Commentary on the Minor Prophets, Commentary 12 · Chapter 2

Commentary on the Minor Prophets · Commentary 12 · Chapter 2

p. 630CHAP. II.

Verſe 1. ANd now, O ye prieſts, &c. Now, that is, Now again, I muſt have the other bout with you, beſides what I had chap. 1.6, 7, &c. for as once from the Prophets (ſo now from the Prieſts) in Jeruſalem profameſſe is gone forth into all the land. Jer. 23.15Jer 23:15Their white Ephods covered many foul ſinnes: and their evil example proved a publike miſchief. Hence the Prophet is ſo round with them: for he knew that a wicked Prieſt is the worſt creature upon earth. Unſavory ſalt is fit for no place; no not for the dunghill. It is an old proverb, that hell is paved with the ſhaven crowns of evil prieſts. The word prieſt is never uſed by the Apoſtles for a Miniſter of the Goſpel:De culiu Sanct. l. 3. c. 4. Hem. 3. in Act. no not by the moſt ancient Fathers, as Bellarmine himſelf confeſſeth. Indeed in Chryſoſcome I ſinde this piercing paſſage; Non arbitror inter ſacerdotes multos eſſe qui ſalvi fiant, I do not think, ſaith He, that among all our prieſts, there be many that ſhall be ſaved. Bernard comes after him and complains, that in the court of Rome good men failed, bad men grew amain:Lib. 4. de Conſid. and that the Biſhops of his time, were not Doctours but ſeducers, not Paſtours but Impoſtours, not Prelates but Pilates. Yea Pope Pius the ſecond hath left it in writing, that no villanous act had been for a long time committed in the Catholike Church,In hiſt. Auſtr. apud Callenat. hiſt. Neap. l. 4. the firſt beginning whereof proceeded not from the prieſts. Cornelius à Lapide upon this chapter, cries out of the ignorance and wickedneſſe of the Popiſh Clergy, as the cauſe of the contempt caſt by us upon them. And I would we had not cauſe to ſay, that many of our Miniſters neither feed liberally by charity, nor ſoundly by doctrine, nor religiouſly by life: which opened once the mouth of that dead dog Campian, maliciouſly to bark out, Miniſtris corum nihil vilius, Their Miniſters are moſt vile and vicious.

this commandement is for you] i. e. that curſe, chap. 1.14. implying a commandement: that if you deſire to eſcape that heavy curſe, you forthwith obey this commandement (Aut faciendum enim aut patiendum) to procure the purity and integrity of my worſhips, and to ſee that there be a preſent reformation of Religion. Reformation is a work that hath ever gone heavily on, and hath met with much oppoſition. As that made by Elias, by Ioſiah, by Nehemiah, and by Hezekiah, who found the Prieſts and Levites very backward: which the good king perceiving, began firſt himſelf, and awaked thoſe ſluggards with theſe words. Oh be not deceived, my ſonnes: God hath choſen you for this ſervice, 2 Chron. 29.11. The like backwardneſſe was found in the Popiſh Clergy to a generall Councell, ſo much urged and called for by the Bohemians, Germans, and other Nations, that groaned under the yoke of Papall tyranny. Luther truly and trimly compared the Cardinals and Prelats that met at Rome about Reformation of the Church, to foxes,Sleidan Comment that came to ſweep an houſe full of duſt with their tails: and inſteed of ſweeping it out, ſwept it all about the houſe, and made a great ſmoke for the while: but when they were gone, the duſt fell all down again. When nothing could be obtained of the Pope, Luther began to reforme in Germany, where he had a great p. 631door open, but many adverſaries, and none more violent then the Pope, whoſe tripple crowne, and the Monks, whoſe fat paunches he ſo nearly touched, as Eraſmus merrily told the Elector of Saxony. Bucer and Melancthon framed a form of Reformation with approbation of the Peers and States. But the Clergy of Collen rejected it with ſcorn and ſlander, ſaying that they would rather ſubmit to the government of the great Turk,Melch. Ad. in vita Enc. then to a Magiſtrate that followed or furthered ſuch a Reformation. Here in England ſomething began to be done in the time of Henry the 8. but it was ſo envied and oppoſed by the Church-men, that little could be done to what was expected. There are many (ſaid He, ſitting in Parliament) that are too buſie with their new Sumpſimus, and others that dote too much upon their old Mumpſimus. The new religion though true, He and his Clergy envied: the old, though his own, he deſpiſed. Magiſtrates are to have the main ſtroke in Reformation of Religion, (though Papiſts would utterly exclude them for having to do in matters Eccleſiaſticall) but Miniſters alſo muſt move in their own Orb, and do their part too. (why elſe are the prieſts here commanded and menaced?) 1. By teaching. 2. By exerciſing diſcipline. And here Magiſtrates muſt hemme Miniſters in with boards of Cedar, Cant. 8.9. provide for their ſecurity, whiles they do their duty, that they may be without fear among them, as Timothy, 1 Cor. 16.10. Envied they muſt look to be, and hated for their zeal to Gods houſe, which they ſeek to purge. But publike reſpects muſt (like the rapt motion) carry our hearts contrary to the wayes of our own private reſpects, or concernments: and conſider, that as it is not the toſſing in a ſhip, but the ſtomack that cauſeth ſickneſſe; the choler within, and not the waves without: So the frowardneſſe of men, that quarrell with reformation; and not the work it ſelf, which is Gods commandement, as here the Prophet calls it.

Verſe 2. If ye will not hear] that your ſouls may live, Iſa. 55.3. but forbear, and ſo ſhew your ſelves a rebellious houſe, Ezek. 2.8. ſo adding rebellion to your ſinne. If you will needs reſemble the deaf adder, which although by ſpitting out his poyſon, he might renew his age, ſtoppeth his ears by applying one to the earth, and covering the other with his tail, leſt he ſhould hear the voyce of the charmer. Or, if ye do hear with that griſtle that growes upon your head onelyonly,

and will not lay it to heart] Heb. upon your heart, as a weight to keep it down from riſing in rebellion againſt the Lord. If you eſteem my command a light matter, and inſtead of pondering it in your hearts with Mary, caſt it behind your backs, Pſal. 50.17. or, ſuffer it to run thorow you as water runs thorow a riven veſſell, Heb. 2.4. If thirdly, you will not give glory unto my Name, by confeſſing your ſinnes, Ioſh. 7.19. (ſo ſubmitting to my juſtice, and imploring my mercy, which will make much to my glory) and redreſling your wayes, Pſal. 50.23. by breaking off your ſinnes, and bearing much fruit, Ioh. 15.8. ſtudying mine ends more then your own, and drowning all ſelf-reſpects in my glory. If you will not obſerve and fulfill theſe three fore-mentioned conditions of exemption;

I will even ſend a curſe upon you] that evill Angel of mine, that ſhall bring with him fierceneſſe of anger, wrath, indignation and trouble Pſa. 78.49. The Vulgar Interpreter renders it, I will even ſend poverty upon you; a curſe well ſuting with their covetouſneſſe, and agreeable to that threatened by another Prophet: As the Partridge ſitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not: ſo he that getteth riches and not by right (as theſe Prieſts had done) ſhall leave them in the midſt of his dayes, Jer. 17.12Jer 17:12and at his end be a fool. A poor fool God will ſoon make of the covetous caitiff: and reduce him to extream want; than the which he knowes no greater hell, no curſe comparable. But the Originall is more generall, I will execrate you, or pronounce a curſe againſt you. Howbeit, Non niſt coactus, No otherwiſe then as compelled to it; as that Emperour ſaid, laying his hand upon his mouth for a good while, before he would pronounce ſentence of death upon one that had deſerved it. Hiſtories tell us of Auguſtus, that it went as much againſt the heart with him, as it did againſt the hair with the malefactour, when he adjudged him to condigne puniſhment. Veſpaſian wept over thoſe he ſentenced. Nero, in his firſt five years, being to ſigne a warrant for execution of certain Malefactours ſaid,Act. & Mon. O utinam literas neſcirem, O that I could not write. Our King Edw. 6. could not be perſwaded by all his Councill to put his hand to a warrant for the burning of p. 632one Ione Butcher, that had well deſerved it. Our gracious God might well ſay As I live, I delight not in the death of ſinners, but rather would they ſhould convert and live: Ezek. 33.11.Ezek 33:11why elſe doth he here in threatening a curſe, interpoſe condition of repentance? why doth he warn before he wounds, and premoniſh before he puniſh? Well might the Heathen Hiſtorian ſay,foreign H redot. God loves to foreſig niſie. Well might that Father ſay, Minatur Deus ut non puniat. God therefore menaceth miſery that he may not inflict it. And another, Ideo prolata eſt ſententia, ut non fiat. The ſentence is, therefore pronounced, that it may not be executed. Witneſſe that we read Am. 4.12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee. Thus? how? He nameth not how, that they may fear the utmoſt, (as Ribera noteth) and yet he addeth, Becauſe I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael. Surely as a woman brings not forth without pain; And as a bee (uſually) ſtings not, till much provoked: ſo neither doth God curſe his creature, till there be no other remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 And then, Patientia laeſa fit furor: abuſed mercy turns into fury. If men will not accept of conditions of peace, though never ſo fair and reaſonable (as here) but pervert his mercies to wantonneſſe, his patience to preſumption, he will not alwaies bear with their evill manners: but, repenting him of his kindneſſe ſo caſt away upon thoſe that prized it not, as David repented of the good he had done unworthy Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.21.1 Sam 25:21he will make them know the worth of his bleſſings by the want of them.

