Commentary on Habakkuk, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 2
Hab. 1.2. O Lord, how long ſhall I cry, and thou wilt not hear; even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not ſave?
Here this Habakkuk, this Wraſtler doth begin his wraſtling: for what is this whole Chapter but a ſerious Expoſtulation and complaint? wherein the Prophet,
1. Conteſteth with God himſelf. verſ. 2.3, 4.
2. He bringeth in God denoucing his own intended judgments againſt Judah and Jeruſalem. verſ. 5.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
3. He returneth again to expoſtulate with God. verſ. 12.13, 14, 15, 16, 17.
1. He conteſteth with God. Wherein
1. He chalengeth him for not hearing his prayer. verſ. 2.
2. For ſhewing to him the ſins of the people. v. 3.4.
In the firſt obſerve.
1. What the Prophet did,
1. He cryed,
2. He cryed long,
3. He cryed to him.
2. What cauſe he had. Of violence
3. What ſucceſſe.
1. Thou wilt not heare.
2. Thou wilt not ſave.
To give ſome light to that which followeth, let me firſt admoniſh you that it may well be gathered, by the title that is here given to Habakkuk the Prophet, that he was ſent by Almighty God to preach to the Iews to reclaim them from their evil wayes, and to ſtill the noiſe of their crying ſinnes: and prevailing nothing with them, to bring them to repentance, he prayeth and cryeth to Almighty God for his judgement upon this People, to puniſh their many ſins: and God not hearing him, nor giving way to his anger to correct them, the Prophet moved with the zeal of Gods glory, wraſtleth with God, and contendeth with him for his rod upon them.
1. What the Prophet did.
1. I cry, he lifteth up his voice againſt this People his brethren; for it is twice expreſt. 1. He cryeth; then he reſumeth it, he ſaith, he cryeth out; this is a thing that God doth uſe to take ſpecial notice of, expectavi Justitiam & ecce clamor.
It is ſaid of Abel, that being dead he ſpake; Moſes ſaith, it was voxſanguinis, a voice of blood, & God ſaid that voice cryed to him out of the earth for vengeance.
The Cry of a Prophet one of Gods Secretaries, to whom he revealeth his will; one of Gods Chaplains, to whom he committeth the Miniſtry of the Revelation of his will; one of Gods Saviours, to whom he committeth the office of ſaving his People; the crying, the vociferation of one of Gods Seers, who cries not out of paſſion or humane perturbation, but from a ſecret inſpiration illuminating him and ſhewing him things to come;
One of Gods holy ones whom the zeale of Gods glory doth inflame with this earneſtneſſe, the grief of mans rebellion doth provoke to that loudneſſe. Such a cry cannot ſpend it ſelf all into aire and Sunne, and periſh with the noiſe it makes.
2. He was no Sonne of thunder to make ſome ſuddain ratling noiſe, and then ceaſe. He cryed loud, he cryed long, How long ſhall I cry? if the weakneſſe of his voice could not penet rate the eare of God vi by force, here was ſaepe cadendo, by often falling. So David got an hoarſeneſſe in throat with crying loud and long to the Lord; and our Saviour hath commanded that kind of importunity in Prayer, and the Prophet will give God no reſt till he heare and anſwer; for the Prayer of the juſt, if it be fervent, prevaileth with God: zeale is an holy fire, the flame of it aſcendeth to heaven, and penetrateth all the paſſages till it come to God. Cold and perfunctory devotions intermitted and given over, do not prevaile with God; they pleaſe him beſt that uſe moſt violence, for the kingdome of heaven ſuffereth violence.
3. Ʋnto thee; he directeth his prayers aright; for Baals Prieſts may cry from morning to night, & may cut and lance their fleſh, and make many ſignes of zeale and earneſt importunity without ſucceſſe, becauſe their God heareth not, his eyes ſee not, his ears hear not, his hands handle not, there is no breath in his mouth to give them anſwer.
But the cry of the Prophet went up to God, who beholdeth ungodlineſſe and wrong, that he may take the matter into his own hand.
Thus farre we have ſeen what the Apoſtle did.
1. He cried.
2. He cryed loud.
3. To God.
2. What cauſe had he to cry.
For violence; this is fully and largely expreſt in the ſecond part of his conteſtation with God, ver. 3, 4.
I therefore only obſerve here two things.
1. That he complained not without great provocation, for violence was Gods own complaint and quarrel againſt the old world. The earth is full of violence, Gen. 6.13and behold I will destroy them with the earth.
It was Gods quarrel againſt Edom, for thy violence againſt thy brother Iacob, ſhame ſhall cover thee,Obad. 10. and thou ſhalt be cut off for ever.
