can he escape the multitude of his sins within him and the variety of Gods heavie judgements without him c Verse 3. They make the king glad with their wickednesse A sad syncratismus surely of king and people exhilarating themselves and each other in wickednesse Their kings were well apaid of the peoples compliances with their unlawfull Edicts and the people no lesse well-pleased to gratifie and flatter their kings as the Romans did Tiberius and other Tyrants who therefore said of them that they were servum pecus servile soules homines ad servitutem parati men made for slaves Tyrants care not how wicked their subjects are for then they know they will swallow down any command though never so impious without scrupling or conscience-making They like to have such about them as will down with any thing disgest iron for a need with the Estrich and say as that wretched man said when one complained he could not do such a thing for his conscience I am master of my conscience I can do any thing for all that Thus Balaam resolved to curse what ever came of it he went not aside as at other times neither built he any more altars but set his face toward the wildernesse as fully bent to do it and nothing should hinder him now Numb 24.1 2. confer Luke 9.51 He also gave wicked counsell to king Balak and so made him glad at parting though before he had angred him to lay a stumbling-block before the children of Israel viz. to set fair women to tempt them to corporall and spirituall fornication that God might see sin flagrant in Iacob some transgression in Israel and so fall foul upon them with his plagues Numb 23.21 Parasites propound to kings suavia potiùs quam sana consilia pleasing but pestilent counsell they also act for them and under them as Doeg did for Saul and so gratifie them Letiâ—ie them as here Rev. 2 make them glad but it proves to be no better then risus Sardonius such a mirth as brings bitterness in the end Wo to such mirth-mongers and mirth-makers for if they shall still do thus wickedly they shall be consumed both they and their king I Sam. 12.25 And the princes with their lies with calumnies and false accusations wherewith they load Gods innocent servants and that against their own consciences Thus Doeg dealt by David the Priests and Prophets by Ieremy the Persian courtiers by Daniel and his companions Amaziah by Amoz Haman by the whole nation of the Iewes Tertullus by Paul the Heathen Idolaters
of the earth as swift as the Eagle flieth to which Text the Prophet here seemeth to allude as indeed all the Prophets do but comment upon Moses and draw out that Arras which was folded together by him before against the house of the Lord that is the house of Israel called Gods house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.5 and Gods land Hos 9.3.15 and their Common-wealth is by Iosephus called a Theocratic And although they were now become Apostates yet they gloried no lesse then before to be of the stock of Abraham and of the family of faith like as the Turks call themselves at this day Musulmans that is the true and right beleevers especially after they are circumcised which is not done till they be past ten yeers of age following the example of Ismael Grand Signior Serag p. 191. whom they imitate and honour as their Progenitour alledging that Abraham loved him and not Isaac and that it was Ismael whom Abraham would have sacrificed because they have transgressed my Covenant and trespassed Sin is the mother of misery and the great Makebate betwixt God and his creature It moves him when we ask bread and fish to feed us as verse 2. to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a serpent to bite us The sin of this people was the more hainous because they were covenanters and confederate with God It was his covenant that was in their flesh Gen. 17.13 and he had betrothed them to himself and betrusted them with his Oracles but they like men transgressed the covenant and dealt treacherously against him Chap. 6.7 See the Note there they performed not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3.21 they trespassed against his law As if it had not been holy and just and good Rom. 7. precious perfect and profitable grounded upon so much good reason that if God had not commanded it yet it had been best for us to have practised it Esay 48.17 I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit c O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandements c. q. d. It is for thy profit and not for mine own that I have given thee a law to live by But they have trespassed or praevaricated and this out of pride and malice as the word signifieth and as before he had oft convinced them of many particulars and more will do therefore are they justly punished Verse 2. Israel shall crie unto me It is their course and custome to do so they will needs do it though I take no delight in it Hypocrisie is impudent as chap. 5.6 and Ier. 3.4 5. No nay but it will despite God with seeming honour and present him with a ludibrious devotion Israel though revolted and degenerated into Iezreel chap. 1. shall crie yea cry aloud vociferabuntur cry till they are hoarse as criers do and unto me but not with their heart chap. 7.14 It is but clamor sine side fatuus an empty ring that God regards not For not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord c Mat. 7.21 Many leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come unto us Mic. 3.11 who yet shall hear Discedite Avaunt ye workers of iniquity I know you not Wo then to all profligate professors carnall Gospellers their prayers shall not profit them neither shall they be a button the better for their loud cries to the most High Pro. 1.28 and odious fawnings My God we know thee When their hearts are far from him Of such pretenders to him and his truth it is that the Apostle speaketh Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God which yet God denies Hos 4.1 5.4 but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate To come and call God Father the guide of our youth and then to fall to sinne this is to do as evil as we can We cannot easily do worse Jer. 3.4 5. To cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord and then to steal murther and commit adultery c. this is painted hypocrisie Ier. 7.4 9. when men shall take sanctuary and think to save themselves from danger by a form of godlinesse as the Jews fable that Og king of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark when they are perfect strangers to the power of it this is to hasten and heap up wrath Iob 36.13 Religion as it is the best armour so the worst cloak and will serve hypocrites as the disguise Ahab put on and perished Castalio maketh this last clause to be the speech of the blessed Trinity We know thee O Israel q. d. Though thou collogue and cry My God yet we know thine hypocrisie and the naughtinesse of thy heart But the former sence is better though the placing of the word Israel in the end of the verse seem to favour this for thus it runs in the Hebrew To me thy shall cry My God we know thee Israel Verse 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good Heb. The Good as first the good God who is good originall universall All-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and fitting to our soul He both is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and that both naturally abundantly freely and constantly Good thou art O Lord and ready to forgive saith David Psal 86.5 And the Good Lord be mircifull 2 Chron. 30. c. saith Hezekiah in his prayer for the people To speak properly there is none good but God Ase elonganit ' â—ipulis saith our Saviour Matt. 19.17 but Israel cast him or rather kickt him off procul à se rejecit as the word signifieth So do all grosse hypocrites they are rank Atheists practicall Atheists though professionall Christians Secondly they reject Christ as a Soveraigne though they could be content to have him as a Saviour they send messages after him saying We will not have this man to rule over us they will not submit to the lawes of his kingdom nor receive him in all his offices and efficacies they are Christlesse creatures as without God so without Christ in the world Thirdly hypocrites reject the good Spirit of God as David calleth him Psal 143.10 the fruit whereof is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5.9 When God striveth with them by his good Spirit as Neh. 9.20 they by yeelding to Satans suggestions grieve that holy Spirit and by grieving resist him and by resisting quench him and by quenching maliciously oppose him and offer despite unto him and so cast themselves into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.29 31. Lastly they cast off the good Word and true Worship of God those right judgements true lawes good statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 they put the promises from them and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 they hate instruction and cast Gods words behind them Psal 50.17 In a word bee hath left off to
say to Mr. Hawkes the Martyr that he was too curious for he would have nothing but his little pretty-Gods-book Acts and Mon. And is it not sufficient for my salvation said Hawkes yes said he but not for your instruction God send me the salvation said Hawkes and you the instruction That the Scripture is full and sufficient for both instruction and salvation see 2 Time 3.16 17. and my Treatise called the True Treasure Has igiâ—ur nocturnâ versate manu versate diurnâ Psal 1.2 Let there not by infrequency or disuse grow an alienation or strangenesse betwixt us and the holy Scriptures but be ready in them and have them as Saul had his pitcher and spear at his bolster as David had his chosen stones at hand in his scrip c. Luther wisheth all his own books burnt because I fear saith he they hinder men from reading the Bible that book of books in comparison whereof all the books in the world are but wast-paper After which I tremble saith he to think of the former age wherein many Divines spent so much time in reading Aristotle and Averroes and so little in reading the Book of God Melancthon saith that he heard some preach upon Texts taken out of Aristotles Ethicks Carolostadius was eight yeers Doctour when he began to read the Scriptures and yet at the taking of his degree Joh. Manlius being asked whether he had read the Decalogue negitabat se hujusmodi librum in Bibliotheca sua habuisse unquam he denied that he had ever had or heard of any Book so called Amam in Antibar praf such a perfect stranger was he to the great things of Gods Law And if the learned Doctours be thus bard and ignorant what may we think of the poor misled and muzled multitude that lie fast lockt up in the Popes dark dungeon and are flatly forbidden to meddle with the Scriptures lest they should be infected with heresie or possessed with a devil as some say they have been by that means Verse 13. They sacrifice flesh in the sacrifices of mine offerings and eat it q. d. They would seem not to have rejected the great things of my Law nor to be such strangers thereunto sith they were much in sacrificing according to the Law But their hypocrisie is most hatefull In decal In that First they offer with Cain Non personam sed opus personae as Luther saith not themselves but their bare sacrifices Esay 66.3 which is but as a brainlesse head and soul-lesse body it is but flesh as it is here called in contempt and scorne See the like Jer. 7.21 Hos 9.4 And think the same of all externall services si careant animâ suâ id est rect â in Deum fide erectâ in illum mente if not performed in faith and obedience Secondly They pretended to serve God when indeed they onely served their own bellies as those Rom 16.18 sought their own ends Phil. 2.21 catered for the flesh Rom. 13.14 insigne donum quo afficior as Luther Paraphraseth the text carnem offertis quam vos ipsi voratis i. e. A goodly gift it is that you give mee viz. the flesh of your peace-offerings which your selves may feast with and you therefore multiply sacrifices that you may gorge your selves with good chear Now one egge is not more like to another then these old flesh-mongers were to the Popish flesh-flies at this day It was an honest complaint of one of them We saith he handle the Scripture tantùm ut nos pascat vestiat onely that it may feed us and cloath us And it is evident to all the world that their Masses pilgrimages festivals vowed presents and memorials c. are onely to pamper their paunches which made them so angry with Erasmus and Luther for medling but the Lord accepteth them not How should he say when there was nothing but flesh nothing but self in them See the like Jer. 4.10 Am. 5.22 Esay 1.10 where God telleth them that their sacrifices were grievous and offensive to all his several senses nay to his very soul too The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 yea though he bring it with never so good an intent Pro. 21.27 how much more if he bring ex rapina holocaustum a sacrifice of what he hath got by rapine and robbery and so the Chaldee carrieth the sence of the former words the sacrifices of mine offerings quae collecta sunt ex injâ—ria saith He which were gathered and gotten by wrong-dealing how then should the Lord accept them now will he remember their iniquity Even while they are sacrificing let them not think to blinde his eyes with the smoak of their offerings to stop his mouth with their rich gifts and donaries to bribe him into a connivency to expiate and set off their sinnes with their sacrifices for God will remember them and punish them Yea now will he do it in the time of their holy duties he will come upon them then in his wrath Luke 13. as Pilate came upon the Galileans and mingled their blood with their sacrifices Sure it is that sin brought into Gods holy presence petitions against the sinner as Esther did against Haman at the banquet of wine picks out the time of prayer and other duties to accuse and call for vengeance Esth 7.6 Take we heed lest while we are confessing our sinnes which yet we close with and will not forsake and judging our selves worthy to be destroyed God say not Out of thine owne mouth will I condemn thee thou gracelesse person that hast so much impudence as to bring thy Cozbi into my presence then when all the people as on a fast-day are weeping before the door of the Tabernacle Lev. 10.3 God will be sanctified of all that draw nigh unto him one way or other he will be sanctified either in them or on them Of such he saith as Solomon once did of Adoniah 1 King 1 5â— If he shew himself a worthy man there shall not an hair of his head fall to the earth but if wickednesse shall be found in him he shall die If any defile the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. him shall God destory they shall return to Egypt They had a minde to run thither for refuge they sent also to So king of Egypt for that purpose 2 King 17.4 Instead of making their peace with God they betook themselves to base shifts and sought help of the creature This is the guise of gracelesse men when distressed Rahab But they shall soon have enough of Egypt chap. 9.3 6. Their strength or their Egypt had been to have sitten still in expectation of help from heaven Esay 30.7 Deut. 28 6â— and to have considered that the last and greatest curse denounced against their disobedience was And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt c. Verse 14. For Israel hath forgotten his maker Not more his Factour
