Commentary on Habakkuk, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 10
Verſe 10. The mountains ſaw thee, and they trembled, the overflowing of the water paſſed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lift up his hands on high.
THeſe words have reference to the former wonders of Gods works, in which the Holy Ghoſt Poetically, and Rhethorically doth give life to things in-animate, to expreſſe their yielding and giving vvay to Gods extraordinary operations, ſome underſtanding that; For ſuch impreſſion did the power of God make in the everlaſting mountains, as he calleth them before, ver. 6. and in the perpetuall hils that they gave way to his people, as if they had ſeen God himſelf, and that the feare of God had been upon them to make them tremble.
The like Poeticall ſtreine we have in the Pſalmiſt: What ailed ye mountains that ye skipped like ramms, Pſa. 114.6.and ye little hils like young ſheep? And the words of David do ſeem to guide my judgement, to expound this place, not of the mountains upon the dry land, but with reference to the miracle of the paſſage of the children of Iſrael over Jordan, in which God by his power did make the waters of the river riſe up like mountains to ſtop their way, and yet not to ſuffer them to drown the neighbouring Continent, and this was effected with an extratraordinary motion of the waters, leaping and skipping like Sheepe.
Therefore here is added, the over-flowing of the water paſſed by, that is, it did not over-flow the way of the Iſralites, but beſtowed it ſelf in the raiſing up of the mountains of water: The deep uttered his voice: he meaneth the noiſe of the waters, running and ſwelling in heaps: And lift up his hands on high: for this riſing of the waters into ſuch huge hils, did give reſtimony of their yielding to the almighty power of God in his working, though contrary to their nature.
This expoſition of theſe words I imbrace, as moſt conſonant to the web of the Scripture, yet I will not conceal from you, that ſome refer this trembling of the mountains, and this noiſe of the waters, figuratively, to the trembling of the Kings in Canaan, and the noiſe of the people afraid, and melting in their hearts at the ſtrange paſſage of Iſrael through the red ſea firſt, and now at laſt through Jordan.
Whom I dare not follow, holding it dangerous to admit more figures then need, when ſome more literall ſenſe may be proper.
Others to refer this to the trembling of mount Sinai, when God appeared to the people in the way, of which Moſes ſaith,
And mount Sinai was altogether on a ſmoak, Exo. 9.18.becauſe the Lord deſcended upon it in fire, and the ſmoak thereof aſcended as the ſmoak of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
But this connexion of the trembling of the mountains, with the noiſe of the waters, doth make it probable to me, that it is one and the ſame miracle.
Magiſter Hiſtoriae felleth of a mountain in the land of Canaan, neer to the river of Arnon, which ſuffered a violent earthquake at the time of the entring of Iſrael into Canaan, but that is an Apocryphall relation, and the ſilence of the ſtory doth make it queſtionable, whether any ſuch thing were done.
The figurative and poetical form of ſpeech here uſed is in ſight.
1 The heaps of waters ſwelling to a very great height, are called mountains.
2 Here is attributed to them humane ſenſe, motions, and affections, as ſeeing, trembling, uttering of a voice, and lifting up of hands.
Theſe things are familiar and frequent all the Scripture through, eſpecially in the poeticall part thereof, as I have ſhewed.
The ſenſleſſe and liveleſſe creatures are ſubject to the will of God, Doct. and to ſerve him.
For that which the heathen do call nature in the creatures, is in religion the conſtant order which God hath eſtabliſhed in the univerſall machine and frame of the world, and in every perticular member and part thereof, ſerving Gods generall providence: that which we call miraculous and extraordinary, is the perticular will of God upon occaſion, declered out of his ſingular and ſpeciall providence.
In both theſe, all creatures whatſoever do ſo ſerve him, as if they knew what they did. The Centurion did not keep his ſervants in better awe, and had them not ſo ready at his command, as God hath his creatures, their nature is ſubject to rule, and that ſo as fire ſhal burne and not conſume, as in the buſh, waters ſhall ſtand in heaps, as in the paſſage through the red Sea, and here in my Text, in the river of Jordan.
Water ſhall not put out ſire, the haile as watry ſubſtance ſhall mingle with fire in the ſame ſhoare, and Eliah ſhall call for ſire that ſhall lick up the water, and dry the ditches filled to the brim.
The reaſon hereof is becauſe there is nothing in the world that hath any being, Reaſ. but it had beginning from him who onelyonly is of himſelf, and therefore called Jehovah, and he never gave being to any thing but for uſe; he hath made nothing idle and unprofitable, for in wiſedome he made all things, and that uſe is directed by the Creator: and therefore as it is ſaid of him, that he had made the heaven and the earth by Moſes: ſo Melchizedeck calleth him the high poſſeſſor of heaven and earth, as the Prophet David ſaith: Fecit quicquid voluit in coelo & in terra, & in omnibus abyſſis.