2. We conſider where this violence was; not of Eſau againſt Iacob, but of Iacob againſt Iacob, as Iſaiah deſcribeth it:
Every man eating the fleſh of his own arme, Manaſſeh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manaſſeh, Iſa. 9. ult.and both of them againſt Judah.
Civil and Domeſtick warres in the boſome of the Church, grievances and vexations one of another: theſe differences it is likely that the Prophets had laboured to compound, and uſed all meanes to ſettle Peace there, but it appeareth that they prevailed not, therefore he complaineth.
3. With what Succeſſe.
1. Thou wilt not hear; the Cry of the Prophet was to awaken the Iuſtice of God, to chaſten his People for this violence; for ſo deſperate was the diſeaſe of the Church, that they needed the ſharpeſt Phyſick to heal it, even the rod of God to correct them.
Yet God is ſo ſlow to wrath, and ſo long-ſuffering, that he would not hearken to the voice of his Prophets as yet, to pull his hand out of his boſome, though they ſaid with David, It is time for thee Lord to put to thine hand.
2. Thou wilt not ſave. 1. Thou wilt not ſuccour them that ſuffer violence againſt the hand of their oppreſſours; as his not hearing is to be imputed to his mercy and patience, ſo his not ſaving is to be imputed either to his wiſedome, putting his children to the trial of their faith by afflictions; or to his Juſtice, making one of them who have corrupted their wayes a rod to ſcourge the other, neither of them being as yet worth the ſaving, till he had humbled them.
The text thus cleared, the doctrines which grow upon this ſtemme and firſt branch of the Prophets conteſtation are theſe.
1. That the weapons wherewith the holy ſervants of God do fight againſt ſinne are their Prayers to God.
2. That one neceſſary ingredient in our Prayers is earneſtneſſe and importunity.
3. That the zeal of Gods glory, and the love of Peace, cannot diſpenſe with tumule and combuſtion in the Church of God.
4. That God ſometimes ſuſpendeth the deſired ſucceſſe of the earneſt Prayers of his moſt faithful ſervants, when they do pray according to his will, and doth not heare them by and by.
Of the firſt of theſe firſt.
1. Doctr. The weapons wherewith the holy ſervants of God do fight againſt ſin, is their Prayers.
I find that this People, to whom God had ſent his Prophets riſing early and ſending them, were grown incorrigible: and therefore even the Prophets that loved them, and wiſhed them well, having no other way to reform them, were now put to it to pray againſt their violence to God. They that had wont to ſtand in the gap, to turn away ingruent judgements, do take ſuch offence at their ungodlineſſe, that they are put to it to pray to God againſt them.
Thus Ioſeph carried the evil report of his brethren to his father, and made them to be ſhent, wherein he did a brotherly office to ſeek their Reformation.
The ſpleen of Habakkuk is not againſt the Perſons of his brethren, they are not ſo much as named here: he cryeth out of violence. And ſo Saint Paul ſaith. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven againſt all unrighteouſneſſe and ungodlineſſe of men.
David did thus in a caſe of violence.Pſal. 109.3, 4.
They compaſſed me about with words of hatred, and fought against me without cauſe.
For my love they are mine adverſaries, but I give my ſelfe unto Prayer: Ego oro.
Quaere. How doth it ſtand with the rules of charity to complain to God of our brethren, and to ſtirre up his indignation againſt them?
Sol. I confeſſe that this asketh an eſpecial tenderneſſe in the ſervants of God; for to begin here without uſing other means to reclaim our offending brother, may ſhake the walles of our charity, and may accuſe us of want of love; therefore all thoſe ways of charity muſt be firſt tried, as to admoniſh privately; or not ſpeeding ſo, joyn another with thy ſelf in the private chiding of his ſinne; after failing, to communicate the matter to the Church. If all theſe ſupports which we do owe to our brother will not keep him up, then let him be as an heathen, and then is Davids Prayer in ſeaſon.
Let the heathen know that they are but men.
But in my text here was the body of the Church diſeaſed; the members & parts of the body in armes one againſt another, only ſome few of Gods holy ſervants lived with grief in their righteous ſouls, to behold the ungodly converſation of men nefariouſly wicked and careleſſe of religion; therfore what other way was left them, but that of David? I will yet pray againſt their wickedneſſe; take away their ungodlineſſe and thou ſhalt find none.
The Prophets and Seers of former times, have had ſpeciall Revelations of the Will of God, concerning the ungodly of the earth, whereby they might as boldly uſe imprecation as deprecation or ſupplication.
We that come ſhort of their meaſure of the ſpirit: muſt not dare to go to the fartheſt extent of their liberty in Prayer, to pray againſt our brethren; only thus farre we may with Habakkuk, cry out unto God and make our moan to him for violence.