I will curſe your bleſſings] ſaith He here, I will recover mine own and be gone, as Hoſ. 2.9. I will cut off the meat from their mouths, and blaſt all your hopes of abundance, and deſtroy you after that I had done you good Ioſh. 24.20. Thus God dealt by his unfruitfull vineyard Eſay 5.5. he puld up the hedges and let in the wild-bore. Thus alſo he dealt by the unprefitable ſervant: he took away his talent, and turned him over to the tormentour. And thus he deales by diverſe now adayes, in whom it is no hard matter to obſerve a waine and decay of their gifts and abilities, upon their diſuſe, or miſuſe thereof. How many have we that are wofully fallen from the affections of prayer they were wont to find and expreſſe? how many idle and therefore evil miniſters, rejected by God, and laid aſide, as ſo many broken veſſels: whiles he cauſeth the night to come upon their divination, puts out their right eyes and dryes up their right aermes Zach. 11.17? till at length they may ſay with Zedekiah, When did the ſpirit depart from me? Woe to me, for I am ſpoiled Ier. 4.13. And in very deed what ſhould a Prince do but take away a ſword from a rebel? what ſhould a mother do, but ſnatch away the meat from the child that marrs it? And what can God do leſſe then take away his corn,Hoſ. 2.5, 9.Hos 2:5Hos 2:9 wine and wooll from thoſe that not only own him to it, but go after other ſweet-hearts with it?

yea I have curſed them already] for a pledge of more malediction. For as in bleſſings, every former is a pledge of a future: ſo in curſes. As one cloud followes another till the Sun diſperſe them: ſo doth one curſe ſucceed another till Repentance remove them. No ſooner doth that rain-bow appear in our hearts, but God remembring his covenant, clears up our coaſts, and lifteth up the light of his countenance upon us. Take the bark from the tree, and the ſap can never find its way to the branches. Take ſin from the ſoule, and God will ſoon be reconciled. But if ye walk contrary unto me, I will puniſh you yet ſeven times more, and ſeven times, Lev. 26.Lev 26and ſeven to that; till I have daſhed you in pieces: as Dagon, never left falling before the Ark till his neck was broke. Sin doth as naturally draw and ſuck curſes to it, as the Loadſtone doth iron, or Turpentine, fire. The Chaldee and the Vulgar make theſe words but a repetition of the former: for they read the Text thus:Idem repetit & in culcat. à Lapide. I will curſe your bleſſings, and I will curſe them: to intimate his peremptorineſſe in the thing, and that he was unchangably reſolved upon it. Now when God will do a thing, who ſhall hinder it? Nature may be reſiſted and hindred in its courſe; as when the fire burnt not the three worthies, when the Sun ſtood ſtill in heaven, yea went backward. Men and devils though never ſo potent may want of their will, and be croſſed in their deſignes and deſires. But if God will have this or that to be done, ther's no gain-ſtanding him. If he have a mind to bleſſe his people, they ſhall be bleſſed. If he will have pitty for his own names ſake, which the houſe of Iſrael had prophaned Ezek. 36.21. If he p. 633will come in with his Non-obſtante, Nevertheleſſe he ſaved them &c. and dealt with his ſervants not according to his ordinary rule, but according to his prerogative, who ſhall contradict him? In like ſort, if he will redouble his ſtrokes upon his enemies, and not only curſe them, but curſe them bitterly, as the Angel did Meroz, who can hinder or object againſt his proceeding in that behalf?Judg. 5Judg 5 His judgements are ſometimes ſecret, but alwayes juſt: and if he once ſay, I will curſe, yea that I will, there is as little hope of altering him, as there was of Pilate, when he had once pronounced, what I have written, I have written, It ſhall ſurely ſtand.

becauſe ye do not lay it to heart] As he had repeated their curſe, ſo he doth here their ſin; inſtancing in that branch of it that moſt offended him: and that was their ſtupidity and ſenſeleſneſſe either of their ſin, or danger. This is a God-provoking evill, oft complain'd of, but eſpecially when it proceeds from preſumption, as Deut. 29.19. Eſay 22.12, 13, 14. Ezek. 24.13. The Lord cannot ſatisfie himſelf in threatening ſuch: as if the very naming of it had enraged his jealouſie: neither is he more abſolute in threatening, then he will be reſolute in puniſhing.

Verſe 3. Behold, I will corrupt your ſeed] And ſo mar your hopes of an harveſt: I will bring famine upon you, that fore judgement, worſe then that of the ſword,Lam. 4.9.Lam 4:9 which yet is the ſlaughter-houſe of mankind, and the very hell of this preſent world. By this ſcourge God will tame his prodigals, and ſtarve their bodies;Hag. 1.4.Hag 1:4 who by the contempt of his ordinances ſtarve their own ſoules. Either by immoderate drought God can cauſe a famine, Ioel 1.10. Or by immoderate moiſture, Verſe 17. The ſeed rotting under the clods &c. to revenge the quarrel of his covenant. Iſrael was plagued with famine for breaking their faith with the Gibeonites. What may they expect that keep not touch with God?2 Sam. 21.1.2 Sam 21:1 David knew that the naturall cauſe of that famine was drought: but he enquired (though, twere long firſt) after the ſupernaturall. As Jacob enquired who ſtood on the top of the ladder and ſent the Angels to and fro? ſo muſt we in caſe of publike calamities,Gen. 28.13.Gen 28:13 aſcend, to the top of them, and ſee who ſends them, and what is the cauſe of them, that we may caſt the traitours head over the wall, and he may return and repent and leave a bleſſing behind him. For till then, we may look that he ſhould cut off our proviſion and victualls, as wiſe Princes uſe to do from their rebels whom they have gotten up into a walled town.

and ſpread dung upon your faces] caſt contempt upon you, and cover you with confuſion: make you to ſtink above ground, ſo that men ſhall ſhun and abhorr your company. This is another fruit of ſin, and piece of the curſe: and many wicked men are more afraid of it, then of the ſin that cauſeth it: as Chaereas in Terence not aſhamed to deflour a virgin, was yet aſhamed to be ſeen in an Eunuchs habit the ſigne of that ſin. True it is, that the beſt may have dung caſt into their faces, as St. Paul and his precious companions had 1 Cor. 4.13. We are faith he, the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things. The later word ſignifieth the dung-cart that goes thorough the city,foreign. into which every one brings and caſts his filth: to note, that every foole had ſome filth to caſt upon thoſe Worthies of whom the world was not worthy. And truely all publike perſons that are faithfull to their truſt, had need carry a ſpare handkerchief to wipe off dirt and drivell: which yet many times will hardly ſtick, as dirt will not upon marble, though it will upon a mud-wall. The wiſe ſhall inherit glory: when ſhame ſhall be the promotion of fooles Pro. 3.35. A fair promotion: but good enough for them, unleſſe they were better. If the precious ſons of Zion comparable to fine gold, be at any time eſteemed as earthen pitchers as Lam. 4.2. or trodden in the dirt by the fat buls of Baſan, God will in due time make all his that have laine ſullied and ſlurred among the pots, to become as the wings of a dove covered with ſilver, and her feathers with pure gold Pſal. 68.13. In the mean while, they have the Euge of a good conſcience, which is better then the worlds Plaudite. But profane and profligate perſons with their ſpiritual naſtineſſe and ſuper fluity of naughtineſſe, ſtink worſe then theſe cityes of the plaine in the noſtrils of God and all good men, whiles they live, (according to that, The name of the wicked ſhall rot, And again,Pro. 10.7. & 9Prov 10:7Prov 10:9 He that perverteth his wayes ſhall be known.) And when they dye they ſhall be p. 634carried thorough the dung-gate of death, to the town-ditch of utter deſtruction. At which time,Iob. 20.6, 7.Job 20:6Job 20:7 that in Iob ſhall be verified of them, Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he ſhall periſh for ever like his own dung: they which have ſeen him (in his flouriſh) ſhall ſay, Where is be? Let thoſe dehoneſt amenta Cleri look to this; all idle and evill Miniſters, who as unſavoury ſalt are fit for no place but the dung-hill, even to be buried in a dunghill, as Biſhop Bonner was, and (mean-while) to be trodden under foot, which is a thing not only calamitous, but extremely ignominious. Mat. 5.13.

even the dung of your ſolemne feaſts] i. e. for the iniquity of your moſt ſolemn ſervices, which you have ſlubber'd over and made to ſtink, I will make you alſo abject and abominable: as the dung of ſacrifices offered in great number on feſtivall dayes, was carried into ſome by-corner, and ſet out of ſight. And here it is remarkable that God calleth the ſolemn feaſts their ſolemn-feaſts, as if they had been none of his: he would not own them. So Ier. 7.21. in ſcorn he calles their ſacrifices fleſh, ordinary fleſh, ſuch as was bought and ſold in the ſhambles. And Hoſ. 9.4. he calleth the ſame ſacrifices, their bread for their ſoule, or for their naturall ſuſtenance, and ſaith it ſhall not come into his houſe. And yet he ſpeaks there of that meat-offering Lev. 2.5. appointed by God himſelf for a ſpirituall uſe, which is nevertheleſſe called the bread for their life, or livelyhood: becauſe God eſteemed it no other then common meat. In a like ſenſe it was, that after the people of Iſrael had ſet up the golden calf, God would own them no longer, but fathers them upon Moſes: Behold thy people, ſaith He to Moſes, whom thou broughteſt out of Egypt &c. Exod. 32.7. David alſo, when he had ſinned in numbring the people, was counted and called but plain David, Go and ſay to David &c. 2 Sam. 24.12. whereas before that, when he purpoſed to build the Lord a Temple &c.2 Sam. 7.2 Sam 7 then it was, Go tell my ſervant David &c. The Saints themſelves, when they ſin againſt God, are in a ſort ſuſpended from the covenant. Therefore it is uſuall with them, when they ſeek the Lord for any ſpeciall mercy, to begin with humbling themſelves, and taking pains with their own hearts, as David, Daniel, Ezra, &c.