hedge-fruits how should he say of such clusters of Gomorrah Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it The good soul as she bears all her fruit in Christ Ieh 15.2 so she keeps all her fruit for him Cant. 7.13 Es 65.8 and cries out Propter te Domine propter te As all his springs are in her so all she has and is is for him and if she had more and better she could beteem it him Hence it is that when he comes into his garden upon her invitation Cant. 4.16 to eat his pleasant fruits he gathereth his myrrhe with his spice he eateth his honey with his hony-comb as it were crust and crumb together Chap. 5.1 He takes in good part the better and worse-performed services he passeth by failings in the manner where the heart is upright for the main wicked men present also some kind of fruit as the oak bears some kind of apples and acorns but they are not mans meat swine indeed will haunch them up so the devil likes well enough of these self-fruits but they make not to Gods palat Delicata res est Spiritus Dei our oaken apples will not down with him Self must be strained out and God set up Tertull. that ye may be called Trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he alone may be glorified Esay 61.3 being filled with the fruits of righteonsnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars Juxta ubertatem exuberant simulachris saith the Vulgar elegantly but yet short of the Original where there is a dainty Agnomination and a double Polyptôton For the sence the Prophet as he had accused Israel of emptinesse and selfishnesse so hee doth here of unthankfulnesse in abusing Gods plenty to the promoting of idolatry as if God had hired them to be wicked See the like before chap. 2.8 with the Note and consider how far against the ingenuity of a Christian it is to bee least for God when he hath most from him when his own turn is served then to turn his back from the Authour of all his good to do as the Moon that gettest furthest off the Sun when she is fullest of his light according to the goodnesse of his land Idolaters desire to be where there are good lands fruitfull fields that they may lavish upon their Mawmets that they may so beautifie or as the Hebrew word here is bonifie their images as Jezebel did her head with tires and brave dresses 2 King 9.30 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God or that endow another God and give gifts to him as that Text may be rendred Psal 16.4 What excessive cost the superstitious papists bestow upon their idols or images which are one and the same as we see here and especially upon their â—ady of Loretto the Jesuite Tursellinus hath set forth to the world And why they so much desire and endeavour to recover England praying for it as is to be seen written on the gates of their Colledges Jesu Jesu converte Angliam fiat fiat the reason is evident it is a good land and would easily yeeld them goodly images stately altars c. England was wont to be called the Popes asse and his puteus inexhaustus his pit of treasure that could never be drawn dry he was wont to say that he could never want money so long as hee could hold a pen in his fingers to write to England He received here-hence yearly Job Manl. loc com p. 492. above nine tunne of gold Now according to what they received they expended upon their images What a shame is it then for true worshippers that there is no proportion between their increases for God and their encreases from God that those that are rich in this world 1 Tim 6.17 18. are not rich in good works that they lay not by for pious and charitable uses according as God hath blessed them 1 Cor. 16.2 but that they should be the richer the harder as children that have their mouthes full and both hands full yet will part with none but spill it rather It is observed of men that grow very far that they have so much the lesse blood And so the fatter many men are in their estates the lesse blood life and spirits they have for God Verse 2. Their heart is divided sc From God whose soul therefore is justly disjoynted from them Ier. 6.8 They professed to worship the true God and yet they transferred the honour due to him alone upon dumb-idols they halted between two and would needs serve two Lords but God would none of that Be the gods of the Heathen good-fellows saith One the true God is a jealous God and will not part stakes with another The double-minded man is not for his service for he will be served truely that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving Good therefore and worthy of all acceptation is the counsell of St. Iames to such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded or ye cloven-hearted Out with the corruption that cleaveth to your hearts and then there will be a constancy and evennesse in your mindes mouthes and manners which is absolutely necessary to such as draw nigh to God in holy duties and the contrary abominable Esay 29.13 Now shall they be found faulty Sinners against their own souls procurers of their own ruth and ruine And this they shall so clearly be convinced of as afflictiâ— dat intellectum smart makes wit that they shall cry out with Josephs brethren We are verily guilty Gen. 42.21 and conscience awakened shall answer as Reuben in the next verse Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin O do not this abominable thing and yee would not hear Did not the Prophets foretell you what would be the fruit of your idolatries did they not even slit up your hearts with the sacrificing knife of Gods word sharper then any two-edâ—â—d sword and lay all your evil thoughts naked and open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dissected quartered and cleft in the back-bone as the Apostles word signifieth Heb. 4.13 but ye would not then be convinced of all and falling down upon your face worship God as 1 Cor. 14.24 25 Now you are found faulty or guilty and cry peccavi or now you are that is shortly ye shall be wasted and desolated as some render it or now shall they die Interibunt so the Vulgar shall they perish how should they do otherwise whose heart that seat of life is cut in twain and whom the jealous and just God will cut in twain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tearing their souls from their bodies by death Satans slaughter-man and appointing them their portion with hypocrites Matth. 24.51 He shall break down their altars He that is God my God
pleased or for any desert on his part for I found him in his blood in his blood in his blood Ezek. 16.6 when I cast my skirt of love over him and said unto him Live Yea and for his salvations sake I have called that is I have decreed to call out of Egypt whither he fled from Herod and where he abode two or three years at least my childe Jesus whose office it is to save his people from their sinnes Epiphan Mat. 1.21 And although I might justly have deprived them of such a Saviour for ever because when he came to his own his own received him not yea rejected him to whom their own signes given to Herod did so aptly and evidently agree yet out of Egypt to shew the constancy of my love to Israel Mat. 2. have I called by mine angel as Jacob by a messenger called his wives to him into the field Gen. 31.4 My Son Christ who is Gods Son first by eternall generation Prov. 8.22 23. Secondly by personall union Psal 2.7 And thus God called out of Egypt first Israel his people and then Christ the Head of his people in whom at length this prophecy was fulfilled Verse 2. As they called them i. e. As the Prophets and Ministers whose names are here concealed that the Word onely may be glorified as Acts 13.48 called to them to come out of spirituall Egypt out of darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among the Saints by faith that is in Christ Act. 26.18 so they went from them They went a contrary way as the child Samuel when God called him ran to Eli or rather as the wilfull Jews when God would have gathered them as the hen doth her chickens they would not When God called his naturall Son out of Egypt he came presently Heb. 10.7 Psal 40.7 8. not so his adopted sonnes for they turned upon him the back and not the face as Jer. 2.27 they refused to be reformed they hated to be healed See chap. 7.1 with the Note Nay to make up the full measure of their sins and to heighten their contempt they sacrificed unto Baalim and burnt incense to graven images Quasi agrè facturi Deo as if they would despite God on purpose and spit in his very face commit the like villany in his presence as the Irish Rebels lately did when they bound the husband to the bed-post whiles they abused his wife before him See the Notes on chap. 2. and almost on every chapter where their idolatry is cried out upon and their extreme ingratitude Verse 3. I tauaght Ephraim also to go A child he was verse 1. and like a childe I dealt with him teaching him how to set his feet pedare to foot it as nurses do their little ones he keepeth the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 he guideth their feet in the way of peace Luke 1.79 See for this Deut. 1.31 32.11 Num. 11.12 So great is the goodnesse of God to his people that he dealeth with us as with his little children nos sublevando submonendo docendo ducendo regendo tegendo convocando Tarnou condonando portando confortando c. saith a learned Interpreter truely and trimly He speaketh unto us as unto children Heb. 12.5 paternè diligit â—micè dirigit he loveth us as a father he directs us as a friend guiding us with his eye leading us in his hand setting us betwixt his knees as some interpret that text Deut. 33.3 setting us upon his knees as a father doth his darling and rejoycing over us with joy yea joying over us with singing Zeph. 3.17 His affections are more then fatherly Mr. Baine and his expressions are according We are like infants saith One new-born in a manner They are kept by the loving parents from fire and water they are fed laid to sleep made ready and unready and shifted in their scapes but they know not who doth all this for them So doth our heavenly Father by us in Christ But he knows little understanding have we of him After this he teacheth us to go taking us by the arms to help our feeble knees And taking us up in his own arms when we come to a foul or rough place helping us over the quagmires of crosses and the difficulties of duties And whereas we fall seven times a day and in many things fail all he taketh us up after that we have caught a knock and cherisheth us in his bosome c. Montanus and Junius carry the sence another way as if the words were not a description of Gods love to the people but of their unthankfulnesse to God rendring the words thus When as â—inform Ephraim he taketh them in his arms that it he setteth up idols and after the manner of impudent and shamelesse strumpets he taketh the puppets in his arms and embraceth them before my face But I like the former sence better But they knew not that I healed them Not onely held them that they might not fall but healed them when they had fallen Daring they would be sometimes to stand upon their own legs to prevail by their own strength 1 Sam. 2.9 to say with her in the Poet Arachne apud Ovid. Metam Consilij satis est in me mihi c. I am wise enough and able enough to go on as if they were petty-gods within themselves and had no need of nor dependance upon me Hence they hurt themselves but I healed them I forgave all their iniquities Psal 103.3 I healed all their diseases their bruises and putrifying sores that else had not been closed bound up nor mollified with ointment Esay 1.6 God left not his people in their low estate as some Physicians do their Patients but provided a soveraigne salve an horn of salvation such as would cure any disease or maim even the sinne against the holy Ghost too but that it is the nature of it to rage and rave both against the physick and the Physician Christ is both the one and the other as beeing made unto us of God Wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Quod sanitas in corpore id sanctitas in corde He is Jehovah that healeth for he is Jehovah that sanctifieth This Ephraim knew not that is out of pride and stoutnesse they acknowledged it not but sacrifice to their own nets wits endeavours c. Of all things God can least endure to be neglected or to have the glory of his benefits transferred upon others See chap. 2.8 with the Note When men shall either say in the language of Ashdod 1 Sam. 6.9 It is a chance or else I have made my self thus and thus happy This though the Saints should at any time do yet God will pardon their frowardnesse and say as Esay 57.17 18. I have seen his wayes his waywardnesse and will heal him neverthelesse and restore comforts to him Verse
Covenant shall come up from the wildernesse where the winds blow most fiercely because they meet with no resistance and his spring shall become dry c. This is a description of extreme desolation and it is explained and amplified in the next words he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels He that is the Assyrian not Christ as Hierom Mercer and Ribera will have it who shall take away from Death and Hell all matter of glorying Not the fire of the last day as Lyra. No nor Ephraim as Pareus and Tarnouius carry it as if it were a promise of their conquest in Christ over all their enemies corporall and spirituall dividing the spoil of the converted Gentiles who shall come in to them with all their desireable things as some read that Text Hag. 2.7 Confer Am. 9.11 12. Obad. 18. Zech. 14.14 16 20 21. That this whole verse containeth a promise of Ephraim's reduction to the Church of God I could easily yeeld reading it especially as many good Interpreters do For he shall fructifie among his brethren after that an East-wind coming a wind of Jehovah coming up from the desert his spring shall become dry and his fountain shall dry up the same shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels This is a similitude say they from a piece of ground all dried up and parched that nothing is able to grow notably expressing the miserable and distressed estate of this people that as an easterly wind and a tempestuous storm hath dried them quite and spoiled all their delightfull treasures made them the vilest and most contemptible of the earth Marcellinus tells of an Emperour Am. Marcel lib. 2. that meeting with some of this Nation and annoyed with the sight and stench of them cryed out ô Marcommani ô Quadi ô Sarmatae c. O Marcoman's Quades and Sarmatians I have found at length a more loathsome and sordid people then you All which notwithstanding Ephraim shall flourish again and hold up their head among their brethren sc by the merit and spirit of Him who ransometh them from the power of the grave from the dint of death This sence of the words is confirmed by that which followes in the next Chapter vers 5 6 7. Verse 16. Samaria shall become desolate Here many begin the fourteenth Chapter but not so well for this verse evidently cohereth with the former and sheweth that Ephraim shall not onely be plundered rea peragetur but butchered by the Assyrian by their own default Samaria shall become desolate or be found guilty as the Chaldee hath it and the words may bear How can she be otherwise when as she hath rebelled against her God she hath imbittered him or bitterly provoked him to wrath as chap. 12.15 See the Note there who therefore sent in the Assyrian to desolate her that bitter and hasty Nation to march thorow the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that were not theirs Hab. 1.6 This was a bitter affliction but behold a worse they shall fall by the sword they shall lose not their land onely and the treasures of all their pleasant vessels as verse 15. but their dearest lives which to save a man will gladly part with all that he hath Job 2.4 or submit to any servile employment as the Gibeonites in Ioshuah's dayes did who were willing to take hard on as slaves and underlings rather