Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verses 9-10
VERSE 9. And Dauid ſaith Pſal. 69.22.Let their table be made a ſnare, and a trap, and a ſtumbling blocke, and a recompence vntounto them.
10. Pſal. 69.23.Let their eyes be darkned that they may not ſee, and bow downe their backe alway.
HEre is the other teſtimonie, which is Dauids, where it is auouched that the multitude of the Iewes are hardened, and blinded, and by conſequence caſt off.
Dauid propheſies of this in the 69 Pſalme, ver. 21, 22, 23. Paul ties not himſelfe to the very words of the Pſalme, but being guided by the ſame Spirit by which Dauid wrote, addes and alters ſome words, without diminiſhing of the ſenſe.
Dauid began that Pſalme with grieuous complaints againſt his owne enemies: but the Spirit turnes his meditations vponupon the enemies of Chriſt, whom he curſeth; foretelling what crueltie and outrage they ſhould commit, and what they ſhould ſuffer for it.
Theſe two verſes containe an imprecation, where we hauehave three things: firſt, the matter of it: ſecondly, the perſons: thirdly, the cauſe.
The matter is twofold: firſt, he curſes them in good things, ver. 9. Secondly, he wiſhes euill things vntounto them, ver. 10.
Their good things are ſet downe in this word, Their Table, Table ſignifies all creatures prouided for their nouriſhment, meate and drinke. Anſel. Caieta.Some ſay, by Table is meant the Scriptures, which are the Manna of our ſoules. Peter calls them 1. Pet. 2.2.the ſincere milke of the word. Some vnderſtand the paſſeouer, which was made a ſnare vntounto them, when they being aſſembled to eate it at Ieruſalem, were there beſieged and taken by the Romanes. All theſe are good, and to be comprehended. As if he had ſaid: Let all ſuch things, which it is a bleſſing to enioy, turne to their bane, and be their ruine and deſtruction.
This is deliuered by three metaphors, a ſnare, a trap, a ſtumbling. As birds are inticed by a ſhrap laid for them, and ſo taken; or as a mouſe is taken in a trap, or as drunkards ſtumble at eueryevery ſtone, and fall, ſo let them not receiue a bleſſing in any thing they hauehave, but let their good things enſnare them to their deſtruction.
The imprecation of euill things, is of all euil, temporall and ſpirituall, ſet downe in two phraſes:
Firſt, Let their eyes (not of bodie but of mind) be darkened: as if he ſhould ſay: Take away their iudgement and vnderſtanding, giuegive them a reprobate minde, that they may not diſcerne betweene good and euil, that ſo they may runne and fall in finall impenitencie.
Secondly, Bow downe their backe. This is diuerſly expounded. Piſcator. Aquinas. Cornel. Corn. O curuae in terras animae et caeleſtium inanes.Some, according to the words of the Pſalme, Make their loines tremble, terrifie and affright their conſciences. Some, Encline their wils to euill, that they may neuer be able to doe good, though they diſcerne it. Some, Let them be alway like ſwine, groueling vponupon the earth, hauing no affection to heauenly things. Let their minds be vponupon their money, as they are the greateſt vſurers in the world. The mindes of ſuch are bowed and crookned to the earth. Some vnderſtand it of the captiuitie and ſlauery they now endure: Let them be in perpetuall captiuitie, vagabonds and ſlaues ouer the face of the earth, a reproach in the world; and as ſlaues hauehave their backes made crooked by carrying heauie burdens, ſo let them ſuffer extreme bondage. All theſe expoſitions are good, and to be comprehended: for Dauid curſes them in body and ſoule. Heauie curſes are they.
Secondly, the perſons are two. Firſt, curſing, Dauid no wicked man, but a Prophet. Secondly, curſed, the people of the Iewes, Dauids owne nation.
Thirdly, the cauſe: Dauid a holy man curſeth his owne people in this direfull manner, ſurely there muſt be ſome great cauſe. The cauſe is noted ver. 9. to be a recompence vntounto them. why what did they? Dauid foreſaw that they would perſecute Chriſt, ſpeting vponupon him, crowning him with thornes: and (hauing beaten him with their fiſts) watching the whole night, making him to carry his croſſe, till he faint vnderunder it, piercing his hands and feete with nayles, his ſide with a ſpeare, giuing him gall and vinegar to drinke, dealing worſe with him the ſonne of God then with theeues. Therefore Dauid wiſheth: Lord as they will ſerue my Lord Chriſt, ſo let them be ſerued. As when Chriſt ſhall come to enlighten them, they will chooſe darkneſſe, ſo let their eyes be darkned: as they will giuegive him gall and vineger, ſo let their table be their ſnare: as they bowed his back, ſo euermore bow downe their backs. This is the law of retalion. Iuſt it is with God that it ſhould be ſo.
doctrine Perſecutors of Chriſt and his Goſpell, are iuſtly accurſed of God. Deut. 18.19. Ier. 26.4. Mat. 21. vlt. Heb. 2.1.2.