Verſe. 4. And ye ſhall know that I have ſent &c.] That is, ye ſhall know by wofull experience: your puniſhment ſhall advertiſe you: the curſe appendent to the commandement ſhall teach you as Gideon taught the men of Succoth ſo. with thorns and and briers of the wilderneſſe, Jud. 8.16. and as David taught the children of Ammon better behaviour, by making them paſſe thorough the brick-kilne, 2 Sam. 12.31 and as the Phrygians wax not wiſe, unleſſe they be beaten to it, when Gods judgments are in the earth, Judg. 3.20.Judg 3:20the inhabitants of the world will learn righteouſneſſe Iſai. 26.9. Smart makes wit, and vexation giveth underſtanding. Ehuds ponyard was a meſſage from God; who as he is ſaid to hold his peace when he puniſheth not Pſal. 50.21. Eſay 42.14. ſo to preach and teach when he doth Eſay 28.19. his ſcourges are mens ſchool-maſters foreign, One calls them, Gods free-ſchool-maſters,) curſtand crabbed enough, but ſuch as whereby he openeth mens ears to diſcipline, and commandeth them to return from iniquity: Iob 36.8, 9, 10.Job 36:8Job 36:9Job 36:10Then he ſheweth them their work, and their tranſgreſſions that they have exceeded, that they have ſlighted the commandement which he had ſent them, and that now he would plead with them another way, ſo. with patience, and with blood, Ezek. 38.22. and ſo would cauſe them to paſſe under the rod, that thereby he might bring them into the bond of the covenant, purging out the rebels, and them that tranſgreſs, Ezek. 20.37, 38. God ſhould have no tribute from men (as thoſe Malignants ſuggeſted againſt the returned captives, Ezra 4.13: if he did not make them know his breach of promiſe Num. 14.34. if he did not break covenant with them that firſt play falſe with him, and keep no condition on their part required. See 2 Chron. 15.2. and when thou art making a covenant with ſin, ſay to thy ſoul, as Boaz ſaid to his kinſman Ruth 4.4. At what time thou buyeſt it, thom muſt have Ruth with it. If thou wilt have the pleaſure of ſin, the wages of wickedneſſe, thou muſt alſo have the curſe &c. and let thy ſoul anſwer as he there doth, No, I may not do it, I ſhall mar and ſpoil a better inheritance. Polanus and others diſlike the reading of this text in the future tenſe ye ſhall know that I hauehave ſent this commandment, and tell us that the ſcope of the Prophecy requires, p. 635that it be read in the preſent tenſe thus, Nam citis, For ye do know that I have ſent &c. You know your dignity and duty as Prieſts:Vos probe cognitum habetis &c. Polan. foreign. and yet ye wilfully croſſe your own knowledge and conſcience. Knowledge is a divine gift: it is the great talent of all other: there is a (much) ſet upon it, Lak. 12.48. there is a ſpecial d…p…ſuum in it, as the word there uſed importeth. To know heavenly things is to ſcend into heaven ſaith Agur Prov. 30.4. But as the devil (that knowing creature, that hath his name in Greek from the largneſſe of his objective knowledge) was once an Angel of light till he fell from his dignity, Jud. 6.foreign quaſi foreign ſo thoſe that corrupt themſelves in that they know Jude 10.Rom. 1.18.Rom 1:18 that impriſon the light they have (as a prophet from God) in unrighteouſneſſe: that know the commandment ſent from God, as here, and yet after that they have known the way of righteouſneſſe, do turn from the holy commundement delivered unto them, the latter end will be worſe with thoſe men then the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20, 21. they have but aſpired to an higher pitch that their fall might be the more deſperate. Neronis illud, Quantus artifex perco quadrabi t…in te peritum & periturum ſaith One. Thou doeſt but carry Uri h's letters about thee to thine own utter deſtruction. Thou maiſt go to hell with much knowledge in thy head: as a bull with a coronet and garland goes to the ſlaughter. Thou mayeſt alſo, for this one fault meet with an hell aforehand in thine own conſcience, as Spira did; crying out to thoſe about him, to learn of him to take heed of ſevering knowledge and practiſe. What elſe was it that brought ſuch …o …ring and troubles both inward and outward on thoſe Eſay 59.11, 12. and that when ſalvation was looked for? Our iniquities, ſay they, teſtifie to our faces, and we know them. All ſins offend conſcience: but ſins againſt knowledge waſte and deſtroy it. A dangerous degree, drawing neer that ſin to which ſacrifice is denyed. For ſins againſt the law, though againſt knowledge, there was an attonement, Levit. 6.1. to the 8. and he inſtanceth in perjury. But to perſecute the known truth with malice,Heb. 19 26. for this ther's no ſacrifice.

that my covenant might be with Levi] Levi did not thruſt himſelf into the Prieſthood: but was taken by God into ſpecial covenant. See Num. 8.13, 14. 1 Sam. 2.28. Heb. 5.4. No man taketh this honour unto himſelf, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Or if he do he ſhall ſmoke and ſmart for it, as Saul, Vzziah and others: no man might come uncalled to the king of Perſia, upon pain of death: much leſſe to the King of heaven, as Kore and his complices, whom God hath hanged up in gibbets, as it were, for example to all bold intruders upon that tremend function of the Miniſtery. Men out of office are not ſent of God, therefore they may not preach though gifted men Rom. 10.15. with Eſay 52.8. All that are in office to preach are Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, Prophets, Paſtours or Teachers Eph. 4.11. Elders onelyonly my preach Tit. 1.5. And the contrary would prevent, the Apoſtle willeth that in the Church all things be done decent'y and in order, 1 Cor. 14.4.1 Cor 14:4which could not be if all were teachers: for then there would be no diſtinction of Miniſters and people. But Are all teachers? ſaith the Apoſtle 1 Cor. 12.29. And he anſwers himſelf, No, but onelyonly thoſe whom God did ſet, verſe 13. like as he ſet apart the tribe of Levi, to execute the Prieſts office: which whiles Corah, Dathan and Abiram ſought to impugne, and level, they went quick into the pit Num. 16.30. Meddle not therfore without a calling; that in the day of Gods diſpleaſure you may appeal unto him with Jeremy, and ſay, As for me I have not haſtened or thruſt in my ſelf for a Paſtour after thee: neither have I deſired the woful day, thou knoweſt: that which came out of my lipps was right before thee. Jer. 17.16.Jer 17:16And being able ſafely to ſay this, thou mayeſt binde upon it, that God who is in covenant with all his Levi's, his faithful Miniſters, will be their ſhield and their exceeding great reward, how ever the world deal with them.

Verſe 5. My covenant was with him of life and peace] Now Gods covenant (ſaith an expoſitour here) is of four ſorts.

1. General made with all creatures Gen 9.2.

2. With the Church in general Gen. 17.

3. With the Church of the Elect Jer. 31.33.

4. With ſome particulars of ſome ſpecial graces, as here with Levi, of life and peace. So then to miniſters (above others) hath the Lord bound himſelf by ſpecial covenant to be their mighty Protectour, and rewarder: to give them life and p. 636peace! that is, long life and proſperous. See Num. 25.12, 13. Life of it ſelf, though peſtered with many miſeries, is a ſweet mercy, and highly to be prized. Better is a living dog then a dead lion, Eccleſ. 9.4. And why is the living man ſorrowful, a man for the puniſhment of his ſins? Lam. 3.39. As who ſhould ſay, let a man ſuffer never ſo much, yet if he be ſuffered to live, he hath cauſe to be contented. It is the Lords mercy he is not conſismed. When Baruc ſought great things for himſelf, Jeremy tels him he may be glad (in thoſe dear years of life,Jer. 45.5. Gen. 45.26.Jer 45:5Gen 45:26 when the arrows of death came ſo thick whisking by him) that he had his life for a prey. Jacob took more comfort of his ſon Joſephs life, then of his honour. Joſeph is yet alive &c. Quis vitam non vult? ſaith Auſtin, who is it that deſires not life? When David moveth the queſtion, what man is he that deſireth life, and loveth many dayes, that he may ſee good? Auſtin brings in every man anſwering I do, and I do. Long life and happy dayes is every mans deſire. If God give theſe bleſſings to thoſe that are graceleſſe, it is by vertue of a providence onelyonly, and not of a promiſe, and that's nothing ſo comfortable; life in Gods diſpleaſure is worſe then death, ſaid that Martyr, if wicked men live long, it is that they may make up the meaſure of their ſins; and by heaping up ſin, increaſe their torment. If godly men die ſoon, God taketh them away from the evil to come: as when there is a fire in an houſe or town, men ſecure their Jewels: And though they fall in wars, yet they die in peace, 2 Chron. 34.28. Hieren.2 Chr 34:28as good Joſiah did: who alſo in brevi vitae ſpacio tempora vir…utum multareplevit, lived quickly, lived apace, lived long in a little time. For life conſiſts in action Eſay 38.15, 16. The Hebrews call running water living water. Now Gods faithful Miniſters, if they work hard, and ſo wear out themſelves to do good to others, (as a lamp waſteth it ſelf to give light, or as that herb mentioned by Pl…y, that cures the patient but rots the hand that adminiſtreth it) if like clouds they ſweat themſelves to death to bring ſouls to God, yet ſhall they be ſure to finde it a bleſſed way of dying: they ſhall mori vitaliter die to live for ever. God will not ſend any of his to bed, till they have done their work. The two witneſſes could not be ſlain, till their teſtimony was finiſhed. No malice of man can antedate their ends a minute. The dayes of mourning for my father will come ſaid Eſae, and then Hek…ll my brother Jacob, Gen. 27.41. Here Eſ…u…, that rough reprobate, threateneth his father alſo, as Luther conceiveth. For it is as if he ſhould have ſaid, I will be avenged by being the death of my brother: though it be to the breaking of my fathers heart. But what's the proverb? Threatened falk live long: for even Iſaac who died ſooneſt, lived above forty yeers beyond this. My times are in thy hands ſaith David, and that's a ſafe hand; And bleſſed be God that Chriſt liveth and reigneth, alioqui tot us deſperaſſem, or elſe I had been in ill caſe, ſaid Miconius in a letter of his to Calvin. Ren. 1.Miniſters are ſtars in Chriſts right hand, and it will be hard pulling them thence; They muſt carry their lives in their hands, and be ready to lay them down, when it may be for the glory of their Maſter: but they ſhall be ſure not to dye (whether by a natural or by a violent death) till the beſt time; not till that time when, if they were but rightly informed, they would deſire to die. But whether their death be a burnt-offering (of Martyrdome) or a peace-offering, (whether they die in their beds as Eliſha, or be carried to heaven in a fiery chariot as Elijah) let it be a free-will-offering, and then it ſhall be a ſweet ſacrifice to him who hath covenanted with them for life and peace. They ſhall by death, as by a door of hope,Eſay 56.2 Eccleſ. 5.12.Isa 56:2Eccl 5:12 enter into peace, they ſhall reſt in their beds, yea, in Abrahams boſome: and as the ſleep of the labouring man is ſweet unto him, whether he eat little or much: ſo heaven ſhall be ſo much the more heaven to ſuch as have here had their purgatory. Mark the upright man,Pſal. 37.37.Ps 37:37 ſaith holy David, and behold the juſt, for (how troubleſome ſoever his beginning and middle is) the end of that man is peace.