then to be cut off with the rest of the Canaanites their infants shall be dashed in pieces Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their sucklings that are ordinarily spared for their innocencie ignoscency c. See chap. 10.14 with the Note and consider that infants are not so innocent though they have yet done neither good nor evil but that God may justly inflict upon them all torments here and tortures in hell for the guilt of originall sinne that cleaveth to their natures Howbeit this excuseth not the barbarous cruelty of his executioners who shall be surely and suitably punished Psal 137.8 and their women with childe shall be ript up Of this kinde of savage inhumanity see Am. 1.13 2 King 8.11 15.16 where you shall finde that the tyrant Menahem ript the infants of Tiphsah out of their mothers bellies because their fathers opened not the gates unto him The like cruelty was exercised in the Sicilian Vespers and Parisian Massacre by those Romish Edomites maugre whose malice Ephraim is yet fruitfull the Church flourisheth Sanguine fundata est Ecclesia sanguine crescit CHAP. XIV Verse 1. OIsrael return unto the Lord Vsque ad Dominum as far as to the Lord give not the half but the whole turn and take it for a mercy that you are yet called upon to return and may be received that yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing All the former part of the Prophesie had been most-what Comminatory this last Chapter is wholly Consolatory the Sun of righteousnesse loves not to set in a cloud Ezr. 10.2 return unto the Lord thy God He is yet thy God no such argument for our turning to God as his turning to us Zach. 1.3 See the Note there Tantùm velis Deus tibi praeoccurret If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat c. The Fathers plenty brought home the Prodigall he had but a purpose to return and his father met him Esay 65.24 See Joel 2.12 13. Esay 55.6 7. Jer. 31.18 Hos 3.5 Acts 2.38 This is the use we should make of mercy Say not He is my God therefore I may presume upon him but He is mine therefore I must return unto him Argue from mercy to duty and not to liberty for that 's the Devils Logick which the Apostle holds unreasonable yea to a good heart impossible Rom. 6.1 2. His mercy is bounded with his truth with which it therefore goes commonly coupled in Scripture It is a sanctuary for the penitent but not for the presumptuous for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity i. e. Consumption is decreed yet a remnant reserved Esay 10.22 23. Thou hast fallen into great calamity and that by thine iniquity which puts a sting into thy misery This it is fit thou shouldst be sensible of for conviction is the first step to conversion But if thou art fallen wilt thou there lie and not rise again by repentance and return to him that smiteth thee wilt thou not submit to his justice and implore his mercy Here then is another motive to conversion as indeed this verse abounds with arguments to that purpose as Pareus well observeth First thou art Israel a Prince of God who hath greatly graced thee above all people Return to him therefore 2 Thou hast run away from him by thine iniquity ad turned upon him the back and not the face Return therefore 3. He is Iehovah the Authour of thy being and well-being 4 He is God to whom thou must either turn or burn for ever aut poenitendum aut pereundum he can fetch in his
head of the poor Covetousnesse is craving and cruel it rides without reins as Balaam did after the wages of wickednesse and cares not whose head it rides over to compasse commodity Yea it panteth after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor as desirous not onely to lay them in the dust Anhelant but to lay them a-bleeding and a-dying there They gape over the head or life of the poor in the dust of the earth so some read the words as devising to destroy them A poor mans lively hood is his life Mar. 12. ult Luke 8.43 for a poor man in his house is like a snail in a shell crush that and you kill him These cormorants earnestly desired and indeavoured to bring dust upon poor mens heads the garb of those that were in heavinesse Iob 2.12 Ezech. 27.30 Lam. 2.20 by their oppressions and injustice yea to bring them down to the dust of death to set them as farre under ground as now they were above Lo this they do as greedily and as greatly desire as serpents and other hot creatures covet the fresh air to cool their scorched entrails See Ier. 14.6 Job 5.5 and 7.2 It is said of Saul the persecutour that he breathed out threatnings against the Church Acts 9.1 as a tired Wolf that wearied with worrying the flock lieth panting for breath So Bonner whipt the poor Martyrs till he was breathlesse Some Interpreters note out of Joseph Ben Gorion Gorionides hist c. 44. that there was an old custom that those that were accused before the Judges should be arrayed in black and have their heads covered with dust And hence they conceive the sence to be this That pant i. e. that earnestly desire that such poor men may be accused by the rich Drusius Mercer of whom they may receive gifts to pervert judgement And this they think to be confirmed by the following words they turn aside or pervent the way of the meeke that is the cause businesse judgement of the modest and self-denying poor the subject of rich mens injuries for most part and unreasonable oppressions Jam. 2.6 A crow will stand upon a sheeps back pulling off wool from her side she durst not do so to a wolf or a mastiffe Even reasonlesse creatures know whom they may bee bold with so do wicked oppressours Veterem ferendo injuriam invitas novam The meek by pocketting up one wrong invite another Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Jam. 5.6 Ye not onely rob but ravish the poor that are faln into your nets Psal 10.9 ye do even whatsoever you please to them as One Martyr said of John Baptist that he was put to death Acts and Mon. as if God had been nothing aware of him and a man and his father will go in c. by an horrible if not incestuous filthinesse such as Heathens by the light of nature condemned and execrated 1 Cor. 5.1 The Indians abhor it shewing themselves in respect of the incestuous Spaniards amongst them as the Scythians in respect of the Grecians whom they so far excelled in life as they were short of them in learning Am I a dog said Abner to Isbbosheth 2 Sam. 3. that is so impudently and excessively lustfull as a dog is so scalded in his own grease Rom. 1.27 Some libidinous sensualists put off all manhood become dogs worse then dogs following their harlots stiled in Scripture salt-bitches Deut. 23.18 such as having abandoned both the fear of God and shame of the world care not whom they admit father son any one every one to profane my holy name As if I were Authour or Fautour of such cruelties and villanies This is to take Gods name in vain Prov. 30.9 yea this is to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1.20 by breaking down the banks of blasphemy and causing the enemies of the truth to speak evil with open mouth as they did in Davids dayes 2 Sam. 12.14 And in Pauls dayes Rom. 2.24 And in Origens dayes Nunc male audiunt castiganturque vulgo Christiani De opisicio Dei prooem quòd vitia sub obtentu nominis Dei celent c. saith He Christians and their religion heareth ill among Heathens by reason of their impious and impure lives and their conversation not becoming the Gospel of Christ Philip. 1.27 Of such carnall Gospellers it may be truly said as Diogenes said to Antipater who being vitious wore a white cloke the ensigne of innocency that they do virtut is stragulam pudefacere put honesty to an open shame bring contempt upon God and his wayes c. Verse 8. And they lay themselves down upon clothes i. e. table-carpets or bedcoverlets layd under those that sit at meat whether on the ground with their legs gathered under them as the Turkish Bashawes do to this day and the Trojans of old stratoque super discumbitur ostro or at beds or tables Turk hist fol. 231. Virg. Enead lib. 1. Horat. 1. Car. od 27. Vide Lambin ad loc Lips lib. 3. Antiq. lection leaning on the left elbow Esth 1.6 and 7 8. Ioh. 13.28 Et cubito remanete presso laid to pledge These should have been restored and not detayned beyond the time prescribed Deut. 24.12 13. Exod. 22.26 27. by every altar It was their fashion to feast in their Idol-temples 1. Cor. 8.10 and 10.21 See Horat. Oda 37. lib. 1. And this in imitation belike of Gods people who were commanded to feast before the Lord in the place that he should chuse to place his name in See Deut. 14.23.26 1 Sam. 1.3 4. c. And here Paucis verbis multiplex scelus arguit saith Gualther in few words he accuseth them of much wickednesse and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their God A God they have of their own devising a wodden God and such as if he had but a paire of hornes clapt on his head might make an excellent devill as the Major of Dancaster told the wise men of Cockram in Q. Maries dayes that came to complaine of the Carver for making them an ugly Crucifix Next they drink wine in the house of their God Act. and Mon. besides their drink-offerings which Davids soule hated Psal 16.4 they had their drunken compotations in their Idoll-temples Heyl. Geog. 449. as now they say in the Isle of Sardinia after masse done they fall to drinking and dancing in the middest of the Church singing in the mean time songs too immodest for an Ale-house Lastly they drink the wine of the condemned or of such as they have fined or mulcted for not comming along with them to the Idol-temples Diodate rendreth it the wine of the amercements that is bought with such mony as they have unjustly amerced and condemned the innocent in There are that here understood that wine that was wont to be given to malefactors led to execution Prov. 31.6 to cheer them up but these wretches drank it
to those that drank most and fourty one of the company killed themselves with drinking to get that crown Darius king of Persia caused this to bee ingraven upon his tomb I was able to drink much wine and to bear it bravely Was not this to glory in his shame had he no way else to shew his valour Athenâ—â—â— Did he never take notice of that Persian law that it should not bee lawfull for their King to be drunk but onely once a yeer when they sacrificed to the Sunne Idem whom they took to be the greatest of the gods How much better Bathsheba in her Lemuels-lesson It is not for Kings Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong-drink lest they drink and forget the law c. Prov. 31.4 And if not for kings much lesse is it for others to be drunk with wine wherein is excesse Eph. 5.18 lest with Nabal and the rich glutton they drink deep of the wine of Gods wrath and have the full vials of his vengeance poured upon them for ever and anoint themselves with the chief ointments After the manner of the Jewish Nation whereof see 2 Sam. 12.20 Eccles 9.8 Luk. 7.38 46. Psal 23.5 and 104.15 Mat. 6.17 They spare for no cost or pains to please all their senses And such a prodigall pleasure-monger was that rich citizens sonne mentioned in the second part of the Theatre of Gods judgments who to please all his five senses at once allowed to the delight of every severall sense a severall hundred pound For which end 1. Theat of Gods judgments part 2. pag. 110.111 He bespake a curious faire room richly hangd and furnished with the most exquisite pictures to please the eye 2. He had all the choysest Musick that could be heard of to give content to the eare 3. He had all the Aromatickes and odoriferous perfumes to delight his cent in smelling 4. All the Candies Preserves Junkets even to the stretching of the Apothecaries or Confectionaries art to please his taft 5. And lastly a beautifull and faire strumpet lodg'd with him in a soft bed and the daintiest linnen that could be compassed to accommodate his touch and all these this Epicure more then ever Sardanapalus did enjoy'd at one instant He spent thirty thousand pounds in three yeares and swore after all that if he had ten times more then ever he had he would spend it all to live one week like a God though he were sure to be damn'd in hell the next day after they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph i. e. of the Israelites Psal 80.2 and 77.16 Amos. 5.6 Joseph is mentioned and put for all the rest because he was famous amongst his brethren Aug. de doct Christian lib. 4. cap. 6. vel ob mala quae pendit vel ob bona quae rependit both for the evils that he suffered and for the good turns that he returned Time was when poor Joseph was ill handled by his mercilesse brethren and could not be heard though he used many intreaties Gen. 37.23 any 42 21. They when they had cast him into the pit there to pine and perish with hunger sat down to eat and so to ease themselves of any remorse of conscience that might be wrought in them See 1 Sam. 22.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They should have been sick at heart as the word here signifieth for the affliction the confraction the breaking to shivers of Joseph poor Reuben was so as farr as he durst shew it and Joseph forgat not his kindnesse when he came to his greatnesse God who is all bowels will never forget those that forget not his afflicted but commiserate and relieve them as they have opportunity and ability Verse 7. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first Heb. in the head of those that go captive as they have been first in the degrees of honour and of sin so shall they be now of punishment according to that saying of the Centuristâ— Ingentia beneficia Magdeburg Esa 50.11 ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia This they shall have of Gods hand they shall lie down in sorrow yea many sorrowes shall be to these wicked ones Psal 32.10 these mercilesse men shall not have the least mercy shewed them Iam. 2.13 God will surely set off all hearts from such as he did from Haman for whom in his misery not one man openeth his mouth once to intercede and he will punish magnum luxum magno luctu as One saith great luxury with great necessity and the banquet of them that stretched themselves They shall neither have mind nor mony to make feasts that were wont to lay on in all sorts of superfluities That prodigall above-mentioned was by a just hand of God reduced to extreame penury and cast off by all his former acquaintance Senâ—â—â— That luxurious Roman Apicius the expences of whose kitchin amounted to more then two millions of gold having eaten up his estate and fearing poverty poysoued himself leaving behind him ten bookes of direction how to furnish and set forth a feast with all manner of varieties which now he could sooner talk of then take of The word here rendred banquet is taken for a funerall feast Jer. 16.5 and so some think the sense here is Lively they shall be carried captive into a farr country and there be deprived of the honour of burialls which is a judgement elsewhere threatened Jer. 22.18 19. Aben-Ezra rendreth it facesset canticum the song of the wanton shall be set packing and for this he alledgeth that in the Arabick dialect the root word here used signifieth to lift up the voyce either for joy or grief The Seventy render it the neighing of horses as noting their immoderate lust according to Jer. 5.8 And this sense Ribera commendeth Verse 8. The Lord God hath sworn by himself Heb. by his soul which is himself sith whatsoever is in God is God So chap. 4.2 Gen 22.16 Heb. 6.16.17 Or He hath sworn by his soule that is Seriè ex animo Seriously and heartily Among the Heathens ex animi sui sententia was instead of an oath saith the Lord God of hosts who hath power enough in his hand to performe what he hath so solemnly assured I abhorr the excellency or the pomp and pride of Jacob So Basil speaking of the Western Church Odi fastum istius Ecclesiae saith He I hate their pride This he elsewhere calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Western brow from the fore-head that seat of pride and arrogancy which at length occasioned that lamentable separation of the Easterne or Greek church from communion with the Latine Field Gerson Carlton the other foure Patriarks dividing themselves from the bishop of Rome Pride is an odious evill fitly compared by One to a great swelling in the body which unfits it for any good service and is apt to putrify and break and run with loathsome and foule matter