Obiect. We are forbidden to curſe, by our Sauiour Chriſt, how doth Dauids practiſe agree with Chriſts precept?
Anſw. They are not prayers but propheſies, not that they might be ſo, but that they ſhall be ſo. We muſt neuer curſe our enemies; but there may be a time when we may curſe Gods enemies: (not ſuch as are curable, for them we muſt pray, as Steuen, whoſe prayer was effectuall for conuerſion of Paul:) but ſuch as are incurable. If we know any ſuch, though wee muſt condole with them as men, yet we muſt curſe them as the enemies of God. In the generall, eueryevery man may and muſt ſay, 1. Cor. 16.22.Let him that loues not the Lord Ieſus be accurſed. We muſt reioyce in the iudgement of God, and ſubſcribe vntounto it: 1. Cor. 6.2.For the Saints ſhall iudge the world.
But heere muſt be two cautions. 1. That we mingle not priuat ſpleen & turbulent affections with ſuch imprecations. 2. That we neuer follow Dauid, or any other holy men herein, vnleſſe we be ſure we hauehave the ſame ſpirit. 1. Pet. 3.9.This therefore can be no cloke for wicked men, who vſe to curſe and banne their cattle, neighbours, ſeruants, wife, children, and whatſoeuer comes in their way; a moſt hideous ſinne, for wee bee heires of bleſſing, we may not curſe.
Vſe 1.The Iewes are caſt off to this day for the crucifying of Chriſt; though they be no Idolaters, as they were in Egypt and Babylon, neither hauehave any Prophet, as they had then, yet they are ſo blinded, that they will not acknowledge it; yea many of them complaine on their death-beds, that our Ieſus torments them, and yet they cannot ſee the cauſe of their miſery, O Lord open their eyes.Gualter. hom. 62. in epiſt. ad Rom.
Vſe. 2.As an ill ſtomack turnes good meat into bad humors, ſo euen good things proue hurtfull to wicked men, ſpecially contemners of the Goſpell. Eccle. 5.12.I hauehave ſeene riches reſerued to the hurt of the owner (ſaith Salomon). Make a wicked man rich, he will be proud, couetous, profane. Make Saul a King, he wil runne from God to the Diuell: make Iudas an Apoſtle, it will be a ſnare a rope vntounto him. In proſperitie a wicked man will forget God, in aduerſitie he will blaſpheme him. Neither enuy the proſperity of the wicked, nor be greedy of the riches of the world; vnleſſe they are bleſſed, they are dangerous ſnares, and it were better to be as poore as Lazarus, then to poſſeſſe wealth, without wiſdome and grace to vſe it: Wiſdome is good with an inheritance, but an inheritance without wiſdome is a ſnare.
Vſe 3.Eſay ſaith, Eccle. 7.Let them hauehave eyes to ſee and not ſee. They had eyes, and would not ſee. What then? Then put out their eyes, ſaith Dauid, Let their eyes be darkened. O remember this, thou that liueſt in the Church, and heareſt the doctrine of ſaluation, and yet will neither beleeue nor obey it.
Wilt thou not ſee? well then, thou ſhalt not. Haſt thou a talent? Occupie to thy Maſters aduantage, and thou ſhalt hauehave another: if thou vſeſt it not, it is pity thou hadeſt it; take it from him. He that hath the vnderſtanding of a man, and yet is as ignorant as a beaſt; make a beaſt of him, as Nabuchadnezzar. Prou. 17.16.Why is there a price in the hand of a foole to buy wiſdome, and he hath none heart? If hauing vnderſtanding, thou wilt not beleeue, God will ſo ſmite thee, that from henceforth thou ſhalt not be able to beleeue.
Vſe. 4.The Iewes are recompenced with curſes, for crucifying Chriſt, ſo ſhalt thou be which contemneſt his Goſpell, and diſhonoreſt him by thy wicked life: this is euen to crucifie Chriſt againe. Nay in ſome reſpect this ſinne is greater then the ſinne of the Iewes: for they crucified him when he walked vponupon the earth appearing in weakneſſe, but thou diſpiſeſt him being now in heauen at the right hand of glory. Leaue thy ſcoffing, and be a reuerent hearer, and obey: to ſcoffe at the word, is to giuegive gall an vineger to Chriſt, which hee will reuenge at his ſecond comming with flaming fire: and in the meane time with vineger and gall too, that is, horror and anguiſh of minde through deſpaire. When thou lyeſt vponupon thy death bed, and cryeſt in the bitterneſſe of thy ſoule, then as thou haſt laughed at the Goſpell, ſo wil God mock and laugh at thy deſtruction.