Commentary on Romans, Treatise · Chapter 11 · Dialogue 8
DIAL. VIII.
Verses 9, 10. And Dauid sayth, Let their table be made asuare and a …, and a flumbling blocke, euen for a recompence vntounto them; Let their eyes be darkened that they see not, and … their backe alwayes.
Tim.
WHat is the drift and end of this Scripture?
Silas.
To prooue the relection of the Iewes,Scope. … and their blindnesse thorough which they did not receiue Christ and his Gospell … wilfully contemned it, being wholly possessed with a Spirite of slumber. And this Paul proues by a testimony out of the Psalme 69, 22, 23. wherein Dauid bearing the person of the … (of whom he was a Type) dooth complaine of the extreame iniuries and oppressions wherewith the Iewes (his owne people and countreymen) should vexe Christ. Amongst other things, that they should mingle his meate with gall, and Vineger with his drinke: and now in this Texte, by way of imprecation or curse, hee prayeth for Gods horrible wrath and punishment to come vponupon them; and namely, that their mindes might be spoiled of all iudgement and discretion, to discerne or choose thinges; and their bodies of all strength, that they might be able neuer to attaine good thinges desired, nor to hurt the godly; and their life to be voide of all comsorts, that al their most pleasant things might be turned to their destruction. Now the holy King Dauid hauing by a propheticall spirit prayed for such miseries to the Iewes they must be fulfilled: therefore, the generall vnbeleefe and hardning of the Iewes, is no incredible thing to be wondered at. Note, that though Paul changeth some words, yet he holdeth the sence like an Apostolicall Prophet, keeping and explaining the meaning by alteration of words.
Tim.
What things are to be considered in this Text, cited out of the Prophet Dauid?
Silas.
Two things; First, the parts or seuer all kinds ofParts. punishment. Secondly, the equity of the punishment wished vntounto the malicious Iewes, for resisting and resusing Christ the redeemer of mankinde.
Tim.
What is the first kinde of punishment?
Silas.
That their Table may be made for a snare.
Tim.
What signifies the Table?
Sil.
It is a figuratiue and borrowed speech, signifying all things where in the Iewes delighted and tooke pleasure; because men who bee rich and great, doe furnish their Table with goodly delicacies, meats, and drinkes, pleasant to the taste and sight: also, for that men come to the table to be refreshed and merry. Hence it signifies whatsoeuer is acceptable and delightful vntounto vsus, giuing vsus contentment and comfort in this life; I say, that by a Synecdoche, the Table importeth riches feasts, prosperity, peace, and publicke estate; yea all their spirituall and temporall blessinges, as Scriptures, Sacrifices, Temple, or whatsoeuer they had which was good, prosperous, and glorious, (as Chrysostom, Caluin, Peter Martyr, and Paraeus expounds it:) he prayeth that all this may be turned to their hurt, ruine, and downfall.
Tim.
By what comparisons is this hurt and ruine set forth in our text?
Silas.
By three similitudes: First, of a snare wherein Birds are taken when they thinke to feede. Secondly, of a net or trap, such as wilde Beasts are caught in. Thirdly, of a stumbling blocke or stone, whereat blinde men or drunkards do stumble and fall. This first punishment, how it is fulfilled in the Iewes, experience of many hundred yeares, hauehave made it so plaine to all men, as it needeth no proofe at all. For all men know what was the name, dignity, renowne, glory, riches, priuiledges and benefits bestowed on that Nation; and now what calamities of body and soul they are tormented with, being plagued with extreame infamy and indignity, being vagabonds, hatefull to God and all men: their wealth or whatsoeuer may make for their welfare, beeing made their snare to entangle them, whiles they are banished in sundry countreyes, and cruelly slayne for their Riches sake.
Tim.
What is our Doctrine to bee learned from this firstDoctrine. punishment?
Silas.
That vntounto wicked men which are Gods enemies, their most deare and precious things are made the meanes of their owne destruction: howsoeuer they lifte vp their hornes, and exalt their heads on hie, and flourish like a greene Bay tree, and seeme to be rooted in prosperity, as though they should neuer be remooued, yet it is certaine, that whatsoeuer is giuen for their benefit, shall be conuerted to their bane and mifery. The reason hereofReason. is, because they do abuse Gods gifts by pride, Wantonnesse riot, and excesse: or else, by couetousnesse and vsury, cruelty, and oppression. Hence it is, that God in his iudgement wil at length destroy them, & bring them to sudden and horrible desolation; as it hapned to these Iewes, and to Balthazar in Daniell, to the rich man in the Gospell: and to Caesar Emperor of Rome, who was slaine in the Senate, where (his Table) his glory was: and to Absalon, who was hung vp in his lockes wherein hee delighted, as a man doth in his table and dainties.