not be subject to Gods command is now liable to the censures conviction and condemnation of rude barbarous men which being humbled in the sense of his sinne hee doth patiently endure without grudging Danaeus his Note here is that concerning themselves and their own sinnes against God these good fellowes spake nothing what ever they think but demand of the Prophet why hast thou done this as if he were the onely misdoer because he had told them As willing now to give glory to God and take shame to himself this is the property of a true penitentiary See Psal 52. Title where David stands to do penance in a white sheet as it were and Augustines Confessions Hypocrites deal with their souls as some do with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so do they their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses But as the prisoner on the rack tells all and as things written with the juice of limmons when held to the fire are made legible so when God brings men into straits when he roasteth them in the fire of his wrath then if ever they will confesse against themselves and so give glory to God Josh 7.19 by putting themselves into the hand of justice in hope of mercy Verse 11. Then said they unto him What shall we do unto thee q. d. Thou art a Prophet of the Lord and knowest how he may be pacified Thou art also the party whom He pursueth say what we shall do to thee to save our selves from thy death that even gapeth for us from this Sea which else will soon swallow us up for the Sea worketh and is tempestuous so Kimchi readeth the Text making these last also to be the words of the Marriners Thou seest that there is no hope if thine angry God be not appeased Wo unto us who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty Gods 1 Sam. 4.8 If the Sea be thus ragefull and dreadfull as verse 15. if it thus work and swell more and more as we see it doth thereby testifying that it can now no longer defer to execute Gods anger tell us what we shall do in this case and strait What Verse 12. And he said unto them More by Gods inward revelation then by discourse of reason not as rashly offering himself to death but as freely submiting to the mind of God signified by the Lot that fell upon him calling for him to punishment Take me up and cast me forth into the Sea Eximia sides saith Mercer Before we had his repentance testified by his confession with aggravation Here we have his faith whereby he triumpheth over death in his most dreadfull representations Take me up saith he with a present minde and good courage as also his charity whereby he chose rather to die as a piacular person then to cause the death of so many men for his fault Like unto this was that of Nazianzen who desired Jonah-like to be cast into the Sea himself so be it all might be calme in the Publike that of Athanasius who by his sweat and tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine cured the leprosie of that tainted age that of Ambrose who was farre more sollicitous of the Churches welfare then of his own that of Chrysostome In 1 Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to seek the publick good of the Church and to preferre the salvation of others before a mans private profit is the most perfect Canon of Christianisme the very top-gallant of Religion the highest point and pitch of Piety so shall the Sea be calme unto you Not else for I have forfeited my life by my disobedience and my repentance though true and so to salvation never to be repented of comes too late in regard of temporall punishments 2 Cor. 7.10 as did likewise that of Moses Deut. 3.26 and of David 2 Sam. 12.10 such is the venemous nature of sinne in the saints 't is treachery because against covenant and such is the displeasure of God upon it that he chastiseth his here more then any other sinners Lam. 4.6 Dan. 9.12 and whoever else scape they shall be sure of it Amos 3.2 The word here rendred calme signifieth silent for the Sea when troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est maris agitatio Eâ—â— stach in Hom. Hiad H. roareth hideously so that the roaring of the devils at the painfull preconceit of their last doom of damnation is set forth by a word that is taken from the tossing of the Sea and the noise thereupon Iam. 2.19 The devils beleeve and tremble or shiver and shudder with horrible yellings for I know that for my sake this tempest is upon you If Jonah were a type of Christ in that being cast into the Sea a calme followed yet herein hee differed that Christ suffered not for his own offences 1 Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 but bore our sinnes in his own body on the tree and died the just for the unjust Verse 13. Neverthelesse the men rowed Heb. digged for so they that row seem to do with their oars Virg. Aeneid Vastum sulcavimus aequor as with spades Hence also the Latine Poets say that Boat-men cut plow furrow the waters Infindunt pariter sulcos The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did their utmost indeavour with violence to bring the ship to shore and to save Jonah and not as those bloody Emperours Tiberius Caligula and Claudius who took delight in the punishment of offenders and used to come early in the morning into the market-place to behold their executions Non nisâ— coactus Vtinam literas nescirem said that better Emperour when he was to subscribe a sentence of death and Oh that I could not write mine own name said Another upon the like occasion but they could not They did but strive against the stream for the Lord had otherwise determined it and Voluntas Dei necessitas reâ— who hath resisted his will for the Sea wrought and was tempestuous against them As verse 11. Praesentemque vires intentant omnia mortem Verse 14. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord Not unto their false gods but unto the true Jehovah of whom they had learned something by what they had seen and heard from Jonah Vaetorpori nostro We beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee A most ardent and affectionate prayer A naturall man may pray from the bottome of his heart out of a deep sense of his wants but he cannot give thanks from the bottom of his heart because void of the love of God and joy of faith Danaeus noteth from these words that Iudges ought to pray before they passe sentence of death upon any Let us not perish for this mans life which we take away but full sore against our wills Wilfull murther was ever accounted an heinous crime among the Heathens also
Abels innocent blood had as many tongues as drops to crie to heaven against Cain Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brothers bloods And 1 King 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth Murder ever bleeds fresh in the eye of God and to him many years yea that eternity that is past is but yesterday Full well then did these men so earnestly deprecate the guilt of innocent blood which they knew would lie and light heavie and lay not upon us innocent blood Innocent as to us for hee hath done us no hurt but much good by his piety and patience whence it is that we are so loth to part with him after this sort especially for thou O Lord hast done as it pleaseth thee Thou hast appointed him to this death and now callest for him as we easily collect by the circumstances Sic quicquid superi voluere peractum est Ovid. Metamor l. 8. Verse 15. So they took up Jonah Not against his will but in a sort offering himself to condigne punishment The Marriners had tried all wayes to save him till they saw they must either destroy him or be destroyed with him So deal many with their beloved sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixit Caligula which they are loth to mortifie they see they must either kill or be killed Rom. 8.13 either turn from them to God or burn for ever in hell Jonas his charity is exemplary who yeelded to perish alone rather then to have others perish with him and for him the Devil and his imps desire to draw company the same way with themselves and say as that wretch of old When I die may the earth be all fired and cast him forth into the Sea Thus dealeth God by his servant Ionah formerly faithfull in his office and able thereunto and therefore sent to Nineveh Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth Prov. 11.31 here they are sure of their payment neither can all their good deeds bear out one prepensed wickednesse Ovid. Metam Nec horret iratum mare Horat. lib. epod or a lesser fault that lies unrepented of as were easie to instance in Moses Miriam David others And all this proceeds from love displeased and the Sea ceased from raging Heb. stood from its wrath or indignation Nec maris ira manet The Sea having found what it sought for and now possest of the prisoner it pursued resteth quiet and content Vide hic mare disce sapere saith One See the sea here and learn obedience to thy Creator sith winds waves and all are at his beck and check See Mat. 8.23 Ver. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly Heb with a great feare They feared before ver 10. with a naturall feare but now they feared Jehovah they began to beare an awfull respect to the divine Majesty of whose power and goodnesse they were by this miracle clearely convinced and as it may seem to the true faith effectually converted For They offered a sacrifice to the Lord They sacrificed spirituall sacrifices presently that holocaust of themselves Rom. 12.1 that broken heart that lieth low and heareth all that God saith giving thanks to his name Heb. 13.15 and resolved to cover Gods altar at Jerusalem upon their safe arrivall as the Chaldee here paraphraseth and made vows That the true God should be their God as Iacob the father of vows promised Gen. 28.21 and that they would bestow cost on the Temple on the poor Saints to feed and cloath them as Isa 23.18 c. Verse 17. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish A whale Mat. 12.40 which is a great fish indeed Pliny tells of one taken that was six hundred foot in length and 360. in bredth Plin. lib. 32. cap. 1. when they swim and shew themselves above water annare insulas putes saith the same Authour you would think them to be so many Islands so many mountaines saith Another who also addeth Lib. 9. cap. 2. that when they grow old they grow to that bignesse and fatnesse that they keep long in a place Insomuch as ex collectis condensatis pulveribus frutices erumpere cernantur Sphinx Phili◠the dust and filth gathered upon their backs seemes to be an Island which whiles shipmen mistake and think to land at they incurr a great deale of danger Such a great fish God prepared Either at first when in creating of whales creavit vastitates stupores as One saith Or He now commanded this great fish to be ready to ship Jonas to the shore and to afford him an Oratory in themeane while and Jonah was in the belly of the fish where Interpreters note a concurrence of these foure miracles 1. That he was not there consumed but that the concoctive faculty of the fishes maw was so long time kept from doing its office 2. That he could in such a close prison breath and live without the common use of aire and light 3. That he was not killed up with intolerable stench in so lothsome a jakes 4. That he could there frame such an excellent prayer or rather song of thanksgiving For Jonah was the true Arion whom the Poets faine to have been a minstrell cast into the sea by the mariners and saved by a dolphin three dayes and three nights Part of them at least as Christ was in the grave Mat. 12.40 where in the history of Jonas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he descrieth the mystery of his own death buriall and resurrection teaching us thereby to search the scriptures to search them to the bottome as those that dig for gold content not themselves with the first or second oare that offers it self but search on till they have all The Rabbines have a saying Epist 3. ad Volusian that there is a mountaine of sense hangs upon every Apex of the word of God And so great is the depth of the holy scriptures saith Augustine that I could profit daily in the knowledge thereof though I should set my self to search them from my childhood to decrepit old age at best leisure with utmost study and a farr better wit c. CHAP. II. Verse 1. THen Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God i. e. Praised God with this Canticum eucharisticum this gratulatory song as Tremellius calleth it That he prayed in the ship in the sea in the whales belly we doubt not but that he chiefly intendeth to shew his thankfulnesse for the return of prayers and the sweet support he felt in the whales belly we do as little doubt See ver 2 6 7. yea that this was the substance though now better methodized of what he praied and praised in the bowels of the fish we have cause to beleeve from this very verse and therefore also his deliverance is set down ver 10. after his doxologie The word here rendred pray'd signifieth also sometimes to give thanks as 1 Sam 2.2 and who knowes not that thanksgiving is a speciall part