and I gave them to him] Here's the performance of Gods covenant to Levi and his poſterity. God doth not pay his promiſes with fair words onelyonly, as Sertorius is ſaid to do: Neither is he like Amigonus foreign (ignominiouſly ſo called, becauſe) forward in promiſing, ſlack in performing. But as he hath hitherto kept promiſe with nights and dayes, Jer. 33.20, 25. that one ſhould ſucceed the other, ſo much more doth he keep promiſe with his people: for as his love moved him to promiſe, ſo his truth bindeth him to perform. See both theſe together, p. 6372 Sam. 18, 21. For thy words ſake, and according to thine own heart haſt thou done all theſe things. According to thine own heart, that is, of thine own meer motion; out of pure and unexcited love thou didſt give thy word and promiſe: and for thy words ſake haſt thou performed it. There was nothing in Aaron or his ſeed that God ſhould make his ſpecial covenant with him of life and peace. His rod was as dry and dead as any of the reſt, til God made it to bloſſom. But when God had once paſſed his promiſe, and ſo made himſelf a voluntary debter, he failed not to perform it to him and his. Aaron himſelf lived one hundred & three years, Phineas three hundred, as it is thought, and as ſome Chronologers do obſerve. Joſhua the ſon of Joſedech lived (according to Helvicus) 110 years in the office of the high-prieſthood.

To theſe and others was expreſly fulfilled a Covenant of life and peace: and God would have been ready to have performed it to theſe to whom Malachy prophecieth, had not themſelves hindred. For they like men (or like Adam) tranſgreſſed the covenant: Or (as Junius and Tremellius read it) not tanquam homines, Hoſ. 6.7Hos 6:7but tanquam hominis, they made no more of breaking it, then if they had had to do with duſt and aſhes like themſelves, and not with the great God. Remember them, Neh. 13.29Neh 13:29O my God, ſaith good Nehemiah concerning theſe covenant-breakers, becauſe they have defiled the prieſt-hood, and the covenant of the Prieſt-hood and of the Levites.

for the fear wherewith he feared me, &c.] that is, the good prieſts did ſo, the bad did otherwiſe: but God reckons of men by their righteouſneſſe. and this was the reſtipulation, or the condition on the prieſts part performed: for in a covenant both parties undertake to do ſomewhat. As in the general covenant of grace, God promiſeth to be the God of his people, that is, an univerſal good, All-ſufficient, ſatisfactory, and every way proportionable and fitting to their ſouls. And they (interchangeably) promiſe to be his people; that is, to beſtow themſelves wholly upon him with higheſt eſtimation, moſt vigorous affections, and utmoſt endeavours, giving up their names and hearts to the profeſſion of his truth. So that when he eryes out, Who is on my ſide? Who? one ſayes,Eſay 44.5Isa 44:5 I am the Lords: another calls himſelf by the name of Jacob: another ſubſcribes, &c. Semblably in this particular covenant with the tribe of Levi, God promiſed them life and peace; and they aſſured him of fear and humility. Fear is an affection of the ſoul ſhrinking in it ſelf from ſome imminent evil. Hereof there are three ſorts, natural, carnal and ſpiritual.

The firſt is not to be diſliked, if it do not degenerate into the ſecond. The next is a baſe fear of the creature more then of the Creator, who is God bleſſed for ever. The third is nothing elſe but an awful reſpect to the Divine Majeſty. Spiritual fear we called it in reſpect,

1. Of the Author of it, Gods holy Spirit, called therefore, A Spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord.

2. Of the object of it, The Father of Spirits, who is therefore, by an Appellative proper, called Fear, Pſ. 76.11.

3. Of the effect, which is to ſpiritualize both us and our ſervices: and was therefore fitly vowed to God by thoſe of the ſpirituality that ſtood before him continually, and were to be exact in their whole deportment, at their peril: God is of purer eyes then to behold evil. He cannot look on iniquity in any, Hab. 1.13. Moſes' and Aaron among his prieſts, and Samuel among them that call upon his name: They called upon the Lord, and he anſwered them: he forgave their iniquities: howbeit he took vengeance of their inventions. Pſal. 99.8. He met Moſes in the Inne and had much ado to forbear killing him Exod. 4.44. And for Aaron; when, (together with Miriam) he murmured againſt Moſes, foreign l'olan. Conterchatur Conſternebatur foreign Mar. 14.72.Mark 14:72and Mari…m was thereupon ſmitten with leproſie, Aaron was ſpared, not ſo much for the honour of the Prieſt-hood (as Chryſoſtom gives the reaſon, but becauſe of the feare wherewith he feared the Lord, and his humiliation that followed upon that fear.

for he was afraid before Gods name] Or, as others better render this text, Propter nomen meum humiliatus eſt, He was amazed, affeighted, humbled becauſe of my name, he withdrew himſelf (ſo ſome render it) or threw himſelf out of doores, as Peter did into alone place where he might ſowce himſelf in the ſalt tears of godly p. 638ſorrow. Or, he ſhrunk and ſhriveld up, and ſo teſtified the trouble of his mind by the horror of his body. Horripilatus eſt, his heart fell down, his hair ſtood upright. See Pſal. 119.53, & 120. His humiliation was deep, and down-right, ſoaking and ſowring his heart, Pſal. 73.21. The word here uſed is pailive, but Levi his humiliation was active: he was not humbled onelyonly, but humble; low, but lowly: he knew that no ſacrifice could be accepted, but that which was laid on the low altar of a contrite heart, which ſanctifies the ſacrifice.

Verſe 6. The law of truth was in his mouth] Hitherto hath been ſet forth what the Prieſts of old were for their own particular, and as private perſons: they were not high-minded but feared God. Now as Pulpit-men and publike Teachers, they have here a four-fold commendation. And firſt, that Truth was their ſtudy and trade: they were expert in it, and had an excellent faculty in communicating their conceptions of it to others; ſo that if they did but open their mouthes almoſt, it was a ſermon: they had a ready and eaſie way of diſcourſe, an holy volubility and dexterity of delivering themſelves to the benefit of others: as the law of God was in their hearts, ſo their mouthes ſpake wiſdome, and their tongues talked of judgement, Pſal. 37.30, 31. Out of the good treaſure of their hearts they could throw forth at pleaſure good things, for the edification of others: yea, like full clouds, they willingly diſtilled, and like full paps they were in pain till eaſed of their milk. Neither medled they onelyonly with toothleſſe truths, leſt themſelves ſhould be leſt toothleſſe, (as One ſaid, Truth is a good miſtreſſe, but he that followeth her too cloſe at heels, ſhall have his teeth ſtruck out) as Balac bad Bala…m neither curſe nor bleſſe at all: and as the Papiſts were wont to ſay, Miſſa non mordet, the Maſſe biteth no man:Ezek 13.10Ezek 13:10 But they held, that truth muſt be ſpoken however it be taken: and abhorred to be looked upon as the devils dire-dawbers, and upholſters, to dawb with untempered morter, or to ſowe pillows under their elbowes. They affected rather to be ſtiled (as Arrianus the Hiſtorian was) foreign, Lovers of Truth, plain-dealers:Eâ libertate ſcripſit Imperatorum vitas …ua ipſi vixe…nt. Lib. ult hiſt. Exod. 28.30Exod 28:30 and, as it is reported of Suetonius, they took the ſame liberty to cry down ſinne, that men did to commit it. Elian tells us that the High-prieſt among the Egyptians wore about his neck a Saphir-ſtone, which was called foreign, Truth. This was but an apiſh imitation of Aarons Ʋrim and Thummim, s. e. light of truth, and integrity of life. Mercuries Prieſts were wont to feed upon figs, and then to ſay, foreign, Truth is ſweet. It is ſo indeed to thoſe that have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern good and evil. Heb. 5. ult.Heb 5But moſt men cannot brook down right truth: the hearing of it galls them, as they write of ſome creatures, that they have fel in aure, their gall in their ears. Hence Truth breeds hatred, and plain-dealing is generally diſguſted: it is bitter in the ſtomacks of thoſe that hear it, though ſweet in the mouth of thoſe that utter it, Rev. 10.9. Micaiah would not budge, or be baſe in his errand to Ahab, though he were ſure to kiſſe the ſtocks for his ſtoutneſſe. Azariah the high-Prieſt withſtood king Ʋzziah to his face, and put him out of the Temple. Which whiles Ʋriah did not, but wickedly complied with idolatrous Ahaz, in making and ſetting up the altar of Damaſcus, 2 King. 16.11, 16. he is branded with a black-cole for a court-paraſite, and ſhall be infamous to all poſterity. His contemporary Eſay was of another ſpirit,Implevit poſt me. Num. 14.24.Num 14:24 and fulfilled after God. (as it is ſaid of Caleb) He kept the law of truth in his mouth, and rolled it as ſugar under his tongue, though he ſuffered for it. For (as Hierom tells us) he was ſawn aſunder by his wicked countreymen, for two cauſes. Firſt, becauſe he ſaid he had ſeen the Lord.Hier. in Iſa. 1. ex Rabbin.Isa 1 Secondly, becauſe he called the great Ones of Judah, Princes of Sodom, and Rulers of Gomorrah, Quintilian ſaith of Veſpaſian the Emperour, that he was patientiſſimus veri, very patient of truth, though it never ſo much touched him. But not many ſuch to be met with. Aſa though otherwiſe a good Prince, yet fell out grievouſly with Gods Prophet, for his plain-dealing, and layed him by the heels. Queen Elizabeth dealt little better with a Biſhop that had in a zealous Sermon admoniſhed her to think on her laſt end,The Newlanders cure by Sr. Wil Vaugh. by reaſon of her great age, which few Princes had attained unto, and of the Clymactericall year of her life, which happened at that time. The Biſhop had the Queens Apage, but Gods Enge. And ſo ſhall all Truths-Chaplains have, however the world entertain them. Wiſdome ſhall be juſtified of her children, Act. 20.26, 27Acts 20:26Acts 20:27and God will ſee to their ſafety, modo audeant quae ſentiunt, ſo they ſhew men all the counſel of God, and keep back nothing, that they have in charge to deliver.