1. Committing our cauſe, and the care of our ſafety unto him, as to a faithful Creator, and ſo the care and ſafety of our brethren.
2. Deſiring God to bring to an end the wickedneſſe of the ungodly, and to finiſh their ſins.
This ſerveth,
1 To ſettle faith in God, and to ſeeke our repoſe only in him in all croſſe oppoſals, becauſe he is the ſunne and ſhield, and there is no reſt but in him; he only over-ruleth all, and evacuateth the counſels, and fruſtrateth the works of wicked men. He only ſhall bring it to paſſe.
2. This ſerveth to reprove the means that are in uſe amongſt us to reforme ſinne as we pretend, but they are unlawful and ungodly.
1. By publick blazing and detecting of offenders, to put them to open ſhame in the world; for the loſſe of a good name doth more often harden a ſinner, and cauſe impenitency then reclaim him: for what hath he to boaſt that hath loſt the good opinion of men? love covereth a multitude of ſinnes, and therefore that is an evil tongue that is the trumpet of anothers ſhame. It is charity to make the beſt of every thing.
2. The ſame offence is committed in private whiſpers and ſecret detractions, and the fault is aggravated by concealing our ſelves, as unwilling to juſtifie our accuſations.
3. By curſing and bitter calling upon God for his vengeance on them that offend, if the offence touch us, or our friends; for God knoweth without us who to manage his judgments, and curſing it, returneth and ſmarteth at home. For the Apoſtle ſaith it twice. Bleſſe, Curſe not.
4. By publike playes and interludes, to repreſent the vices of the time, which though it were the practice of the heathen, which knew not God but afarre off, yet in Chriſtian-ſtates it is no way tolerable nor juſtifyable; to act the parts of evil doers, ſince the Apoſtle ſaith it is a ſhame to name them, much more to act and perſonate them.
5. By private conceived libels, after divulged by ſecret paſſage from pocket to pocket, from one boſome to another, for which the deviſers thereof have no warrant, and to which they have no calling.
6. By Satyres and Poeticall declamations; for who hath ſent theſe into the world, to convince the world? is it not to put the ſpirit of God out of office, who is ſent to convince the world of ſinne? And who but the Lords Prophets have warrant to lift up their voyces like Trumpets, to tell the houſe of Jacob their ſinnes? Every Emperique man may not profeſſe and practice Phyſick. There is a Colledge of ſoule-Phyſicians, who have a calling to this purpoſe, and are ſent to heale the ſoars of the People,
1. By their diligent preaching of the World of God to them.
2. By drawing againſt them, and exerciſing upon them the ſword of Eccleſiaſtical diſcipline.
3. By continual prayer unto God to give end to their ſinnes, whereby they do treſpaſſe God and good men.
3. This ſerveth to diſcourage men from doing evil; for fear of offending the Prophets and Miniſters of the Lord, whoſe righteous ſouls cannot but be vexed to ſee their good ſeed caſt away upon barren, ſtony or thorny ground.
For howſoever baſely and unworthily we be deemed, if the incorrigible iniquity of men do put us to it to move. Almighty God, by our earneſt prayers againſt them they ſhall find that as Iob can do his friends good by his interceſſion, becauſe he is a Prophet, ſo the Lords Miniſters may awake judgement againſt ſuch as go on ſtill in their wickedneſſe, and will not be reformed.
2. Doctr. Our Prayers muſt be importunate.
The Prophet cried, yea he cried out to the Lord. This importunity is expreſt two ways.
1. In the ardency and zeale of his Prayer, it was not oratio a Prayer, but vociferatio a crying.
2. In the continuance of time. How long.
Thus muſt we pray with fervour of ſpirit; our tongue is the piece of Ordnance, our Prayer is the ſhot, the zeale of our heart is the powder that diſchargeth it; and according to the ſtrength of the charge, ſuch is the flight of the ſhot.
Niniveh cryeth mightily to God. Chriſt our Saviour cryed earneſtly to his father,Jou. 3.8. yea with ſtrong crying and tears.
Salomon ſpred his armes abroad; the Publicane beat his breaſt; Chriſt fell on the ground; David ſaid, My ſighing is not hid from thee. Pſal. 38.9The Iſraelites weeping is thus deſcribed, They drew water and poured it out before the Lord.
The Holy Ghoſt doth not furniſh us ſo much with words and phraſes in Prayer, as with ſighs and grones which cannot be exproſt.
Paul prayed three times againſt Sathans Angel. Abraham moved God ſix times for Sodome. Nehemiah had ſo ſpent himſelfe in watching and prayer for his People, that the King obſerved his countenance changed.