have been prevented Verse 4. In that day shall one take up a parable c. In that day that dolefull and dismal day of their calamity shall One Any one that is moved at your misery and would work you to a sense of your sin the mother of your misery shall take up a parable tristem querulam sad and sorrowfull and lament with a doleful lamentation Heb. with a lamentation of lamentations or with heigh-ho upon heigh-ho as the word seemes to signify we be uttterly spoiled Plundered to the life laid naked to the very foundation chap. 1.6 put into such a condition as that there is neither hope of better nor place of worse he hath changed the portion of my people that is God or the Assyrian by Gods appointment hath taken away our countrey and given it to strangers The Pope took upon him in Henry the 8. dayes to give England Primo occupaturo to him that could first win it This brutum fulmen came to nothing But when Gods people changed their glory for that which profited not Ier. 2 11. he soon changed their portion he caused that good land to spew them out he turned their weale into woe and brought wrath upon them to the utmost Neither profited it them any more to have been called Gods people then it did Dives in flames that Abraham called him Son or Judas that Christ called him Friend how hath he removed it from me Erah This is Lamentation-like indeed See Lam. 1.1 and 2.1 and 4.1 all beginning with the same word How The speech is concise and abrupt meet for mourners There is an elegancy in the original not to be Englished How uncertaine are all things here God sits upon the circle of the earth and shakes out the inhabitants qt pleasure as by a canvas Esa 40. Persons and things are said to be in heaven but on earth on the outside of it only where they have no firm footing Dionysius was driven out of his kingdome Aelian lib. 2. which yet he thought was tied to him with chaines of adamant saith the Historian turning away from us as a lothsome object being so incorrigibly flagitious he hath divided our fields sc to the enemy for a reward like as he gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar for his paines at Tyre Or thus Instead of restoring which now we are hopelesse of he hath divided our fields our fertile and fat countrey to those that will be sure to hold their own in it as the Gaules and Gothes did in Italy after they had once tasted the sweetnesse of it Vatablus rendreth the text thus How hath he taken from me those fields of ours which he seemed ready to restore he hath even divided them sc to others Verse 5. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot Fields were divided with cords of old and inheritances also See Psal 16.5 and 105.11 and 78.55 2 Sam. 8.2 This hope is henceforth cut off from revolted Israel the ten tribes never returned the other two did and some few of the ten amongst them Whether upon their conversion to Christ they shall be restored to the promised land Time the mother of Truth will make manifest In the congregation of the Lord So you were once but now nothing lesse A Congregation ye are still but of malignants a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven A name ye have to live but ye are dead ye cry out Templum Domini The Temple of the Lord are we but in truth ye are no better then those Egyptian temples beautifull without but within nothing to be seen but a cat rat or some such despicable creature Here they are called the Congregation of the Lord by an irony as the Cardinall of Ravenna is so called by way of derision Verse 6. Prophesie ye not say they to them that prophesie Prodigious impudency thus to silence the Prophets or else to prescribe to them according to the other reading of the text Prophesie not as they prophesie for they are too tart therefore Drop not ye who thus drop vineger and nitre who vex our galled consciences no lesse then the cruel Spaniards do the poor Indians naked bodies which Sr. Fr. Drake for a sport they do day by day drop with burning bacon But let these drop that can smooth us up that can utter toothlesse truths that will drop oyle into our eares byssina verba and give us silken words these be Prophets for our turns c. God cannot please some hearers unlesse he speak tinkling and tickling words Now these must get their eares healed as Demosthenes advised his countreymen of Greece ere they can be in case to hear with profit They must learn of Bees to paslâ— by roses and violets and sit upon Time to heed I meane sound rebukes rather then smooth supparasitations There are that note a jeare it the tearm Drop It is well known that the word Preached is oft compared to raine Deut. 32.2 Esay 55.10.11 The Prophets therefore are here in derision called Droppers or Distillers Luk. 16 1â— and forbidden to do their office or at least to drop in that sort Thu their successors in evill the Pharisees who were likewise coverous derided Christ And thus their predecessours also in Esay's time put a scost upon him and his preaching cap. 28.10 where the sound of the words in the Original carries a taunt as scornfull people by the tone of their voice and riming words gibe and jeare at those whom they vilify they shall not prophesie to them q. d. You shall have your wish my droppers shall give over dropping and be no further troublesome nor take shame any more by prophesying to such a perverse people so shamelesly so lawlesly wicked that they shall not take shame Or shall they not take shame q. d. though they will not heare of it that shame shall be their promotion and confusion their portion yea they shall surely feel and find it so Verse 7. O thou that art named the house of Jacob That hast a name to live but art dead Rev. 3.1 that art called a Jew and makest thy boast of God Rom. 2.17 that hast a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and a form of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 a semblance of sanctimony Luke 8.18 acting religion playing devotion as if it were a neme onely or as if it were enough to be named the house of Jacob or to have his voice though the hands are the hands of Esau the practise nothing suitable to the profession Thus many amongst us content themselves with the bare name of Christians as if many a ship hath not been called Safe-guard or Goodspeed which yet hath fallen into the hands of Pirates The devil will surely sweep and hell swallow all such Nominalists such shall find that an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at the last What was Dives the better for this that Abraham called him sonne or Iudas that Christ called him friend or
teeth and fed them with the bread of affliction and water of affliction with prisoners pittance as they call it which will neither keep them alive 1 King 22.27 nor suffer them to die Then shall they cry and whine as hogs when hungry as dogs when tied up from their meate but God will not hear them He will even cast out their prayers with contempt as beeing the prayers of the flesh for ease and not of the spirit for grace They cry unto the Lord aloud but it is only to be rid of his rod they roare when upon the wrack but 't is only to get off they look rufully as the fox doth when taken in a gin but it is only to be set at liberty they chatter out a charme when Gods chastening is upon them yea they may be with child as it were of a prayer and yet bring forth nothing but wind Esa 26.16 17 18. For either God answereth them not at all which was Sauls case curse 1 Sam. 28.15 Moabs Isa 16.12 and Davids enemies Psal 18.41 Or else he gives them bitter answers Ezek. 14.4 Judg. 10.13 14. Or if better it is but for a further mischief that he may curse their blessings and consume them after that he hath done them good Iosh 24.20 Their preservation from one evill is but a reservation to seven worse as we see in Phaoh Senacherih Ahab and others Lo this is the portion of a wicked man with God and the heritage of oppressours which they shall receive of the almighty Iob 27 13 14 15. c. See the place Remedilesse misery shall befall them calamities that shall wring from them clamours but to no purpose or profit See Prov. 1.28 he will even hide his face from them that is withdraw his savour care providence help presence and benefits of all which the face is the symbol that like as they have turned upon God the back and not the face and have been mercilesse to men Esa 58.7 hiding their eyes from their own flesh so shall it be done to them in the day of their distresse God will award them judgement without mercy who shewed no mercy Iam. 2.13 He will set off all hearts from them as he did from wicked Haman See Prov. 21.13 with the Note when the king frowned upon him Lastly he will turn their own consciences loose upon them as once he did upon Iosephs brethren Gen. 42.21 to ring that dolefull knell in their eares Isa 3â— 1. Woe to thee that spoilist c. when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled c. Talionis lege mulctabere as Adonibezek Phocas Charles 9. c. Verse 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets False prophets who pretended divine authority when as God never sent them but expresly declareth here against them and threateneth them Those prophane Princes had their flesh-flies those court-parasites to sooth and smooth them up in their sins to promise thâ—m peace albeit they walked in the imagination of their own hearts to add drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 28.19 Bucholcer and to live as they listed Mirifica est sympathia inter Magnates parasitos saith One. There is a strange sympathy betwixt Great men and claw-backs nothing so troublesome to such as truth nothing so toothsome as flattery this is the fruit of 〈◊〉 self-love and the end thereof are the wayes of death Prov. 16.25 that make my people to erre That 〈◊〉 them and carry them out of the right way into by paths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20.30 and blind thickets 〈◊〉 â—rrour where they are lost for ever Deut. 13.13 Seducers are said to draw 〈◊〉 violently or to thrust them onward Jeroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord and the false Apostles to drag disciples after them Act. 20. compelling them by their perswasions to embrace those distorted doctrines that cause convulsions of conscience that bite with their teeth The dogs of Congo bite through they bark not saith Mr. Purchas Pilgr of Religion Christs Polititian by Tho. Scot. there are a sort of cuâ—-dogs saith Another that suck a mans blood only with licking Seducers are such Beware of false Prophets for they come to you in sheeps cloâ—thing but inwardly they are ravening wolves And in this sense Hierome and Theodoret take this text they devoure those they make prize of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word signifieth Colos 2.8 Others think their covetousnesse and gormandise is noted O Monachi Vestri stomachi sunt amphora Bacchi Vos estis Decis est testis certissima pestis As hungry dogs they snap at a crust and make cleane work such is their voracity and unsatisfiablenesse Ingluvies tempestas barathrumque macelii And cry Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All shall be as well as heart can wish or need require Let these Cerberusses but be morselled and you shall heare no worse of them Like they are to the ravens of Arabia that full gorged have a tuneable sweet record but empty screech horribly Si ventri benè si lateri as Epicurus saith in Horace Let their bellyes be filled and their backs fitted and they will prophecy all good to you as those false Prophets nourished by Iezebel did to Ahab as the Pharisees cryed up the Centurion who had built them a synagogue Luk. 7. as the Popish Clergy canonize their benefactours and extoll them to the skies Wvlsin Bishop of Sherborn displaced secular Priests and put in Monks Hence the Monkish writers make him a very holy man and report of him that when he lay a dying he cryed out suddenly I see the heavens open Godw. Cataloc 335. and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God and so died Yea they had a trick to make their Images speak their minds this way As the rode of grace here in England had a man within it inclosed with an hundred wires to make the image goggle with the eyes nod with the head hang the lip move and shake his lawes according as the value was of the gift that was offered If it were a small peece of silver he would hang a frowning lip if a peece of gold then should his jawes go merrily This idolatrous forgery was at last by Cromwels meanes disclosed Act. Mon. fol. 1034. and the image with all his engines shewed openly at Pauls crosse and there torn in peeces by the people who had been so seduced and he that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare warr against him Heb. sanctifie a warr id est excomunicatis aquâ igni interdicunt Gualth crucem adversus eos praedicant c. they thunder against them and throw them out of the Church publish their Croysades as they did against the Waldenses in France the Hussites in Bohemia and Luther in Germany whom the pope excommunicated the Emperour proscribed diverse divines wrot against the reason whereof when Erasmus was asked by
countrey-men of Athens to get their ears healed and Diogenes used to tell his tale to the statues and images that he might inure himself to lose his labour as he had so often done in speaking to the people Pag. 18. Let us to the wearing of our tongues to the stumps preach and pray never so much men will on in sinne said blessed Bradford in that excellent Sermon of his of Repentance We cry till we are hoarse saith another rare Preacher we speak till we spit forth our lungs but all to as little purpose as Bede did when he preached to an heap of stones Asine quispiam narrabat fabulam at ille movebat aures But shall people thus carry it away and God lose his sweet words Never think it Those that will not hear the word shall hear the rod verse 9. of this chapter and if they could but see their misery they would do as the Prophet requires cut their hair and cast it away under the sense of the horror of Gods indignation Jer. 7.27 29. they would beg of God a hearing ear which is as an ear-ring of gold Prov. 25.12 and beseech him to make the bore bigger that his word might enter yea to draw up the ears of their souls to the ears of their bodies that one saving sound might pierce both at once Let him that hath an ear to hear hear or if yet any think good to forbear let him forbear Ezek. 3.27 but he will certainly repent it He that now gives God occasion to call to the hills c. shall one day tire the deaf mountains saying Fall on me hide me dash and quash me in a thousand peeces O that I might trot directly to hell and not stay to hear that dreadfull Discedite Go ye cursed Verse 2. Hear O ye mountains the Lords controversie Although the people would neither hear nor obey God the Prophet doth and according to command he summoneth the mountains to hear and testifie the Lord seeming to say unto him as once he did to Ezekiel But thou sonne of man be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house but hear what I say unto thee and do it It might seem to him a senselesse thing to cite the mountains c. But hee knew that if God command a thing to argue or debate upon it were bold presumption to search the reason of it proud curiosity to detrect or disobey it flat rebellion To the mountains and foundations of the earth he applies himself happly with like minde and in like manner as the Host of Nola did to the Church-yard and there called at the graves of the dead Oh ye good men of Nola come away Anton. de Guevara for the Roman Censor calls for your appearance for he knew not where to call for a good man alive and ye strong foundations of the earth Those roots of the mountains Jon. 2.7 yet not so strong but God can shake them Job 9.5 6. Nah. 1.5 6. and that by so weak a creature as air gotten under ground and seeking a vent Hee can lift them off their foundations Deut. 32.22 and carry them to another place to hear his controversie as he did the hill in Herefordshire Anno 1571. Camden de Bâ—â—tan fol. 473. Polan synt and that other in the territories of Bern that removing out of his place in an earth-quake covered a whole village that had 90 families in it See the Note on Amos 1.1 for the Lord hath a controversie with his people See the Note on Hos 4.1 and learn to tremble before this great God who sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers Esay 40.22 which he can shake out of their place at pleasure and send them packing to hell O consider what a fearfull thing it is to be at controversie with God and to have him both our Accuser witnesse and Judge O the terrour of the Lord at that great and last day of the world Vtinam ubique de hoc judiâ—io disseretur Then shall they begin to say to the mountains Fall on us but they shall reply Luke 23 30. we are witnesses against you for your detestable unthankfulnesse and to the hills Cover us but they shall eccho out Cover us for who can dwell with this devouring fire who can abide these everlasting burnings and he will plead with Israel At which time they shall find that an empty title hath but an empty comfort and that tribulation and anguish shall be on every soul of man that doth evil but of the Jew first because of his priviledge Rom. 2.9 and then of the Gentile None so deep in utter darknesse as those that once were Angels of light Let us all pray with holy David Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord c. And with Job If thou shouldst contend with me Psal 143.2 Joh 9.2 3. Dan. 9.7 8. I could not answer thee one of a thousand And with Daniel O Lord righteousnesse belongs unto thee but to us confusion of face because we have sinned against thee Verse 3. O my people what have I done unto thee Or rather what have I not done to do thee good O generation see yee the word of the Lord Jer. 2.31 and not hear it onely was ever any thing more evidencing and evincing then what I now alledge Have I been a wildernesse unto Israel a land of darknesse May I not well say unto you as He did to his ungratefull countreymen What Are ye weary of receiving so many benefits from one man But say What hurt have I ever done you Themistocles and wherein have I wearied you or been troublesome to you unlesse it be by daily loading you with loving-kindnesses Psal 68.19 and bearing with your provocations Forgive me that injury 2 Cor. 12.13 Testifie against me Put me in remembrance let us plead together declare thou against me that thou mayest be justified Esay 43.26 See here first with what meeknesse and mildnesse God proceedeth against sinners so Esay 5.3 Judicate quaeso See next that God is content for our better conviction to submit his courses unto scanning and to bring his proceedings with us to a triall before hee passe sentence that he might be justified when he speaketh and cleared when hee judgeth Psal 51.4 Here hee wills them to plead the cause with him as it were at even hand offering to make answer to whatsoever they could object or lay to his charge Seipsum quasi reum sistit He maketh himself the Defendant Gualther and bids them put in their Bill of complaint against him freely and without fear This is Stupenda sanè dignatio a wonderfull condescention indeed Should he use martiall law against us M. Neh. Rog. and assoon as ever we offend like Draco write his lawes in blood upon us as One well saith it were but just and right But for him to reason and plead with us about the justice of his