p. 639and iniquity was not found in his lips] Heb. Croſſeneſſe or Crookedneſſe: Chaldee, No falſeneſſe. He did not preach diſtorted doctrines that produce convulſions of conſcience, as thoſe Seducers did Act. 20.30. He did not handle the word of God deceitfully, or fraudulently, as thoſe deceitfull workers did 2 Cor. 11.13. Neither did he broach errours, and writh from the right way for ſelf-reſpects, ſetting his diall by that Sunn; 1 Theſſ. 2.3. But being of a moſt maſculine, diſingaged, and noble ſpirit, that hath received the truth in the love of it, he will not be drawn to falſity or faulter, to huckſter the word, or handle it craftily and covetouſly: but as of ſincerity, but as of God, in the ſight of God &c. 2 Cor. 2.17.2 Cor 2:17Without mixture of errours, or humane inventions. Let Phariſees ſoure mens ſoules with their leaven of falſe doctrine. Let thoſe Inhabitants of the Sea (as they are called Rev. 12.12.) Popiſh Padres ſet abroach groſſe, troubled, brackiſh Tenents which rather bring barrenneſſe to their hearers, and gnaw their bowels, then either quench thirſt, or yeeld good fruit: He that feares God can pitty poor ſoules made prize of by Sectaries and Seducers;Col. 2.8.Col 2:8 and knowing that he that breaketh the leaſt of Gods commandements and teacheth men ſo, ſhall be leaſt in the kingdome of heaven Mat. 5.19. (that is, nothing at all there Mat. 20.16.)Pſal. 19.104Ps 19:104 he hateth every falſe way with David: and takes care that no iniquity be found in his lips.

he walked with me in peace and equity] i. e. He kept conſtant correſpondency and communion with me, ſo that we never diſagreed or differed. For can two walk together, and they not agreed? He was like-minded to me in all things, and obſerved my law in every point and part thereof. An high commendation and a neceſſary qualification in a miniſter, that he not only talk of God, but walk with him: and that not looſely and at all adventures, but ſtricktly and exactly, as a pattern of the rule, as a tranſcript of his own ſermon, ne verba factis deficientibus erubeſcant, leſt his words bluſh for want of deeds accordingy:Tertull. ne virtutis ſtragulum pudefaciat, leſt he put honeſty to an open ſhame, as Antipater did, when being vitious he wore a white cloke, the enſigne of innocency: leſt his life gives his lips the lye, as it fared with thoſe Phariſees that ſaid and did not Mat. 23.3. The fooliſh Virgins were found with their Sic dicentes ſo ſaying, but the faithfull ſervants ſhall be found with their Sic facientes ſo doing. And when men come to give account, it ſhall be enquired non quid legerint, ſed quid egerint non quid dixerint, ſed quomodo vixerint, not what they have taught others, but what they have practiſed themſelves. Origens preaching and living were ſaid to be both one. Quod juſſit & geſſit. So did Mr. Bucer, whom his friends could never ſufficiently praiſe: nor his foes in any point find fault with his ſingular life and ſincere doctrine.Bern. Act. and Mon.

and did turn away many from iniquity] The effect of his unſpeakable labours and unblameable life was converſion of ſoules, and thoſe not a few. God ſometimes gives a Paſtour after his own heart to ſuch places, where he takes but one of a city, or two of a family. Ier. 3.14, 15. Quod ſi decimus quiſque, ſi unus perſuaſus fuerit &c. ſaith Chryſoſtom. If one in ten be gained, nay if one of ten thouſand be turned from iniquity, it is a great mercy. Nay (ſaith He) ſay that none be converted, the faithful Miniſter that indeavours their converſion, though he effect it not, non minus praemii, ſhall have no leſſe reward, then if he had prevailed for their converſion. Some good Divines think he ſhall have more then thoſe that do convert; becauſe they have praemium ante praemium, that which may encourage them in Gods work: but he does his utmoſt amidſt all diſcouragement. Well may Ephraim love to tread out the corn, becauſe while he treads,Hoſ. 10.11.Hos 10:11 he ſeeds on the corn: but to beare and draw, to plow and work, where no refreſhing was to be had till the work was done, this that delicate heifer cared not to doe. But he is an happy man that hath any hand in turning men from iniquity, though fruit, for preſent, appear not. The new birth of ſome is like the birth of the Elephant, foureteen years after the ſeed injected into the womb. And that divine Proverb is not ſeldome verified, One ſeweth, and Another reapeth. Ioh. 4.37.John 4:37The Miniſtry is Gods arme to gather people into his boſom: and the weapons of our warfare are mighty thorough God 2 Cor. 10.4. Surely as the rain commeth down and the ſnow from heaven &c. Eſay 55.10, 11. And as the rain from heaven p. 640hath a fatneſſe with it, and a ſpeciall influence more then ſtanding water: ſo hath preaching more then reading. Howbeit there may be fruit and yet inviſible, as in Elias his time.Act. 18.10.Acts 18:10 And that which doth not yet appear, may hereafter, when the day of viſitation comes. See Iob 33.14. &c. God may have much people in the city, and Paul, for the preſent, not know ſo much. A maſter doth not uſe to ſetup a light, but there is ſome work to be done by it: and ſeldome doth he ſend his ſervants afield with their ſiths, to mow thiſtles only. Let Gods faithfull witneſſes propheſie out their 1260.Rev. 11.3.Rev 11:3 dayes: bending themſelves to that office unceſſantly, being inſtant in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon, and turning themſelves, as it were, into all ſhapes and faſhions, both of ſpeech, and of ſpirit, to turn people from iniquity:2 Chron. 19.2 Chr 19 and then God will be with the good, as that Prophet ſpeaks in another caſe. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life: and he that winneth ſouls, is wiſe Prov. 11.30. Say he cannot win as he would, but labour all night and take nothing, yet he ſhall be paid for his paines: as the Phyſitian is, though the patient dye. Curam exigeris, non curationem, ſaith Bern. It is the care, not the cure of your charge that is charged upon you. You may ſpeak perſwaſively, but it is God only that can perſwade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Sem: Paul may plant &c. but God only giveth the increaſe. You ſhall be held wiſe, and ſhine as ſtarrs in heaven, whether you win ſoules or not. As there are diverſity of gifts, ſo of operations 1 Cor. 12.6. and the Holy Ghoſt may and doth work when and how he pleaſeth: but uſually he delights to honour thoſe of moſt ſincerity, with moſt ſucceſſe as 1 Cor. 15.10.

Verſe 7. For the Prieſts lips ſhould keep knowledge] How elſe ſhould he be inſtant in lip-feeding?Dan. 12.3.Dan 12:3 how ſhould his lips preſent it, unleſſe they preſerve it? How ſhould he wiſe others, unleſſe he be wiſe himſelf? The Pope brags of an infalibillity, and pleads this Text for it: avouching, that he knowes all things knowable, and hath all wiſdome and skill lockt up in ſcrinio pectoris, in the cabinet of his breaſt. But what will they ſay of ſundry of their Popes that have been manifeſt hereticks? Iohn the 23. was accuſed in the Councell of Conſtance, for denying the Reſurrection of the body, and everlaſting life. And of all their Popes we may ſafely ſay as the Venetian Embaſſadors did: when the Pope laid his hand upon his breaſt and ſaid, Hic eſt Arca Noae, Lo here is Noahs Ark (meaning that he was the Church virtuall, and was enriched in all knowledge and in all utterance) One of them preſently replyed, that in Noahs Ark there were unclean beaſts, as well as clean: and ſo leſt him further to apply. The Prieſts lips indeed ſhould keep knowledge. But thoſe of Malachi his times, had forſaken the way, and cauſed many to ſtumble ver. 8. How this was we ſhall ſee when we come to it. Meane-while, we may take notice, that non libro ſacerdotis, ſed labro, non codice; ſed corde, conſervatur ſcientia: knowledge ſhould be kept, not in the Prieſts book, but in his boſom, as a ſtorehouſe: neither ſhould it lye low or long there, but ſit upon his lips, that all may have benefit by it. For the manifeſtation of the ſpirit is given to profit withall. 1 Cor. 12.7. And it was death for the Prieſt to enter into the ſanctuary without his golden bells about him, that he might be heard by all.foreign Greg. Pa…tor. A miniſter muſt be both able and apt to teach. Praedicationis officium ſuſcipit quiſquis ad ſacerdotium accedit, ſaith Gregory. Hee's no miniſter, that's no preacher. Nor can he be a Preacher, that is not ſtored with knowledge of Gods will, and peoples duty. See Mat. 13.32. with the Note. Walter ſurnamed Malclerk was ſurely no fit man to be Biſhop of Carlile; as he was by evill and corrupt meanes Anno. Dom. 1223. If the blind lead the blind both will fall into the ditch Mat. 15.14. but the blind guides will lye lowermoſt,Vives in Aug. de civ. Dei lib. 4. cap. 1. Pompon. Laet. de Rom. Sacerdot. and have the worſt of it. Varro complained of the Roman prieſts, that they were ignorant of many things about their own rites and Religions. Mucius Scaevola (being their High-Prieſt) derived Pontifex of Poſſe & facere. This derivation pleaſed not Varro: but it intimated that ſuch ſhould both be able and active to teach the people knowledge.B. Andr. It was a witty obſervation of a Biſhop who (was called in his time the gulfe of learning) that Doceo to teach governs two accuſative caſes: according to that Eſay 28.9. Whom ſhall I teach knowledge? Miniſters, ſaith He, muſt have whom to teach, & what to teach, viz. knowledge; and muſt therefore give attendance to reading, that they may the better to exhortation and doctrine. 1 Tim. Ier. 3.15.Jer 3:154.13. that they may feed the people with knowledge and underſtanding.