Beloved, it is not Prayers by number & tale, as in the Romiſh Church: nor Prayers by rote, or by the ear perfunctoriouſly vented in the Church, and for cuſtome ſaid over at home.
It is not much babling and multiplicitie of Petitions, or vain repetitions that will ſend up our Prayers to heaven.
Though you stretch out your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; Iſay 1.and though you make many Prayers I will not heare you.
The Phariſees wanted powder to their ſhot, for they prayed in their Synagogues, and in the corners of the ſtreets, but as God ſaith, Quis requiſivit iſta, Who required theſe things?
The ſoule that actuateth and animateth Prayer, is fervor ſpiritus: the holy zeal of him that prayeth.
2. Duration of time is another teſtimony of zealous importunity, when our prayer is not a paſſion, but a deliberate and conſtant earneſtneſſe, holding out as the Apoſtle ſaith, Pray continually; not as the Euchites, to do nothing elſe: but to entertain all occaſions to conferre with God, and to proſtrate our ſuites before him.
Chriſt ſpent a whole night together often in prayer;Dan. 10. David day and night. Daniel 21, dayes together during the time that he ate no pleaſant bread, and was in heavineſſe.
Jonah three dayes and three nights in the belly of the Whale, made it his Oratory and Chappel from whence he prayed to the Lord.
If our ſoare runne, ſo long we can pray whileſt we ſmart; or if our neceſſities do preſſe us to importunity, we can hold out long for our ſelves.
But in my Text the cauſe is Gods; zeal and Gods glory cannot contain it ſelf in the cauſe of God;3. Doctr. the Lords people do break his Law and will not be reformed; the Prophet of the Lord cannot ſtand and look on as in the next verſe he doth, and ſee the glory of God thus ſuffer, but he muſt awake in the cauſe of God to bring him to correction.
So David. Riſe Lord, and let thine enemies be ſcattered, let them that hate thee flie before thee.
And thus for Gods glory ſake we may with reſervation of thoſe that do belong to the election of grace, pray to God earneſtly for the confuſion of all Sions enemies, and of all that would faine ſee Jeruſalem the true Church of God in the duſt.
Shall our ſervencie and heat be only for our ſelves? if it be the grant of our requeſts doth quench it, and putteth us to ſilence: but if the glory of God be that we ſeek and aime at, the more God heareth our prayers, and granteth our requeſts the more he enflameth our zeal, and even as it were transformes us into prayer.
and what better motive can we give of Chriſts ſo frequent ſo durant prayers then this: I know that thou heareſt mee alwayes.
Now becauſe long and frequent prayers are a wearyneſſe to the fleſh, the fleſh is no good friend to this exerciſe; and we do find our ſelves in no exerciſe of Religion more tempted then in this; for this cauſe watching, and faſting are ſo often joyned with prayer, as the beſt means to diſable the rebell fleſh from reſiſting.
Doctr. God ſometimes ſuſpendeth the ſucceſſe of the prayers of his ſervants.
There is a caſe wherein God will not hear at all, though Moſes, Samuel, Noah, Daniel, Job do pray to him.
In ſome caſes God will hear, but not yet; for he that keepeth the times and ſeaſons in his own power, knoweth beſt when it is fitteſt for him to hear.
And that was the caſe of this prayer. God did 1. give them yet more time to repent and ſeek his face that he might preſerve them, and ſent his Prophets to them to reclaime them.
2. He did expect if not the converſion of them by fair means, then that after the full taſte of the fruits of his patience, they might by the rod be brought to him, when he ſhould change his righthand. Mutatio dexterae.
3. Or he did expect the filling up of the meaſure of their ſins, that they might have no plea to excuſe their ungraciouſneſſe.
4. He forbore to ſtirre up the Prophet ſo much the more to this importunity, that it might be ſeen that not only their ſins, but the Prophets prayers had awaked vengeance.
5. To declare how acceptable a ſacrifice prayer is, he will delay us that we may pray, for with ſuch ſacrifices God is pleaſed; but if we withdraw our ſelves, Gods ſoul will have no pleaſure in us.
Let no man think the worſe of this holy ſervice of God, becauſe he preſently feeleth not the ſucceſſe thereof: but as the woman of Canaan would not be put off by the Diſciples or by Chriſt himſelf;Math. 15.22. ſo that both her requeſt was granted, and her faith commended.
If we remember our Saviours limitation, all will be well. Eather if thou wilt; let us ſet thoſe bounds to our prayers?
1. What thou wilt:
2. In what meaſure:
3. When thou wilt:
4. In what manner, ſicut tu vis; As thou wilt.