The right of Creation without which nothing had any being, the right of protection which keepeth all things in being, doth put all things in ſubjection under his feet, his will is their nature; and it is all one to the inanimate creature to ſerve his true will in an ordinary, and in a miraculous way: for his will is the ſoul that animateth them, and maketh them active, and he could have as eaſily let the ſea keep his courſe, and let the river of Jordan run on, and have brought his people over upon the face of the waters, as Chriſt and Peter walkt, as he made them a paſſage through.
This ready obſequence of the inanimate creature to the will of God, doth upbraid man whom God made for himſelf, and his ſpecial honour, with much unworthineſſe; for things without life owe leſſe to God for creation then things animate, much leſſe then man, to whom God gave a living ſoul, made in the image of God, & having but one law of reſtraint put upon him, broke it, and brought a pollution of himſelf, which like the leproſie of Gehezi runneth in all his poſterity.
It is our ſhame that all things elſe do ſerve him, onelyonly men and devils the corrupters of men ſtand out and rebell.
And this maketh God cry, Hear O Heavens! and hearken, Iſa. 1.2.O Earth! I have nouriſhed, and brought up children, and they have rebelled againſt me.
Why doth God make his complaint to the Heavens, and to the Earth, or why doth he call them to witneſſe againſt Iſrael his people? but to ſignifie that creatures without life ſhall condemne the diſobedience of men, even of Iſrael, the people that God hath choſen to himſelf.
And truly, when we do look out of our ſelves upon theſe things, as David ſaith, When we conſider the Heavens, Pſa. 8.3.the worke of thy fingers, the Sun and the Moon, with, &c.
What is man that thou art ſo mindfull of him.
There be two things that may move.
1 What is man that ſuch excellent creatures ſhould be made for him?
2 What is man that beholding the heavens which do ſerve him, and living upon the earth, that is obedient to him, and doth his will, that God ſhould be mindfull of man, who of all the works of his hands that enjoy his favours, doth ſerve him worſt of all.
Do not we thank God for it, and take it for a high favour that he made us men, and did not make us ſtones, or plants, worms, or flies, ſerpents or toads; or any other kind of hatefull or hurtfull creature.
But yet, if we live not to ſerve him, and to do his will, our condition had been much more happy, to have been the worſt of theſe, then to have been made men and women.
I will not goe from the example in my Text, to teach you what we are, for by originall generation we runne like Jordan in a full and ſwift current, into the great and wide Sea of the world, and there we looſe our ſelves in thoſe ſalt waters.
Sometimes as Jordan in harveſt times, that is, in times of our plenty and fulneſſe, and when we have eaſe, and whatſoever our heart deſireth, we do overflow our banks, and exceed all meaſure.
But when the Preiſts of the Lord do bring the Ark of God into us, that is, when we come to have a ſenſe and a feeling of Religion, and the fear of God, then do we recoile and ſtrive againſt nature, and overcome nature, and we learn to do the good, that we would not do.
For truly religion doth carry us againſt winde and tyde: religion leads us all up-hill, and he that will follow Chriſt muſt deny himſelf, ſo Saint Paul doth. Vero ego, & non amplius ego, ſed vivit in me Chriſtus: I live, yet not I, but Chriſt in me.
Obſerve the creature here, and you ſhall ſee that whatſoever is ingredient in perfect obedience, is aſcribed to this River of Jordan; for,
1 It was congrua, for it was to God, they were his Prieſts, and they did carry his Ark upon their ſhoulders, and they had his warrant for it.
It was prompta, ready, no ſooner did the ſoales of the feet of the Prieſts touch the waters but they fled back, no ſooner were they all over, and the ſtones carried out of the river to ſhoare, but they returned again to their courſe.
Such let our obedience be, and this is acceptable in the ſight of God, this Lecture is read to us in Heaven, in Earth, in the Sea: in Heaven we have the example of the Angels, who are called, Angeli facientes voluntate ejus: In Earth we have the examples of all creatures, who in their ſeverall kinds do his will, according to the generall Law of Creation, and the perticuler law of ſpeciall diſpenſation.
In the Sea, the winds and ſea obey him.
This ſerveth to teach us to paſſe the time of our dwelling Ʋſe 2 here in fear, becauſe we ſee the omnipotent hand of God in the government of the world, that we may ſay,
Ah, Lord God, Jer. 32.17.thou haſt made the Heaven and the Earth by thy great power, and ſtretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee; and he remembreth the wonders of this deliverance out of Egypt, and ſaith;
Thou haſt made thee a name.Verſe 20.