p. 641And they ſhould ſeck the law at his mouth] as at an oracle; they ſhould depend upon the miniſtery, as the people hung upon our Saviours lips, Luk. 19. vlt. as David went into the Sanctuary to be reſolved of his doubt Pſal. 73. though himſelf were a prophet: and as Cornelius was appointed by the Angel, to ſend for Peter, for further information. But what muſt men ſeek at the Miniſters mouth? The law, 1 Pet. 2.2. 1 Cor. 2. 2 Cor. 1. Lib. 1 de Conſider.1 Pet 2:21 Cor 22 Cor 1the ſincere milk of Gods word, the minde of Chriſt, the teſtimony of Jeſus, non nugas & fabulas, ſaith Bernard, not trifles and fables, not ſtrong lines, and ſtrains of wit, but the ſimple and plain words of God. Non Oratorum fili… ſumus ſed Piſcatorum, ſaid Nazianzen. Miniſters are not to ſtudy ſo much to pleaſe as to profit, to tickle mens ears, as to work upon their hearts. They muſt not ſo paint the window as to keep out the light: nor ſo put the ſword of the ſpirit into a velvet ſcabberd, that it cannot prick and pierce the heart. Let them handle, and ſet out the Law as skilfully, and adornedly as they can: but ſtill remember, that it muſt he diſpenſed, ſanctè magis quàm ſcitè, ſolidè potius quàm floridè, with fear and reverence, rather then with wit and dalliance. If in King Edward the fourths dayes a citizen in Cheap-ſide was executed as a traitour for ſaying he would make his ſon heire to the crown, Speed(though he onelyonly meant his own houſe having a crown for the ſigne) more dangerous it muſt needs be to witwanton it with the Maieſty of God, Loquamur verba ſcripturae, utamur ſermone ſpiritus ſancti &c. Let us ſpeak ſcripture-language,Pet. Ramus let us uſe the ſpeech of the holy ſpirit, and not go about to correct the divine wiſdom and eloquence with our ſophiſtry and vain-babling. To the ears of that which Saint Peter calls the hid man of the heart, the plain-ſong alwayes makes the beſt muſick.1 Pet. 3. …1 Pet 3 If heaven door may be opened to it by a key of iron, it cares not for a key of goid. A ſermon works not upon the heart as it is thus elegant or admirable, but as well fraught with teſtimonies of holy ſcripture (that moſt powerful Rhetoricke) it is an inſtrument of God appointed to ſuch an end. Let the people hear often, This is the law, this is ipſiſſimum Dei verbum, the very word of God; Shew ſcripture for what you deliver, and that will carry it. But ut drachmam auri ſine imagine principis, ſic verba hortantis ſine authoritate Dei contemnunt homines. Lipſius.The Law carrieth a Majeſty in it: and if Tully durſt ſay that the law of the twelve tables did exceed all the Libraries of Philoſophers, both in weight of authority, and worth of matter, how much rather is this true of the Law of God? Wherefore as Aeſchines ſaid of an Oratours, ſo let a miniſters diſcourſe, and the Law be uniſons: and let the people ask the Prieſts concerning the law, as they did Haggee 2.11.foreign. and not be like tidlings, that will not eat their milk unleſſe it be in a ſilver-diſh: but account it a ſingular happineſſe to live under thoſe lips (how thick ſoever, a thin lip is a ſigne of eloquence Job. 12.20.) which both keep knowledge, and utter it.

for he is the meſſenger of the Lord of Hoſts] Heb. the Angel (See the Note on Chap. 1.1.) and ſo the Septuagint and Vulgar render it. His office is as to ſtand before God and praiſe Him, ſo to carry meſſages from him to his people, and to be in his ſtead, 2 Cor. 5.20. Knoweſt thou not, (ſaith Chryſoſtom) who the Miniſter is? He is Gods Angel: he ſpeaketh not of himſelf, if thou deſpiſeſt, thou deſpiſeſt not him, but God that ſent him. And to the ſame purpoſe Ambroſe: The miniſter is Gods Angel to ſet forth the kingdom of Chriſt and eternal life: non ſpecie tibi aeſtimandus ſed munere; he is not therefore to be judg'd of by his outſide,Hom. 2. in ep. 2. ad Tim. Lib: de initiand cap. 2. foreign but by his office. Thoſe Sodomites that ſought to abuſe the Angels, are thrown forth for an example, ſuffering the vengeance of eternal fire, Iude 7. Behold, Chriſt himſelf hath aſſured us that Sodomy it ſelf is not an heavier ſin, nor more ſeverely puniſhed in hell, then the diſpiſing or abuſing of a Miniſter in the faithfull diſcharge of his duty. We ſhould therefore welcome ſuch with trembling, as the men of Bethlehem did Samuel, and as Cornelius did Peter; Commeſt thou peaceably? ſaid the Bethlemites, as ſuſpecting the purpoſe of ſome judgement. Now therefore are we all here preſent before God (not onelyonly before thee,Act. 10.33.Acts 10:33 ſaid Cornelius) to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. If Ahab had been like-well-affected as theſe good ſouls, he would never have asked Eliah that abſurd queſtion, Art thou he that troubleth Iſrael? Alas what had the righteous Prophet done more than what by his office (as Gods Ambaſſadour or Meſſenger) he was bound to do? he taxed their ſin, he foretold the judgment: he deſerved it not, he inflicted it not: yet he ſmarts, and they are guilty. As if ſome fond people ſhould accuſe the Herald, or the trumpet, as the p. 642cauſe of their war: Or as ſome ignorant peſant, when he ſees his foules bathing in his pond, ſhould cry out of them, as the cauſes of foule weather. Saith a Divine It is a good thing to ſtand in awe of Gods Angels, and with reverence to receive their meſſage howſoever diſtaſtful unto us; conſidering they are but meſſengers.

Verſe 8. But ye are departed out of the way] Heb. from that way, viz. that good old way of your progenitours: you are nothing like Levi, but are wofully degenerated from the practiſe of your Predeceſſours, and have ſwerved from your fathers foot-ſteeps: though ye have the ſame place, and enjoy the ſame priviledges. This is a foul fault and condemned even by the Heathen Sages. Seneca tells us with indignation, that Socrates his ſons were more like their mother, a froward woman, then their father the wiſeſt of men: according to that, ſaying, Partus ſequitur ventrem, the birth follows the belly. Young Cicero was for his intemperancy,Heroum filij nox…. and exceſſe in drinking ſir named Tricongius. Caligula, that monſter, was the ſon of Noble Germanicus. But we have ſcripture inſtances not a few. Not to ſpeak of Eli his ſons, and of Samuels, Solomon degenerates from his father David who had carefully taught him better Prov. 4.4. and ſo had his mother Prov. 31. (which one calls Bathſheba's Catechiſme, another Lemuels leſſon) Iehoran… is taxed for his not walking in the wayes of his father Iehoſhaphat, and his Grandfather Aſa, as if there had been no intervention of an Hezekiah. Ionathan the ſon of Gerſhom the ſon of Manaſſeh that Idolatrous Prieſt mentioned Iud. 18.30. is thought to have been the grandſon of Moſes: ſo the Hebrews tell us: and that therefore the Nun in Manaſſeh is ſuſpended above the reſt of the letters.Euxtorf. Certain it is that Nabal the fool was of the line of faithful Caleb 1 Sam. 25.3. to teach us, that vertue is not, as lands inheritable. All that is traduced with the ſeed is either evil, or not good. Grace is by gift, and not by deſcent. Hence that prayer of Davids courtiers 1 King 1.47. God make the name of Solomom better then …thy name. Agreeable whereunto is Hectors prayer in, Homer for his ſon —foreign I wiſh he may be a better man then his father. And that of Juvenal,

Malo pater tibi ſit Therſites, dummodò tu ſis

Aeacidae ſimilis, Vulcania que arma capeſſas,

Quam te Therſitae ſimilem producat Achilles.

ye have cauſed many to ſtumble at the law] Which is a very dangerous thing: like as it is to ſtumble on a bridge: A bridge is made to give us a ſafe paſſage over a dangerous river: but he who ſtumbles on the bridge is in no ſmall danger to fall into the river. The word is given as a means to cary us over hell unto heaven: But he who ſtumbles at this means (as by ſnuffing at it Mal. 1.13. chatting againſt it and conteſting with it, as oft in this prophecy, caſting reproaches upon it, Jer. 20.8, 9. gathering odious conſequences from it, Rom. 3.8. &c.) ſhall fall in thither, from whence otherwiſe he had been delivered by it. This miſchief many fell into, in Malachi his dayes, by the means of thoſe ungodly Prieſts who either taught them not better, or otherwiſe drew them into ſinful courſes by their corrupt gloſſes, or leud practiſes. Evil examples of miniſters have a ſtrong influence upon their people: and the ſins of Teachers are the teachers of ſins: The leaders of this people have made them to erre Eſay 9. Corruption commonly (as in a fiſh) begins at the head;Cicero. ne que ſolùm obſunt Principes, quòd illi ipſi corrumpuntur, ſed etiam quòd corrumpunt: pluſquam exemplo quam peccato nocent, ſaith the Oratour: they that are in office do a great deal of miſchief by incouraging others in evil, through their evil example. Jupiters adulteries drew the people to like wantonneſſe. Magis intuentur quid facerit Jupiter quam quid docuit Plato, ſaith Auſtin; They look more what Jupiter did, then what Plato taught. I have read of a woman, who living in profeſſed doubt of the God-head, after better illumination and repentance, did often proteſt, that the vicious life of a great ſchollar in that town did conjure up thoſe damnable doubts in her ſoul.Mr Wards Serm. In the time of Pope Clemen… the fifth, the Church was ſo ill governed, and things ſo corruptly carried at the court of Rome, that Frederick King of Sicily duobted much of the truth of the Chriſtian religion: but p. 643was confirmed, and his minde better ſetled by Arnoldus de villa nova who ſhewed him, that Offences muſt come, but wo be to them by whom they come. Jacob. Reu. de vit Ponti. p. 198.A ſcandalous prieſt is a ſingular miſchief: for he falls not alone, but (as when a main ſtone in a building, or a tall cedar falls) he draws many with him into fellowſhip of errours, and enormities: as did Hymenaeus and Philetus, 2 Tim. 2.18. and as the dragon with his long and ſtrong tail, drew the third part of the ſtars of heaven, and threw them to the earth, Rev. 12.4. When the Paſtours become bruitiſh, all the flocks are ſcattered, Ier. 10.21.

ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi] The covenant on Gods part with Levi was a covenant of ſalt, and could not be corrupted, Num. 18.19. non comutreſ…t vetuſtate, ſaith Flaccius, it putrifieth not with age, or long ſtanding: as that pillar of ſalt into which Loss wife was turned, and of which Joſephus ſaith, that ſomething of it was to be ſeen till his time. But theſe degenerate prieſts had abandoned Gods holy fear, they did not humble and tremble before his Name, as Lovi their father had done, verſe 5. they had falſified with God, and ſo forfeited his favour. It was with them as Cajetan complains, and confeſſes of the Popiſh prieſts; that whereas by their places they ſhould have been the ſalt of the earth, they had loſt their ſavour, and were good for little elſe, but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church: therefore God held himſelf diſobliged,Comment. Matth. and was reſolved that they ſhould bear the iniquity of their prieſthood, Lev. 18.1. that is, the puniſhment of their iniquity notwithſtanding the prieſthood. That ſhould be no protection to them, but an aggravation: becauſe they fell as if they had not been anointed: Ideo deteriores ſumus quia meliores e…e debemus Salvian:and were therefore the worſe, becauſe they ſhould have been better. God holds himſelf not bound to perform covenant with them that break with him: for why ſhould he give the childrens bread to dogs? why ſhould he caſt away his favours upon thoſe that value them not? We have the Covenant, the Seals, the Miniſtery, &c. (and this is a ſingular happineſſe, Eſay 19.25. Aſſyria is the work of Gods hands, but Iſrael his inheritance.) But alaſſe, are not theſe bleſſings amongſt us as the Ark was among the Philiſtines, rather as priſoners, then as priviledges? rather in teſtimonium & rninam quam in ſalutem, for a teſtimony againſt us, and for our further ruine, then for our ſafety here, and ſalvation hereafter? O conſider how God hath caſt off the Iſraelites, notwithſtanding his covenant with their fathers: and when in their neceſſity, they would have forced acquaintance with him, he would not look upon them, Judg. 10.14. The ſword hath broken in pieces thoſe ſeven golden candleſticks in Aſia, merely for their covenant-breaking. See the Note on verſe 5.

Verſe 9. Therefore have I alſo made you contemptible and baſe [And ſo have cried quittance with you, and returned you your own with uſury. God loves to retaliate, and to proportion jealouſie to jealouſie, provocation to provocation, Deut. 32.21. frowardneſſe to frowardneſſe, Pſal. 18.26. contrariety to contrariety, Lev. 26.18, 21. contempt to contempt, 1 Sam. 2.30. and here How theſe unworthy prieſts had ſleighted God, and expoſed his Name and Service to contempt and obloquy, hath been before ſet forth ſufficiently. And now it is come home to them. It was threatened before verſe 3. (ſee the Notes there) and now it is executed. Graceleſſe men are apt to imagine that God threateneth in terrorem onelyonly: and are ready, with thoſe miſcreants in the Goſpel, to ſay, God forbid: we hope he will be better then his word, and not be ſo unmercifull as the Preachers would make him. They beleeve the predictions of Scripture, but as they beleeve the predictions of an Almanack, which ſaith, ſuch a day will be rain, and ſuch a day winde: men think it may come to paſſe, and it may be not. But ſhall God ſay the word, and not ſee it fulfilled? Is not his dicere, his facere? his word, his deed? Yea, doth he not ſometimes, dicte citiùs, break out upon his enemies, as he did upon Nadab and Abibu, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, &c. God had poured contempt already upon theſe degenerate prieſts. And the like he had threatened to thoſe, Jer. 23.40. See Mich. 3.7. Zach. 13.4. Ribera upon this Text bewailes the buſineſſe in their Romiſh Clergy, now become deſpicable by reaſon of their evill manners. Petrarch complain'd long before, that the ſtench of that ſink the Court of Rome was come up to heaven. Eraſmus layed them open in their colours, and did them more miſchief jocando, by his jearing p. 644and jeſting at them, then Luther did ſtomachando, by dry blowes and invectives, as One well obſerveth. He made the world look up (that had been long luld aſleep) and take notice of the truth of that which Chryſoſtom had long before diſcovered and lamented, Multi ſacerdotes, & pauci ſacerdotes, multi in nomine, pauci in opere. There are many Prieſts, and yet but few: many ſo in name, few ſo indeed.Marcidi. rebaulde. Pariſienſ. Fy on ſuch raſcall rebaulds ſaid the excommunicated Barons in K. Iohns time (in their declaration) concerning the Pope and his Cardinals, and yet they were no Proteſtants. No more are the Venetians: and yet how they ſlight their Pope (who is now, like the cuckow in June, heard but not regarded by them) is ſufficiently manifeſted by their Manifeſto's to the Chriſtian world. In Biſcany (anciently Cantabria) a province of Spaine, they admit no Biſhops to come amongſt them: ſuch an hatred they have taken againſt that order of men. And when King Ferdinand came in progreſs thither, accompanied amongſt others by the Biſhop of Pampeluna, the people aroſe in armes, drove back the Biſhop, and gathering all the duſt on the which they thought he had trodden,Heyl. Geog. pag. 55. flung it into the ſea. What our Biſhops did in Q. Maryes dayes we all know: that bloody Bonner eſpecially, buried at length in a dung hill (too good a grave for him.) Sure it was an unhappy proverb that was then learnt, The Biſhops foot hath trodden here. They are now utterly caſhierd, and lye wrapt up in the ſheet of ſhame for this very ſin (amongſt others) here charged upon theſe Prieſts, their diſhonouring Gods great Name, his ſervices, and ſervants. For it was come to that height of wickedneſſe amongſt us, a little before the late troubles, as to caſt odium in religionis Profeſſores tanquam in adverſarios, an evill report upon the profeſſours of religion, as ſo many adverſarles, as Bede ſaith the ancient Brittains did immediately before their deſtruction by the Saxons. He that would not be an Arminian, was therefore accounted a practicall Puritan. He that was not for the Jure divino of Epiſcopacy, was little better then a publike enemy. If the Miniſtry of England be under any abaſures at preſent, as they are thorough the iniquity of the times, and the overflow of errours and Atheiſme, let it ſerve to humble them for their deſire of vainglory, and not ſeeking the honour that commeth from God onelyonly Ioh. 5.44. let it alſo work in them a greater care to approve themſelves to God, that they may be glorious in his eyes and to his people, who dare not but honour ſuch as feare the Lord Pſal. 15.4. and have his Miniſters in ſingular eſteeme for their works ſake. 1 Theſſ. 5.13.

according as ye have not kept my wayes] q. d. your dignity is decayed, like as your duty hath been neglected: You are fallen out of the hearts of good people, and are aviled by all. Neither is it any wonder: for a vicious life breeds vileneſs of eſtimation: but vertue is a thouſand eſcucheons. Hence that cloſe connexion, If there be any vertue, if any praiſe Phil. 4.8. this treads upon the heels of that as it were; followes it as cloſe as the ſhadow doth the body. When Adam ſtood in innocency, the ſavage beaſts did him reverence. And the ſame God which did at firſt put an awe of man in the fierceſt creatures, hath ſtamped in the cruelleſt hearts a reverend reſpect to his own Image in his faithfull miniſters, as in Saul to Samuel, Herod to Iohn Baptiſt, thoſe gallants of Iſrael to that mad fellow, as they were pleaſed to call the Prophet that came to anoint Jehu: upon whoſe words (as mad as they made of him) they will preſently adventure their lives, and change the crown. Gods Image (as Gods name Pſal. 111.9.) is holy and reverend: And they that would have good repute and report amongſt men, muſt carefully keep (or, as the word here uſed may be rendred) watch Gods wayes. He ſhall have enow that will watch for his halting, and take any little occaſion to revile him with open mouth, as Shimei did David, when he had declined Gods way. It is therefore excellent counſell that Solomon giveth, and worthy of all acceptation. Pro. 4.25, 26, 27. Let thine eyes look right on: and let thine eyelids look ſtraight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet: and let all thy wayes be ordered aright. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left: remove thy foot from evill. Lo, this is the ready road to honour and eſtimation. Do worthily in Ephrata, and ſo be famous in Bethlehem. Ruth 4.11. Sic famam extendere factis Hoc virtutis opus. But thoſe Balaams that perſwaded by their Balacks, ſeek for p. 645honour by evill-doing, theſe ſeek the living among the dead, figs of thiſtles, heaven in hell &c.

but have been partiall in the law] Heb. ye have accepted or acknowledged faces in the law. i. e. you accept perſons; you deal partially in expounding and applying the law, making it pinch the poor, and favour the rich. The Church hath ever been peſtered with ſuch Aretalogi, ſuch paraſitical Preachers, whoſe practiſe hath been like Ahabs Prophets, to ſpeak magis ad voluntatem quàm ad veritatem, more to pleaſe then to profit. And there is a very great ſympathy between great ones that have firſt flattered themſelves, and theſe falſe flatterers, who prove a ſit helve for ſuch an hatchet, and meet lettice for ſuch lips. Such an one was Ʋriah the high-prieſt to Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. His motto ſeemes to have been Mihi placet, quic quid regi placet. Such were thoſe dirt-dawbers for the devill in Ezekiels dayes chap. 13.10, 11. &c. the Herodians, the Arians, the Arminians, Buchole.Ʋtenbogardus &c. the Queen of Navarr's Preachers, who perſwaded her, out of politick reſpects, to conſent to that unhappy match that gave opportunity for the Pariſian Maſſacre.1 Tim. 5 21. foreign1 Tim 5:21 The Apoſtle chargeth his ſon Timothy to do nothing of popularity or partiality, by tilting the ballance on the one ſide, as the word ſignifieth: but as a juſt law is an heart without affection, an eye without luſt, a mind without paſſion, a treaſurer which keepeth for every man that he hath, and diſtributeth to every man that he ought to have: ſo ſhould a Miniſter be; remembring that of Iob chap. 13.10. He will ſurely reprove you, if you ſecretly accept perſons, that is, he will chide you, ſmite you, curſe you for it, and ſo ſet it on, as no creature ſhall be able to take it off. If you reprove meaner men, and wink at the faults of great Ones, reproving he will repro… you, … will not do it to halves: no, he will rather do it double; you ſhall have it both ſurely and ſeverely. Let your reſolution therefore be that of Elihu Iob 32 21.22. I will not now accept the perſon of any man, neither will I give flattering titles to man. For I may not give flattering titles, leſt my Maker ſhould ſuddenly take me away, leſt my Maſter, whoſe ſteward I am, finding me unfaithfull in the diſpoſe of his myſteries, ſhould confound me before you. Ier. 1.17. Niſi fideliter dixerim, vobis erit damnoſum, Timeo itaqu… damnum veſtrum, timeo damnationem meam. Bern. de T. mp. 99.mihi periculoſum, If I ſhould not deale faithfully and freely with you, it would be to your loſs, but to mine utter undoing.