And what though the Gods of the nations had not delivered them yet Hezekiah's God in whom he trusted did not deceive him as Senacherib said he would ver 10.12 He is the champion of his church and will be the strong hold of his people when the heathens Tutelur Gods and the Papists Patrone-saints will leave them in the lurch England was sometime said to have a war-like George but the Papists being offended with us to do us as they suppose a mischief have robbed us of out George and left us God alone to be our Champion for which honour and favour all true English hearts are bound to thank them and can merrily sing as He did once Contemno minutulos istos deos modò Jovem propitium habeam We care not for their He-saints or she-saints to shelter us so that the great God will be good to us a streng-hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him that hover and cover under his wings as the chickens do under the hens for that 's the force of the Hebrew word here used Such as these God knoweth for his 2 Tim. 2.19 he knoweth their soule in adversity Psal 119. he knoweth how to deliver them as he did the righteous Lot 2 Pet. 2.9 then when they knew not what to do as Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 yet if their eyes be toward him their affiance in him he will extricate and deliver them So well pleased is he with those that trust in him for that 's meant here by his knowing of them Psal 1.6 confer Iob 9.29 1 Thes 5.12 he taketh such complacency and delight in them Psal 147.11 and 33.18 and such continuall care of them as hath been proved by an universall experience nor one instance can be given to the contrary that they shall be sure to have whatsoever heart can wish or need require 2 Sam. 22.2 3. even miraculous loving kindnesse from God in a strong city Psal 17.7 and 31.21 so great as cannot be uttered Psal 31.19 This is for the comfort of Gods Israel But lest the wicked as they are apt should meddle with childrens meat which was never meant for them lest Niniveh should please her self in a fond conceit of Gods goodnesse to her also and so turn it into wantonnesse the Prophet brings in a stinging But in the next words Ver. 8. But with an over-running flood he will make an end of the place thereof i. e. of Niniveh that great but bloody city chap. 3.1 Her state shall be utterly ruinated as the old world by the generall deluge But because the word here rendred flood is used of rivers that overflow the bankes 2 Chron. 32.4 and the adjunct over-running also implies as much See Esai 8.8 Dan. 11.10 40. I suppose the Holy Ghost here forethreateneth that ruine of this city by the river Tigris which at an inundation broke out upon the wall and threw down twenty furlongs thereof This was a sad foretoken to them of their ensuing desolation by the enemy as that raine was that fell in Egypt where it used not to raine a little before Cambyses with his Persians subdued it for it fell out in the time of the Siege as Diodorus testifieth according to an oracle that the Ninivites had received by tradition from their progenitours sc that their city should then be taken by the enemy Diod. Sic. when the river took part against them and it fell out accordingly and darknesse shall pursue his enemies i. e. terrible and inextricable calamities shall overtake them their ruine shall be irreparable And indeed it may now be said of Niniveh which once was of a great city in Strabo Magna civitas magna solitudo See Zeph. 2.13 14 15. Drusius rendreth it thus Hostes suos persequi faciet tenebras He shall cause darknesse to pursue his enemies Or He shall make his enemies to pursue darknesse according to that noted saying of the Ancients Deus quem destruit dementat whom God intends to destroy him He first infatuateth But the former sence is the better Ver. 9. What do ye imagine against the Lord because against his people So Psal 62.3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man ye shall be slaine all of you as a bowing wall shall ye be and as a tottering fence The blind and bloody Ninivites looked no further then the Jewes whom they invaded they considered not that God was ingaged in the quarrel of his people This made the Virgin daughter of Zion confident of Gods help shake her head in scorn and pitty at them saying Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high even against the holy One of Israel Isai 37.22 23. She knew well though her enemies knew not that as an unskilfull archer in shooting at a beast hitteth a man sometimes so the Churches adversaries in troubling of her trouble Almighty God who will not faile to be even with them for he that toucheth Gods people toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me â— Act. 9.4 It was a simple question of Satan to our Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what have I to do with thee whilest he vexed a servant of his Hath he his name from knowledge and yet could he so mistake himwhom he confessed to be the son of the living God It is an idle misprision to-sever the sense of an injury done to any of the members from the head Drusius reades the text thus Quid cogitatis de Domino what think ye of the Lord what conceit or opinion have ye of him Doe ye imagine that he cannot performe what he threateneth by his Prophets or that he cannot when he pleaseth deliver his people out of your hand he will make an utter end Not a consumption only but a consummation This he is even doing as the Hebrew hath it he is busy about it and will not faile to sinish it for he useth not to do his work to the halves Surely a short work will the Lord make in your land now that he taketh you to do certo cito penitus assliction shall not rise up the second time God will dispatch you at one blow See a like expression 1 Sam. 26.8 Niniveh had many brushes before by Phraortes king of Medes and his son Ciaxares and afterwards by the Scythians whereof See Ier. 49.34 and by Astyages c. Now Nâ—buchadnezzar was appointed by God to make an utter end of it c. The wicked shall totally and finally be consumed at once Not so the Saints these he corrects with a rod those with a grounded staffe Esa 32.32 These in mercy and in measure in the bunches only he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind Esa 27.8 he stayeth such afflictions as would shake his plants too much or quite blow them down But to the wicked he hath no such tender respect he smites them at
promise yea to give oath and now thy truth bindeth thee to performe All thy pathes to thy people now are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 not mercy onely but mercy and truth not by a providence onely but by vertue of a promise ratified with an oath This is sweet indeed this deserves a Selah to be set to it thou didst cleave the earth with rivers Exod. 17.6 Psal 78.15 16. Deut. 8.15 Neh. 9.15 This cleaving the hard Rock and setting it abroach this turning of the flint into a fountain Psal 114.8 was a work of Omnipotency and is therefore so much celebrated It maketh much to the miracle that the earth was cleft with rivers this importeth both the plenty and the perennity thereof for the Rock that is the river out of the rock followed them 1 Cor. 10.4 lest in that dry and barren wildernesse they should perish for want of water The same God also who had given his people petram aquatilem gave them pluviam escatilem Tertul. de patientia as Tertullian phraseth it Manna from heaven Quails in great abundance and never was Prince better served in his greatest pomp He also defended them from the fiery serpents and delivered them from a thousand other deaths and dangers all which mercies are here implied though one onely be instanced and all to ascertain the Saints how much God setteth by them and what he will yet do for them as occasion requireth As he made the world at first that he might communicate and impart himself to his Elect so for their sakes doth he still preserve and govern it ordering the worlds disorders by an over-ruling power for his own glory and their eternall good Verse 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled sc At the promulgation of the Law Exod. 19.17 Psal 114.4 6. when God came with ten thousand of his Saints Deut. 33.2 and so terrible was the earth-quake that it wrought an heart-quake even in Moses himself Heb. 12.21 It is the office of the Law to do so and happy is he who terrified and thunder-struck by the threats thereof runnes to Christ for refuge as to One who is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him Heb. 9.25 Some take mountains metaphorically for the Mighties of the earth and read it thus The mountains saw thee and they grieved See Num. 22.3 Josh 2.9 10 11 The over-flowing of the water passed by the inundation of Jordan passed into the dead-sea the lower part of it I mean like as the upper stood and rose up upon an heap Gualth Josh 3.16 being bounded and barred up by the Almighty power of God the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high i. e. summo consensis suffragatus est c. It voiced and voted for Gods judgements helping forward the execution thereof Verse 11. The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation viz. In the dayes of Joshuah and upon his prayer chap. 10.12 13. whereupon One crieth out O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam quibus etiam coelestia cedunt c. O the admirable power of prayer Buchol that worketh wonders in heaven and oh the heroicall faith of Joshuah the trophees whereof hee set in the very orbes of heaven at the light of thine arrowes they went By these shining arrowes and glittering spears some understand that terrible lightening mixt with that horrible hail Josh 10.11 with Exod. 9.23 and then it is figura planè poetica a Poeticall expression for the poets call lightening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the sword of the Lord and of Gideon Judg. 7. 18. Joves arrow See the like Psal 18.14 The huge hail-stones were Gods glittering spears wherewith he slaughtered his enemies Others suppose that these things are meant of the arms and weapons of the Israelites called Gods arrowes and spears because used at his command and ordered by him This sence Gualther liketh better as most comfortable to Christian warriours who fight the Lords battels Verse 12. Thou didst march thorow the land in indignation Heb. Thou didst walk in pomp as a Conquerour thorow the land sc of Canaan in contempt of the opposite forces treading upon the neeks of thine enemies Josh 10.24 thou didst thresh the heathen in anger See Amos 1.3 Mic. 4.13 God by the hands of Joshuah did all this The most of the old inhabitants were destroyed Some few fled into Africk and left written upon a pillar for a monument to posterity We are Phoenicians that fled from the face of Joshuah the son of Nave Verse 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people q. d. Thou wast Generalissimo in â—our expeditions in the dayes of the Judges who therefore were so successefull How could they be otherwise when God came with them into the field Camd. Elisab If Q. Elizabeth could take for her Motto Cui adhaereo praest He to whom I adhere prevaileth how much more may Almighty God say as much even for salvation with thine anointed i. e. with David 1 Sam. 16.12 13. 2 Sam. 5.3 16. and 19.22 and 22.51 Psal 20.7 a lively type of Christ that Messiah the Prince the mystery of which promised Saviour the ancient Jew-Doctours confessed to be contained in this text It is not altogether unlikely that the Prophet might intend here to point at Jesus Christ when he saith for salvation Jeshang whence Jesus for thine anointed or thy Christ There are that read the words in the Future-tense thus Thou shalt go forth for the salvation of thy people sc when Messiah that great Sospitator cometh thou shalt wound the head of the wicked sc of the Devil Rom. 16.20 Thou shalt make naked the foundation of his kingdom unto the neck Selah thou shalt utterly destroy sin death and hell A remarkable mercy indeed a mystery of greatest concernment and most worthy to be considered Gualther carries the sence this way and yet addeth that if any please to refer the words to the history of the old Testament they must be understood of those tyrants that persecuted the true Church and whom God for Christs sake subdued and subverted together with their kingdomes Verse 14. Thou didst strike thorow with his staves the heads of his villages Heb. thou didst pierce or bore thorow as with an awger with his staves a Metaphor from shepherdy according to that Psal 23.3 thy rod and thy staffe c. or with his tribes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that entred the land of promise Acts 26.7 with these men or with these weapons though never so unlikely thou diddest by the hand of David wound the hairy scalp of thine enemies those Pagans and persecutours and much more wiâ—â— by the Son of David subdue Satan and his Complices they came out as a whirl-winde to scatter me Heb. they tempested they raised an hurly-burly being turbulent spirits as the devil is to disperse me as the dust of the mountains is scattered before a whirle-winde their