Tim.
What profit is to be made of this point?
Silas.
It teacheth the forcible poyson of sin, when itVse. is continued in, changing the nature of things, making that hurtfull which is healthful in it selfe; as the Gospel to be a sauour of death, the Sacraments a iudgement, 1. Cor. 11, 24. Christ a rocke of offence, 1 Pet. 2, 7. a Table a place of safety and security, of mirth and friendship, to be a snare and trap, and an occasion of ruine. Secondly, it teacheth also the condition of such as liue in the seruice of sinne, without turning to God, to be most vnhappy; to whom all things, not sinnes and afflictions onelyonly, but Gods gifts and blessings also, shall bee turned vntounto their euill both temporall and eternall. Thirdly, it serueth as a bridle to restraine the children of GOD from fretting and repining at the great welfare of the vngodly liuers. If …, Iob, and Dauid, repined and grieued at the prosperity of sinners, let others feare a fall, where such Saints so strong did stumble. See Psal. 37, 1, 2, 3, &c. Let God alone with them, and bee not troubled about them. Fourthly, it makes much for the consolation of the godly, to whom not onelyonly things desirable & good, but euen hard, vnhappy, bitter, and deadly things, shall turne and become wholesome and good; as sickenesse, weakenesse, pouerty, imprisonment, banishment, infamy, and death, &c. All things shall worke together for good to such as louelove God, Rom. 8, 28. The reason is, because Christ by his crosse, hath sanctified the crosses of the faithfull, and pronounced them blessed which mourn and suffer, Mat. 5. therefore Christ by death was broght to his resurrection and glory, so his Apostles and other professors by most cruell Martyrdome, hauehave had theyr faith tried as Golde in the furnace, and hauehave been translated to eternall blisse and glory in heauen. Lastly, it warneth all men to pray God earnestly to blesse his benefits vntounto them, that as they are good in themselues, so they may proue good to the possessors of them.
Tim.
Come now to the second punishment, and tel vsus what it is?
Silas.
The blindnesse of vnderstanding in Heauenlie things, [Let their eyes be darkned.] This is a speech borrowed from the body, and applied vntounto the minde, which is (as it were) the eye vntounto the soule. The darkening of this eie, signifies the taking away of vnderstanding from the Iewes, making them witlesse and blockish, that they might see no more in the matters of God, and of saluation, then a blinde man can see at noone day in worldlie matters.
Tim.
What is the Doctrine which doth ar se now out of these words thus openad?
Silas.
To bee depriued of the vse of vnderstanding inDoctrins. things pertaining to God, is a dreadfull iudgment. The proofe heereof, is from Deuter. 28, 28, 29. where GOD threatneth the disobedient to his Lawe, to smite them with blindnesse and with astonishment of heart, that plaine and easie, and familiar matters should be as harde and obscure vntounto them, as the Sunne is darkesome vntounto him that lacketh his sight. Example of this iudgement, we hauehave first in Pharaoh, who hauing disobeyed Gods warnings, bidding him let the people go; and after many and most sharpe plagues, hauing hardned his heart against Gods knowne will, was stricken iustly of GOD with such a spirituall madnesse, as hee was not able to perceiue it to be a sinfull and hurtfull thing vntounto him, to keepe the children of Israel still in his land; but after hee had let them go, he wold needs obstinately follow them vntounto the red Sea, which was the destruction of him and his people. Likewise, the Pharisies had their mindes so darkened of God, as they could not discerne any sinne or danger, in putting to death Iesus, though they had often felt that he had done them no euill at al, but much good, and in their presence had many wayes and manifestly witnessed (by his life, doctrine, patience, myracles) both the innocency of his manhood, & the truth of his Godhead. A certaine shadow of this iudgement, we hauehave set forth in the Sodomites, Gen. 19, 11. who being smit with blindnesse, did in the day-light euen grope after the doore of Lot his house. If wee do account it a verie great euill to hauehave the eyes of our bodie put out, then to bee depriued of the light of vnderstanding, must bee a more heauier iudgement and calamity by how much the soule is more excellent then the bodye, and the benefit of inward vnderstanding is greater and more necessarie then the profit of an outward and fleshly eye.
Tim.
How may Christian; edifie themselues by the knowledge & meditation of this Doctrine?
Sil.