This filleth all that think of it with a reverent fear of Gods name, it exalteth him in the congregation of the juſt, and maketh him ſay, Domine, quis ſimilis tibi? Lord, who is like thee?
This ſerveth to convince the enemies of God, Ʋſe 3 who make nature ſit in the place of God, and do give the rule of all things to nature; for what have they to ſay for themſelves in theſe great examples: could nature cut a paſſage of dry land through the red Sea: could nature draw waters out of an hard Rock, and teach it to follow Iſrael whereſoever they went? to reſt when they reſted, to run when they removed? could nature keep their cloaths on their backs, their ſhooes on their feet for wearing, for forty years?
Did nature raine Manna, and bring in the Quails, and feed the people till they came to the corne of Canaan?
Did nature make theſe mountains and high piles of waters in the river of Jordan?
Is not the extraordinary hand of God in all theſe?
This alſo ſerveth for encreaſe of our faith, Ʋſe 4 for we have good cauſe to caſt our care, and faſten our truſt upon him, who not onelyonly worketh by means, but without them, yea, and againſt them. The hardeſt leſſon in religion, is, to truſt God when we ſee no means of helpe, as Abraham did when he was commanded to kill the ſon of the promiſe. The very captivity of the Church hath had that comfort in the greateſt terror thereof, ſo the Pſalmiſt ſaith,
1 That God ſuffered no man to do them wrong, but reproved even Kings for their ſakes
2 That he made them that led them away captive to pity them, and to miniſter to their neceſſities: they became rather nurſes then their Jaylors.
Upon comfort of which confidence, Job proteſted that, Though he kill me, Job 13.15. Ʋſe 5.yet will I truſt in Him.
This aſſureth to us all the promiſes of God, which the Apoſtle diſtributeth into theſe two ſorts,
The promiſes of this life.
And of the life that is to come.
And this made Abraham when God promiſed him ſeed, not to conſider his own body was now dead, Rom. 4 19 2, &c.nor the deadneſſe of Sarahs wombe.
He ſtaggered not at the promiſe through unbelief, but was ſtrong in faith, giving glory to God.
And being fully perſwaded, that what he had promiſed, he was able alſo to perform.
And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteouſneſſe; and he addeth;
Now it was not written for his ſake alone, that it was imputed to him.
But for us alſo, to whom it ſhall be imputed, if we believe.
We ſee ſome parts of the Chriſtian Church now in great extremity, and no way in ſight open from their eſcape out of great miſery: the Bohemian Proteſtants put to cruel deaths: the French Proteſtants have the ſword drawn againſt them, and the arrows upon the ſtring to ſhoot at them: the Palatinate under proſcription, the Prince thereof in exile: Our helpe is in the name of the Lord.
All theſe will faint, except they believe verily to ſee the goodneſſe of God in the land of the Living. Sweet and full of comfort is the example of Gods people, to whom it was promiſed, even when they were in captivity in Babylon, they had hung up their Harps upon the Willows, and ſate weeping by the rivers of waters.
Thus, Zech. 8.3.3.ſaith the Lord, I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midſt of Jeruſalem, and Jeruſalem ſhall be called a City of truth, and the mountaine of the Lord of Hoſts, the Holy Mountaine.
Thus, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts: there ſhall yet old men, and old women dwell in the ſtreets of Jeruſalem, and every man with his ſtaffe in his hand for very age.
And the ſtreets of the City ſhall be full of boys and girls, playing in the ſtreets of it.
Thus, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts, if it be mervellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in theſe dayes; ſhould it alſo be marvellous in mine eyes, ſaith the Lord of Hoaſts.
I will ſave my people from the Eaſt, and from the weſt Country.
This is the help in trouble, ready to be found, let us awake, this help with the loud voice of our importunate ſupplications, ſaying, O Lord, help now, O Lord, now give proſperity.
Let us give him no reſt, till he hath bowed the heavens, and is come downe, to viſit the diſtreſſes of his faithfull ſervants.
Our Saviour comforteth us well, ſaying, My Father worketh as yet, and I work, and if our labour which is, opus in Domino, a work in the Lord, be not in vaine, his labour which is, opus Domini, a work of the Lord, will proſper in his hand.
He is as ſtrong in the river of Rhine, as in he was Jordan, and his Church is as dear to Him now as ever it was, and he is as diligent in making inquiſition for bloud, and as attentive to the complaints of the oppreſſed as he was.