full perfecting and finishing of the Temple and restoring the worship of God within it unto its full perfection of beauty and brightnesse By the two Olive-trees Zerubb abel with the elders and Ioshua High-priest with the other priests that sat before him as Chap. 3.8 wite Ezra 6.14 confer Psal 52.8 These are said to empty golden oyl that is their estates and pains for the finishing of costly work and likewise because it was done in fincerity of heart therefore it is called golden or pure cyl Further these eminent ranks and sorts of persons that should give their affistance to this work are called sons of oyl verse 15. As being fruit ful and affording plenty of it Thus Esay 5 1. a fruitful hill and fertile soyl is in the Original as here called a son of oyl c. Verse 8. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying This is a conformation of the former comfort and a feal of the former promise all which was but little enough by reason of the peoples distrust and iufidelity Against which the prophet here produceth his warrant Gods own word q. d. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation This is a pillar and ground of truth See the Note od 1 Tim. 3.15 Verse 9. The hands of â—erubbabel have laid the soundation of this house his hands c. Here the scope of this stately vision iâ— plainly held forth and without a parable What the scripture speaketh darkly in one place it speaks plainly in another The Rabbins have a saying that there is a mountain of sense hanging upon every Apcx of the word of God They have also another saying Nulla â—st obâ—ctio in lege quae non haber solutionem in latere i. e. There is not any doubt in the law Pemble of the Persian Monarchy but may be resolved out of the law Zorobalâ—cl is both founder and finisher of the Temple those that will have it not to be finished till about the sixth yeer of Darius Nothus make him to be very long-lived and tell us that God granteth to one a longer life then ordinary because he hath something to be done by them The distrustful Jews began to despise those small beginnings of a building and to despair of ever seeing it perfected by reason of those mountains of opposition they met with and thought they should never dig down or get over The work shall the done saith God and Zerubbabel how unlikely soever shall do it Beleeve the Prophets and ye shall prosper It shall never be faid of Zorobabel as of the foolish huilder This mâ—n began but could not sinish Or as an out-lander seeing Christ-church in Oxford said of it Egregium opus Cardinalis iste instituit Collegium Luke 14.30 Rod. Gualthe abâ—â—boit culmam A pretty piece of Work A colledge begun and a kitchin finished It was God that set Zerubbabel awork and He doth not use do things to halves He is Alpha and Omega the Beginner and Ender the Author and Finisher Heb. 12.1 I am consident of this very thing faith Paul that he that hath begun a good work in you wil perform it Psal 1.6 And faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it 1 Thes 5.24 And the Lord will persect that which concerneth me saith David sorsake not the work of thine own hands Psal 138.8 Look upon the wounds of thine hands and despite not the works of thine hands said Queen Elizabeth Thus if men pray in the holy Ghost keep themselves in the love of God and look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ umo câ—ernal life they shall be builded up in their most holy saith Jude 20.21 where by Christ shall dwell in their hearts as in his holy Temple and thou shth know Thou Zachary shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me His Angel as his Internuncio See Luk. 1.19 Or thou Zerubbabel shalt know that I Zaâ—hary come not to thee of mine own minde but on Gods message and am therefore to be beleeved When Ehud told Egion he had a message from God though he were an heathen and a fat unweildy man he stood up to receive it Judg. 3.20 though that message was a messenger of death a ponyard in his bowels Should not we harken to the Father of spirits and live Heb. 12. should the Consolations of God be sinall with us Job 15.11 Should we instead of wrestling with God by prayer so putting his promises in suit wrangle with him by cavelling objections lâ—se dixit among Pythagoras his schollers went currant if their master said it 't was enough And shall we that are taught of God not give the like credit to our Master in heaven shall we not yeeld him the obedrence of faith Verse 10. Tor who hath dâ—spised the day of small things Nay who had not The generality of the Iews were clearly guilty Ezra 3.13 and are therefore here justly reproved As Naaman once looked on Gods Iordan with Syrian eyes and so sllghted the motion of washing therein so these distrusiful Jews despised the small beginnings of this great work and the little likelyhood of ever bringing it to any good upshot Is it not in your eyes as nothing-saith Haggâ—e hap 2.3 They seemed onely to grieve at it but God construeth it for a downright contem pt for he judgeth otherwise of our carnall affections then we our selves and will have us to know that his thoughts are not our thoughts neither are his wayes our wayes Esay 55.8 Out of meancst principles he many times raiseth matters of greatest moment that his own immediate hand may the more appear The kingdom of heaven was at first but as a grain of mustaâ—d-seed Mat. 13.32 The stone cut out of the mountain without hands as if it had dropt out or been blown down thnece became a mountain and silled the whole earth Dan. 1.34 35. The cloud that rose as little as a mans hand soon after muffled the whole heaven God put little thoughts into the heart of Ahashuerosh concerning Mordecai but for great purposes Who would ever have thought that out of Abraham now as good as dead should have come the Messiah or that out of the dry root of Jesse should come the Branch spoken of in the former Chapter who would have imagined that going forth onely with his bow Rev. 6.2 and arrows Psal 45.5 the foolishnesse of preaching he could conquer in three hundred yeers the whole Roman Empire that by Hus a goose and Luther a swan such strange things should have been done in Bohemia and Germany that by a scruple cast into Hen. the 8. his minde about his marriage with Katharine of Spain by the Trench Embassador who came to consult with him of a marriage between the Lady Mary and the Duke of Orleans second son to the King of France whether Mary were legitimate c the Pope should be cast off here and reformation wrought by so weak and
they read the predictions of an Almanack for wind and weather which they think may come to passe and it may be not but be confident of this very thing that God who hath denounced it will surely do it and that he will execute the judgement written in this roll Psal 149.9 yea every sicknesse and every plague which is not written in the book of this Law them will the Lord cause to descend upon the disobedient untill they be destroyed Deut. 28.61 Verse 3. This is the curse Or oath with execration and cursing Num. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Aâ— Graecè juramentum et execrationem significat Mercer Cursing men are cursed men and God hath sworn that swearers shall not enter into his rest that goeth forth yea flyeth verse 2. more swift then an eagle an arrow a flash of lightening Or if not yet Poena venit gravior quo magè sera venit over the face of the whole earth Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil but of the Jew sirst Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia who is therefore the worse because he ought 'to have been better and then Rom. 2.9 of the Gentile also Theodoret Lyra and Vatablus think that Iudaea is hinted in the measure of the book twenty cubites long and ten broad as being twice so long and somewhat more as it is broad witnesse Hierom in his Epistle to Dardanus Epist 129. But let the whole earth here be taken in its utmost latitude sith the Gentiles that sinne without the Law are yet liable to the punishments of the Law And some of them by the light of Nature saw the evil of swearing but all generally of stealing but especially of perjury and sacriledge here principally meant Confer Mal. 3.8 Neh. 13.10 for every one that stealeth shall be cut off By stealing understand all sins against the second Table as by swearing all against the first and so the sense is the same with that of the Apostle Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 Howbeit because these two sins were more frequently and more impudently committed in those dayes therefore are they by a specialty instanced The Jewes comming poor out of Babylon held it no great sin to steal for supply of their necessities and then to forswear themselves for the better hiding of their theft Give me not poverty said holy Agur lest being poore I steale and as one sin drawes on another I take the name of my God in vaine Prov. 30.9 See the Note there Hunger is an evill counsellour necessity an hard weapon a sore temptation when it comes to this Either I must steale or starve But then to this must be opposed that of the law Thou shalt in no case steals Thou must rather dye then do wickedly Aut faciendum aut patiendum Either obey the law or suffer the curse as on this side according to it i. e. According to the curse described in the rowle the thees shall be cut off as well as the swearer they shall speed alike The tares shall be bound up in bundles theeves with theeves and swearers with swearers and burnt in the fire Mat. 13.30 40. According to the prediction shall be the execution Whether on this side that is in Judea so some sense it or on that side in other parts of the world such persons appeare they shall have their payment and every one that sweareth Not only falsely as verse 4. but lightly vainely causelesly in jest and not in judgement whether by God or by creatures and qualities Judaeis Pharisaeis vulgare vitium saith Paraeus on Iam. 5.12 a common fault among the Jewes and Pharisees Mat. 5.34 35. and 23.16.18 See the Notes there Among the Christians in Chrysostomes time as appeares by his many sermons against it at Antioch And in these dayes if ever because of oaths the land mourneth God hath a controversie Hos 4.1 2. We have lived to see iniquity in the fulnesse of oaths and blasphemies unparaleled darted with hellish mouths against God and our Saviour so ordinarily and openly that some of them are become very interjections of speech to the vulgar and other some meer phrases of gallantry to the braver I knew a great swearer saith a great Divine who comming to his death-bed Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greedinesse after that most gainelesse Bolâ—on and pleasurelesse sin that though himself swore as fast and as furiously as he could yet as though he had bin already among the bannings and blasphemies of hell he desperatly desired the standers by to help him with oaths and to swear for him Verse 4. I will bring it forth sc out of my treasuries or store-houses of plagues and punishments Deut. 32.34 Or That which thou hast seen in vision I will put in action I will produce it into the open light into the theatre of the world their faults shall be written in their foreheads their sins shall go before to judgement my visible vengeance shall overtake them and it shall enter into the house of the theef which he calleth his castle and where he thinks himself most secure as out of the reach of Gods rod as iâ— he could mot up himself against Gods fire But what faith Bildad His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the king of terrours It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation Iob 18.14 15. so that if the fire of Gods wrath do but touch it all 's on a light flame A. Gell. He will unkennel these foxes and drag acus out of his denn to his deserved punishment Dioclesian the Persecutour one of those Latrones publici Eusub de vit Const lib. 5. as Cato called them giving over his Empire after that he had sufficiently feathered his nest decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he escaped not so for after that his house was wholy consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven he hiding himself for fear of the lightening died within a while after and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name Hence Ribera gathereth that by the whole earth in the former verse is meant Judaea only because none but Jewes swore by the name of the true God who is indeed the proper object of an oath Esay 65.16 Ier. 12.6 Howbeit in lawfull contracts with an Infidel or Idolater oaths by false gods may be admitted and are binding As for perjury it is a provoking sin as containing three great evils 1. The uttering or upholding of a lie 2. The calling upon God to testifie and justifie a lie 3. The praying for a curse upon a mans self and beseeching God
plurall Verse 12. And spake unto him saying Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying that is Confidently and Constantly affirme and averr it that notwithstanding all unlikely hood and unbeliefe on the peoples part Almighty God will surely bring it to passe This heape of words importeth so much for do ye think the scripture speaketh in vaine saith St. James not without some holy indignation chap. 4.5 behold the man whose name is the Branch The man Christ Jesus Rom. 1.3 who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and as a Branch grew out of his roots Esay 11.1 See the Note above on chap. 3.4 Jehoshuah 2 Cor. 12.7 Rom. 12.3 that he might not be exaited above measure with the abundance of this new honour or think of himself more highly then he ought to think is given to understand that he is crownned for no other cause then this that the Jewes might understand that there should One arise that should be both a King and a Priest also for ever after the order of Melchisedeck and his name should be the Branch Not only because when he was a child he grew in age and in wisdome and in grace with God and men which is Vatablus his reason but because he is the â—oot fountain and foundation of all the faithfull who do grow up and increase in him with the increase of God Hence it followeth he shall grow up out of his place and shall build the Temple of God that is the Church which at all times hath been gathered together by Christ through the preaching of the Gospel and he shall grow up out of his place Or He the Branch shall branch up de sub se from under hinself he shall be born of himself as it were of poor parentage for this Branch grew out of the root of Iesse when that goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter He that writeth the life of King Edward 6. saith of his Tutours Dr. Cox and Mr. Iohn Cheek Sr. Iohn Heywood that they were men of meane birth but so well esteemed for vertue and learning that they might well be said to be born of themselves and he shall build the Temple of the Lord i. e. the spirituall temple that Temple the Church the glory where of was far greater then the glory of the former Hag. 2.9 See the Note there And this he should do in the quality of a king and with royall magnificence Ye also as lively stones elect and precious are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood c. 1. Pet. 2.5 Verse 13. Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord The same againe for greater assurance as Pharaoh's dream was doubled Or Even he shall build it that is he shall both begin and finish it It is the same word againe but in the future tense Christ is called the Authour and Fimsher of our faith Heb. 12.2 and he shall beare the glory Jesus shall not thou Jehoshuah in Greek Jesus though now thou beare the crown All thy glory is but figurative of his Thus saith the Lord Remove the diadem or mitre take off the crown this shall not be the same c. I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him that is Christ the king and priest of his Church Particularly for his Kingly office he shall sit and rule upon his throne as a Soveraigne Lord of all And for his Priestly office he shall be a Priest upon his throne likewise for the Church also hath her throne and jurisdiction though distinct and severed from the civill and the counsell of peace shall be between them both i. e. there shall be no clashing between these two offices in Christ as there was sometimes between the Kings and the Priests of former ages but they should as it were take sweet counsell together for the good of the Church Christ having purchased all peace to his people by his Prâ—esâ—hood and maintaining and defending it by his Kingdome Verse 14. And the crownes shall be to Halem for a memoriall Or monument of their incredulity saith Calvin and for their full conviction See the Note above on verse 10. Or their liberality fay others and peradventure with some inseription or remembrance of their names here recorded for honour sake But best of all those that say these duties were for a memoriall in the Temple of the Messiah that was shortly to be expected and was presently promised The poor Jewes at this day are said to have a crown hanging in their synagogues against the comming of their long lookt-for Messiah Taim in Sanhed cap. 11 And that he comes not all thiâ— while they say it is for their sins which are many and bony or mighâ—y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now seeing he stayes so long he shalibe say they a forerunner of the end of the world Spec. Eur. and shall gather by his power all nation into one fold according to that which here followeth Verse 15. And they that are farr off This was fulfilled in the conversion of the Gentiles who together with the Christian Jewes grew up into an holy Temple in the Lord Eph. 2.19 c. It was also in some sense fulfilled in Cyrus Darius Aâ—taâ—â—â—â—â—s Herod who were at great charge for the Temple-work See Ezra 7.15 16. the King and his Councel the Babylonian and Jewes make a contribution to the work and ye shall know sc by the event and by your own experience If you will diligâ—ntly obey the voyce That is If by faith ye receive Christ held forth in the promise and then petfift in the obedience oâ— faith unto the end CHAP. VII Verse 1. IN the sourth yeer of King Daritâ—s Two yeers and a month after the former sermon The word of the Lord was precious in those dayes Tâ—â— Lod gave the word Psal 68.11 but it cannot be said that great was the company of those â—hat prâ—achâ—a it during the Captivity they complained that there was no more any Prophet neither any among them that knew how long their miâ—ery should last Soon after their return God stined them up Haggie and Zachary and after that Malachy and then there was Chathimath chazon as the Jewes phâ—afe it a sealing up or end of Prophesie Onely they had Bath-gol as they ca lt it a voice from heavâ—n sometime as Mat. 3.17 Ioh. 12.28 This and the pool of Betheida only were left them as extraordinary fignes of Gods love to that people But for a punishment of their killing the Prophets as they did this Zachary between the Porch and the Altar and stoning those that were sent unto them as they did the other Zachary the son of Jehojadah they had no more Prophetâ— Mat. 23.37 till the Arch-prophet and his forerunner the Baptist came And now also by thiâ— long vacation of two yeers
fellowes sider ver 16. Verse 6. If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people Here the Lord graciously answereth the secret objection of these Iewes unbeleeving and misgiving hearts It is impossible thought they that these promises should ever have their performance they are sure too good to be true This is the voice of carnall reason it usually tells a story of impossibilities and judgeth according to sense looketh upon Gods Iordan as Naaman did with Syrian eyes But faith can mount higher and see farther as a lark with a little eye getting aloft can see that which an Oxe with a bigger eye but being below on the ground cannot It is the nature of faith to look upon all things seisable I can do all things saith she thorough Christ that strengtheneth me Is there any thing too hard for the Almighty was to that an absurd question of these mens Ancestours Can he prepare a table for us in the wildernesse God can do much more then he will do but whatsoever he willeth that he doth both in heaven and earth And if faith have but a promise to fasten upon she can beleeve God upon his bare word without a pawn and that both against sense in things invisible and against reason in thing â—â—â—red ble â—â—â—uld it also be marvelous in mine eyes q. d. will ye measure me by your selves and make my thoughts to be as your thoughts my wayes as your wayes there is no compartion Abraham caâ—ed not for the deadnesse of his own body or his wâ—ves but was strong in faith and gave God the glory of his power Rom. 4.20 This was it indeed that God himself minded him of when he said unto him Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty walk before me and be uprihgt q. d. Thou wilt never do the later unlesse thou beleeve the former Verse 7. Behold I will save my people from the East This was in part no doubt litterally meant of the scattered Jewes and fulfilled also in those five hundred yeers space between the Captivity and Christ though stories tell us not when and how and shall be much more at their much-desired conversion For this is laid down for a generall rule that all Evangelicall promises made to the Jewes seeing they neither at first received the Gospel nor ever hitherto enjoyed that peace plenty and prosperity which these and such like promises do purport cannot but aime at somewhat that is yet to come Albeit it cannot be denied but that the great and glorious things which in the height and excellency thereof are spoken particularly to them do in their measure and degree appertaine in common to all the faithfull and so in the New Testament are ordinarily applied Verse 8. And I will bring them and them they are sure to be brought For who hath resisted his will he will breathe life into those dead bones and flesh shall cover them he will make up those two sticks into one and David his servant shall be king over them for ever Ezek. 37. and they shall dwell in the midst of Ierusalem They shall they shall O the Rhetoricke of God! O the certainty of the promises what a monstrous sin is unbelief and they shall be my people and I will be their God This is a short Gospel this is the summ of the covenant of Grace Brevis longa planeque aurea est haec clausula as Pareus some-where speakes of another Teat This is a long and yet a short clause short in sound long in sense but golden all over in truth and righeousnesse I will be their God in truth that is in an assured performance of promise and they shall be my people in righteousnesse That is in obedience to my commandements So here is the covenant renued in a mutuall stipulation Verse 9. Let your hands be strong Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us take heart of grace against all occasions of distrust and feare 2 Cor. 7.1 let us up and be doing that the Lord may be with us Let us feare lest such a promise being left us yea such a bundle of promises as are contained in the New Covenant any of you Heb. 4.1 by shrinking from the service should seem to come short of it or by faintly forwarding the Temple-work should lose the things that he hath wrought Esay 35.3 4. but that ye receive a full reward 2 Ioh. 8. strengthen ye the weak hands and confirme the feeble knees Say to them of a fearefull heart Be strong feare not c. 2 Chr. 2â— 20 Say the same every man to himself Encourage your selves in the Lord your God as David did 1 Sam. 30.6 Beleeve the Prophets and ye shall prosper do ye not heare in these dayes these words by the mouth of the Prophets my self and Haggai Iob 15.11 And should the consolation of God be small unto you will ye not trust us whom you have alread tried and take comfort by our words now whom you have formerly found no liars Verse 10. Ez 3. Iohn 2. Zach. 7. For before these dayes sc during those fourty and four yeers wherein they ceased from the work minding only their own houses and managing their own affairs their labour was unprofitable their state unquiet thorought forraine forragers and homebred Malecontents there was no hire for man nor any hire for beast Nulla emolumenta laborum Both man and beast did their parts but to little purpose Ludit qui sterili semina mandat humo Ovid. They sowed much and brought in little they earned money but put it into a bottomelesse bag Hag. 1.6 See the Note there the gaines did not countervaile the paines the wages the work neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in whether a man were within dores or without he was in danger of the enemy See the like 2 Chron. 15.5 he did eat the bread of his soul in the perill of his life being wholy at the enemies mercy 1 Sam. 24.19 which is mere cruelty For if a man find his enemy will he let him go away said Saul I trow not till he have his penniworth of him as that Monster of Millaine as the bloody Papists in the Massacre of Paris as the mercilesse Spaniards on the harmelesse Indians fifty millions of whom they have murthered in forty two yeers as Acosta the Jesuite testifieth as Ptolomaeus Lathur us king of Egypt on these poor lewes thirty thousand of whom he cruelly killed and compelled the living to feed upon the flesh of the dead And lastly as the Iewes themselves of whom Tacitus takes notice and gives them this character that there was misericordia in promptu apud suos sed contra omnes alios hostile odium that they were kind enough to their own but cruel to all others whom they look upon as Idolaters and therefore think they may safely kill as they did the Cyprians and Cyrenians in Traâ—ans time to the number
a certain Pope and his Nephew it is storied that the one never spake as he thought the other never performed what he spake But God is not a man that he should repent or if he do it is after another manner then man repents Repentance with man is the changing of his will repentance with God is the willing of a change It is mutatio reinon Dei affectus non affectus facti non consilii Gods repentance is not a change of his will but of his work It noteth onely saith Mr. Perkins the alteration of things and actions done by him and no change of hi purpose and secret decree which is immutable What he hath written he hath written as Filate said peremptorily there 's no removing of him If the sentence be passed if the decree be come forth none can avert or avoid it Zeph. 3.5 Currat ergo poenitentia ne praecurrat sententia Chrysolog Go quickly and make an atonement as Moses said to Aaron Num. 16.46 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel Amos 4.12 Mite preces lachrymas cordis legatos meet him with intreaties of peace agree with him quickly who knowes if he will return and repent for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evil Joel 2.13 14. It should seem so indeed by this Text For even whiles he is threatening and ratifying what he had threatened his heart is turned within him his repentings are kindled together Hos 11.8 And hence the following words Therefore ye sonnes of Jacob are not consumed A strange inference considering the sence and occasion of the foregoing words as hath been set forth and not unlike that Hos 2.13 14. I will visit upon her the dayes of Baalim she went after ber lovers and forgat me saith the Lord. Therefore mark that Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably to her And I will give her c. So Esay 57.17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smot him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly c. I have sten his wayes and will heal him Wayes what wayes his covetousnesse frowardnesse c. and yet I will heal him I will deal with him not according to mine ordinary rule but according to my Prerogative If God will heal for his names sake and so come in with his Non obstante as he doth Psal 106.8 what people is there whom he may not heal Well may these sinfull sonnes of Jacob be unconsumed well may they have for their seventy years captivity Ezek 20 8 14 22 45. seven seventies of years according to Dans ls weeks for the re-enjoying of their own countrey and Gods mercies shall bear the same proportion to his punishments which seven a complete number hath to an unity Provided that they return to the Lord that smot them as in the next verse for else he will surely punish them seven times more and seven times and seven to that Levit. 26.21 23 27 c three severall times God raiseth his note of threatening and he raiseth it by sevens and those are discords in Musique Such sayings will bee heavy songs and their execution heavy pangs to the impenitent Verse 7. Even from the dayes of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances The more to magnifie his own mercy by a miracle whereof they had hitherto subsisted by an extraordinary prop of his love and long-suffering God sets forth here their utter unworthinesse of any such free favour by a double aggravation of their sinnes First their long continuance therein so that their sinnes were grown inveterate and ingrained and themselves aged and even crooked therein so that they could hardly ever be set strait again from the dayes of your fathers c. q d. Non hoc nuper facitis nee somel ut erroris mereamini veniam sed haereditariam habetis impietâ—tem c as Hiâ—rom paraphraseth this Text. You are no young sinners it is not yesterday or a few dayes since you transgressed against me you are a seed of serpenis a raâ—e of rebels you are as good atresisting the Holy Ghost as ever your fathers were Act. 7.51 Secondly their pervicacy and stiffenesse they would not yeeld or be evicted But ye say wherein shall we return as if they were righteous and needed no repentance Still they put God to his proofs as Jer. 2.35 and shew themselves an unperswadeable and gainsaying people Esay 65.2 and this had been their muâ—nâ—r from their youth Jer. 22.21 when they were in Egypt they served idols there Ezek. 16. and 23. In the wildernesse they tempted God ten times and hearkened not to his voice Num. 14.22 Under their Judges and then their Kings they vexed him and he bore with them till there was no remedy 2 Chron 6.16 After the captivity they do antiquum obtinere and are found guilty here of sundry both omissions and commissions calling for a just recompense of reward Heb. 2.2 All which notwithstanding Deus redire eos sibi non perire desiderat God soliciteth their return unto him here by a precept and a promise Chrysolog two effectuall arguments if any thing will work and ratifieth all with his own authority which is most authentick in these words saith the Lord of Hosts A stile oft given to God as elsewhere in Scripture so especially in these three last Prophecies to the people returned from Babylon because they had many enemies and therefore had need of all encouragement For God is called the Lord of Hosts quòd ille numine suo nomine terreat terras Alsted temperet tempora exercitusque tam superiores quam inferiores gubernet to shew that he hath all power in his hand and doth whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and earth See the Notes on verse 17. of this chap. doctr 1 And for the Doctrine of returning to God from whom we have deeply revolted by repentance see the Note on Zach. 1.3 But ye said Wherein shall we return This was their pride proceeding from ignorance they were rich and righteous as those Laodiceans Rev. 3.17 not in truth but in conceit vainly puft up by their carnall minds drunk with self-dotage as Luke 16.15 Elementum in suo loco non ponderat Hence they stand upon their pantofles and none must say Black is their eye Sin is in them as in is proper element and therefore weighes not till by long trading in wickednesse they grow to that dead and dedolent disposition Ephes 4.14 their heart fat as grease their conscience cauterized 1 Tim. 4.2 that is so benummed blotted lenselesse filthy and gangrenate that it must be seared with an hot iron whereupon it growes so crusty and brawny that though cut or pierced with the sword of the spirit it doth neither bleed nor feel and though handfulls of hell-fire be flung in the face of it yet it