First, in respect of themselues, it must stirre them vp vntounto thankefulnesse, to blesse God for clearing their eyesight by the Spirit of Wisedome. Also to pray vntounto God for the continuance and encrease of it, and to be deliuered from the iudgement of a blind heart. Lastly, that to this end they endeauour alwayes to glorifie God by their knowledge, by turning it into practise and actions. Now in respect of others; to take compassion of such as are vnderunder this iudgement. For if wee will pitty poore blinde men which cannot see their way; and Idiots or fooles which lacke the vse of naturall reason: much more we ought to greeue for such as hauehave lost the vse of spi ituall vnderstanding, not being able to see the way vntounto saluation: and take it for a surety, that hee hath a verie … heart that cannot mourne for such, or at least bee ḡrieued, for that his heart is so hard.
Tim.
What was the third punishment?
Silas.
The bowing of their backs or loynes, wherein there is another Metaphor, translating that to the soule and the estate of the Iewes which is proper to the body, the strength wherof doth chiefly consift in the backe or loynes, the bowing whereof importeth as much as the weakening or diminishing of this bodily strength: by all which is signified vntounto vsus, that the malicious Iewes for the contempt of Christ & his Gospell, should loose their whole strength, both spirituall, lacking all endeauour to doe that which is good; and temporall, hauing their ciuill authority and gouernment taken from them.
This iudgement began to bee executed vponupon them before the birth of Christ, when Augustus Caesar was Emperor of Rome; and afterwards was more thoroughly inflicted, when the Emperor Titus tooke the Citty, burnt the Temple, brake downe their wals, put the people to the sword, and laid all wast, so as there was not any more any face or forme of a Common-wealth amongst them, being vtterly voide of all lawes and regiment, and beeing made vassalles and vagabonds vponupon the face of the earth, and so hauehave remained now fifteene hundred yeares and aboue, which continuance of this iudgement is noted in this word [alwaies.] When it had lasted, but 3. hundred yeeres, Chrysostome wondered at this iugdement of God; how then ought we to be astonished at the consideration of it? Let vsus learne from it generally the extreame fiercenesse of Gods wrath against vnbeleefe, for the which he would so exceedingly and seuerely plague his owne peculiar people: More particularly let vsus obserue, that it is a plaine and and a sure token of Gods indignation against any Country, to hauehave the chiefe props or staies thereof, eyther sore shaken, or wholly remoued, and to become like a tottring wall or broken hedge, for lacke of good lawes, wise Gouernours, the power of the sword, &c. For proofe heere of see Esay 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. &c. which should preuaile with vsus, to moue vsus to be thankefull to God both in word & deed, for that little strength that is left vntounto vsus, least if we continue in our vnthankfulnesse and sinfull course, we doe worthily thereby prouoke God to bowe our backs and strike through our loynes, and strip vsus of all our strength to become not only feeble, stooping, and crooked, but fall downe flat till our enemies tread & trample vponupon vsus as on myre and dirt in the streete. If God did thus vntounto Ierusalem and the Iewes which were great among the Nations, euen his beloued people, whom he had honoured with fame and renowne aboue all people; yet if hee spared not them for their transgressions, but made their strength to fall, so as they were not able to rise vp, Lamen. 1, 14, 15: then iudge ye what cause we hauehave to feare the like iudgement whose sinnes are so much the more greeuous then theirs, by how much the mercies that we hauehave abused are more and greater then were the mercies bestowed on them. Wherefore let vsus speedily repent, and turne to the Lord with all our hearts, earnestly praying him to heale our Land, which is sore shaken by the losse of very many worthies in all professions and degrees of men amongst vsus: let vsus beware least we giuegive God cause to take vp that complaint against vsus, which sometimes hee tooke vp against the Iewes by his Prophet Esay Chap. 57; verse 1. The righteous perisheth, and no man considereth in his heart.
Tim.
We hauehave heard hit her to of the three … of punishments wished or prayed for against the Iewes, let vsus heare what is to be saide touching the equity of these punishments, how inst they be?
Silas.
That is pointed at, and noted in the worde [recompence] in the end of the ninth verse, whereby is signified a retaliation and requitall to the wicked Iewes, that as they had taken pleasure to afflict the righteous and to make all things greeuous vntounto them, and especially had perfecuted Iesus the sonne of God, giuing him vinigar to drinke, and gall to eate, to vexe him with all: So it was but rightfull that God mete home the Iewes with their owne measure, paying them with their owne coyne, and for a recompence to them, should strike them with blindnes, for sinning against their knowledge, and should make their most pleasant and prosperous things to proue bitter and dangerous; and finally, should turne their greatest strength to weakenesse and feeblenes, because they had abused it vntounto wickednesse.
Tim.
What instructions are we to gather from hence?
Silas.
First, that it is a righteous thing with God, not onelyonly to punish sinners, but to proportionate the paine and make it like vntounto the sinne, as it were eye for eye, tooth for tooth, bloud for bloud, spoyling for spoyling, iudging for iudging, &c. Touching which thing looke more vponupon Rom. 1, 25, 26. This ought to awake sinners, which hauehave iniuried eyther God or man, that by hearty repentance they may preuent and turne away Gods righteous recompence. Secondly, from this word (recompence) wee learne another lesson, namely that blindnes and ignorance from God, hath not the nature of sinne simply and onelyonly, but of a recompence, when it is inflicted as a due requitall for former sinnes: and in this respect sinne is from God as author, (to wit) as sinne hath the condition of a recompence, but not as it hath the quality of a trangressiō; for so it proceeds from Sathans suggestion and mans corruption. In sinnes mans euill worke in offending God by breaking the law, must bee seuered in consideration and truth, both from the good worke of God, and his iudgement by punishing offences righteously: which if Papists would confesse, (for theyLutherans also do much wrong vsus in this matter. cannot but see it) they would cease to slander vsus Protestants, by speaking and writing that wee make God the proper cause of sinne (as it is sinne,) whereas wee teach that in sinne beside the anomia, which is from man himselfe, there is also antimisthia, which is the proper worke of God.
Tim.
We hauehave seene what is to be learned from the parts of this text, is there not some thing to bee learned from it beeing wholly considered:
Silas.
Yes, and namely thus much: that sometime, and in some causes, and from some persons, imprecations and curses be lawfull.
Tim.
In whom be imprecations lawfull, and towards whom, in what causes, things, & in what manner?
Silas.
First, it is lawful in God himselfe the soueraigneTherebe sundry predictions, which are no maledictions. and righteous author of blessings and curses, Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. For God being himselfe most holy, can neyther blesse nor cursse no otherwise but holily. Also in the Prophets and Apostles which had the Spirit of Prophesie, & a warrant by a speciall calling to curse others, it was in thē absolutely lawful so to do. Thirdly, in publicke persons, as Magistrates, Ministers, and Parents, it is lawfull conditionally, that the cause of their curse be not priuate, but publickly (to wit) Gods glory. 2. that their affections be not partiall nor maliciously distempered with desire of reuenge. Now for the persons towards whom imprecation must bee vsed, they must bee such as shew themselues to bee desperate and professed enemies to God and godlinesse, such as were Ananias, Simon Magus, Elmas the Sorcerer, the Traitor Iudas, the cruell persecuting Iewes. Thirdly, curses must bee vsed onelyonly in such matters as do concern God or his church. And fourthly, not in those thinges that are eternall (for no man without peculiar reuelation, may pray for the damnation of any man) but in things which are temporall, so farre forth onelyonly as they may tend to the saluation of the parties. Finally, as touching the manner, curses are to be wished no otherwise then with this affection of the conuersion of others, expressed or vnderstood if they belong vntounto God, or otherwise that they may be confounded.
Tim.
Whereunto may the knowledge of this doctrine helpe and further Christians?
Silas.
First, to reproue such as rashly out of spleene or choller, do banne or curse either themselues or others, their children or neighbours; and secondly, to warne them to take care of repenting for that which is past, & hence-forward to take heede how they rush thorough indiscretion or impatiency into such wicked imprecations, least besides the taking of the sacred name of GOD in vaine, contrary to the third commandement, they do puli downe vppon their owne heads these verie curses which they hauehave pronounced with their owne mouths, as it is threatned in that verie precept; and as it hapned vntounto one Charles Duke of Bourbon, who was slaine with a Gun-shot in the assault of a Towne, as hee had wished vntounto himselfe; and vntounto one Henry an Earle of Schuartzbourgh, who miserably perished, being drowned in a Iakes, according to his vsuall imprecations; and vntounto two women in Germany; whereof the one to get credite vntounto her words, did pray that if it were not true which she had spoken, that she might neuer speake, and she was made dumbe. And the other out of choller praying that the diuell would take her sonne, was presently possessed. And lastly vntounto the Iewes, who by imprecation cursing themselues and their children, Mat. 27, 25. they do most wofully lie vnderunder it vntounto this present houre: which shold be of force to admonish all men to auoide prophane cursing; for such as louelove cursing shall bee cloathed with it, and blessing shall be farre from them, as it is written in one of the Psalmes.