Verſe 10. Have we not all one Father?] Here begins a ſecond conteſtation, viz. with the people (as the former was with the Prieſts) for their unrighteous dealing; where we have ſo many words, ſo many arguments. In brevitate verborum eſt luxuries verum. How many Ones are here, and all to perſwade to unity. See the like Eph. 4.3, 4, 5. Let thoſe that take upon them to perſwade others to equity and unanimity, learn to marſhall their matter handſomely, and to fill their mouths with arguments, ſuch as may fall thick, and prevail,Iob 21.4.Job 21:4 being ſeconded and ſet on with intimation of heartieſt affection. Oh that I could ſomewhere meet with you both together ſaid Auſtin to Hierome and Ruffinus (hearing of their differences) I would fall down at your feet with much love, and many teares, I would beſeech you for Gods ſake, for your own ſakes,Hei mihi qui vos alicubi invenire non poſſum &c. for weak Chriſtians ſake &c. not to ſuffer theſe diſſentions to ſpread further. So Mr. Bradford in a letter to a diſtreſſed Gentlewoman that was in a deſpairing condition, I beſeech you, ſaith He, I pray you, I deſire you, I crave at your hands with all my very heart, I ask of you with hand, pen, tongue and mind in Chriſt, through Chriſt, for Chriſt, for his name, blood, mercy, power and truths ſake,Act. and Mon. that you admit no doubting of Gods finall mercyes toward you, howſoever you feel your ſelf. Oh that I could get words (ſaid Another holy man to his hearers) to gore your very hearts with ſmarting pain, that this doctrine might be written in your fleſh? By this One Father in the Text is meant Adam, ſay the moſt Interpreters, who was the common Parent of us all, and the very ſtock and root, from whence all mankind did ſpring. It is therefore a ſin againſt Nature it ſelf and common humanity, to deal treacherouſly againſt another, or to hide thy ſelf from thine own fleſh Iſa. 58.7. This is to be more unreaſonable then beaſts, birds, and fiſhes, which love their own kind; and thoſe that ſeed on fleſh will not eat the fleſh of their own kind. But our Age over-aboundeth with unnaturall Maneaters, that (not only fike a pickrell in a pond, or ſhark in the ſea, devour the p. 646leſſer fiſhes of another alloy, but alſo) eat up Gods people, as they eat bread, make no more conſcience,Pſal. 14.5.Ps 14:5 nay take as much content in undoing a poor brother, as in eating a meals-meat, when they are hungry: they make but a breakfaſt of a whole repreſentative Nation; as thoſe gun-powder-papiſts deſigned to do. How oft are wicked Oppreſſours compared to hunters, for their cruelty, and fowlers for their craft? to ſhew that they ſpare none that fall into their nets: young, old, male, female, all go together into the bag. This raiſed a great cry of the people, and of their wives againſt their brethren, thoſe uſurious Jews, that had both robb'd and raviſhed them,Pſal. 10.9Ps 10:9 Nehem. 5.1. And what could they ſay for themſelves, but the ſame in effect with this in the text. Yet now our fleſh is as the fleſh of our brethren, our children as their children, &c?

have we not all one father? hath not One God created us?] Here the Prophet riſeth higher, viz. from Adam to God, out of whoſe mint when Man came firſt, he ſhone moſt glorious, for he was Gods own workmanſhip created unto love and good works: Epheſ. 2.10Eph 2:10yea, as iron put into fire, ſeems to be nothing but fire: ſo Adam, come freſh out of Gods hands, who is perfect love and goodneſſe it ſelf, was no other then a very lump of love to God, and kindneſſe to his fellow-creatures. But now alaſſe, we may ſit and ſing, O quantum haec Niobe, &c. how ſtrangely are we altered, and fallen from our firſt love! and what great cauſe have we, with thoſe in Ezra, to think of this Temple that was burnt, and lament? yea, write Lamentations with Jeremy, and ſay, as He; They raviſhed the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. Princes are hanged up by the hand, the faces of the Elders were not honoured, &c. Lam. 5. The wonder was the leſſe, becauſe theſe that did all this were of a different re…ion. … for thoſe that ſerve the ſame true God, the Creatour of all, to jarre and warre (as we, alaſſe, do at this day) this is lamentabile bellum, and ſpeaks a great decay and defect of the power of godlineſſe: true religion being of an uniting nature: and the ſtrongeſt tye. Sanatior ſane eſt copula cordis quam corporis. This Ioſephs brethren knew, and therefore held it their beſt plea, Gen. 50.17. And now we pray thee forgive the treſpaſſe of the ſervants of thy fathers God. They had one common father: but, as a better ſtring to their bowe, they had one common God. The very Turks are found to be much braver ſouldiers upon the Chriſtian,Voyage into Leuant. p. 89. then upon the Perſian, becauſe they begin alate to be infected with Perſianiſme, whom they acknowledge better Mahometans then themſelves.

why do we deal treacherouſly] Or, fraudulently. The Prophet puts himſelf into the number though innocent, that his reproof might the better take with them. That which he taxeth them for, is their wrong-dealing (in generall) one with another; whether it were by force or by fraud, by violence or cunning contrivance, which what is it elſe,foreign but crimen ſtellionatus, the very ſinne of couſenage, and hath God for an avenger? 1 Theſſ. 4.6. Now it is dangerous offending him whoſe diſpleaſure and revenge is everlaſting, and who oft calls to reckoning after our diſcharges. Take heed therefore of all ſorts of injuſtice. Curſe not the deaf, lay not a ſtumbling-block before the blind: but fear the Lord Jehovah, Lev. 19.14. And conſidering that to deal treacherouſly with another (a brother eſpecially) is a ſinne (as hath been above-ſaid) both againſt nature and religion: both againſt Race and Grace (which teacheth righteouſneſſe as well as holineſſe, Tit. 2.12. and turning the leopard into the lamb, &c. cauſeth that none do hurt to, or deſtroy another in all Gods holy mountain, Eſay 11.6.) let us ſo carry our ſelves, as that, with bleſſed Paul, we may glory and ſay, We have wronged no man, we have conſumed no man, we have defrauded no man, &c. 2 Cor. 7.2.

by profaning the covenant of our fathers] i. e. by degenerating from the promiſes, and practiſes of our pious progenitours. Of this ſee verſe 8. A certain popiſh Prince ſaid, It is not amiſſe to make covenants: but wo be to him that is neceſſitated to keep them. He had learned, (belike of Machiavel) fidem tamdiù ſervandam eſſe quamdiù expediat, that covenants are to be kept ſo long as a man ſhall ſee cauſe.Eos foedera neſcire. That which was anciently ſaid of the Thracians is now verified of the papiſts, that they keep no covenants, with heretikes eſpecially. The Turks (taught by them) ſay, There is no faith to be kept with dogs, that is with Chriſtians. Their leagnes grounded upon the law of Nations, and ſolemnly confirmed by p. 647oath, have with them no longer force then ſtandeth with their own pleaſure and profit. And if Turks and Papiſts onelyonly were truce-breakers, and fedifragies, it were the better to be born with. But what ſhall we ſay to thoſe Chriſtianecategori (as Bellarmine ſaith a certain ſort of heretikes were called of old) thoſe blots and botches of Chriſtian religion, and holy ſociety, that can ſay and unſay at pleaſure,De. eccleſ. triumph. l. 2. c. 11. make vows to God in their diſtreſſe, and break them as faſt when delivered? Juſt like thoſe Jews in Ieremy, chap. 34. that ſet free their ſervants when the enemy lay before the walls: but reduced them into bondage, when the ſiege was raiſed, though they had cut the calf in twain, and paſſed between the parts thereof; a moſt ſolemne way of ſealing up covenants. So dealt their fathers before them, Pſal. 78.34, 35, 36, 37. And ſo dealt here their Nephews after them. They profaned the covenant of obedience to Gods commandements, that their fathers, for themſelves and their ſucceſſours, entred into. But ſhould men thus play with covenants as children do with nuts? ſhould they ſlip them at pleaſure, as Monkeys do their collars? ſhould they ſnap them in ſunder, as Sampſon did his cords? Had Shimei peace that brake his oath to Solomon? or Zedekiah that kept not touch with Nebuchadnezzar? &c.

Verſe. 11. Judah hath dealt treacherouſly] Judah the conſeſſour) as his name imports) Iudah that once ruled with God, and was faithful with the Saints: Hoſ.: 1.12.Ind…h in whom God was known, his name was great in Iſrael Pſal. 76, 2. Proſpers conceit was, that Iudai were ſo called becauſe thy received us Dei, the law from Gods mouth: whence Ioſcphus calls the Common wealth of Iſrael foreign a God government. For, to them pertained (among ſundry other precious priviledges recited Rom. 9.4, 5.) the Covenants, that is, 1. The moral law in two tables. 2. The giving of the law, that is, the Judicial law. 3. The ſervice, that is, the ſeremonial law, which was their Goſpel: whence Iudea is called the glorious land Dan. 11.41. (or the land of delights, or ornaments as the Hebrew hath it) a pleaſant land, or a land of deſire Ier. 3.19. becauſe as it is Ezek 20.6, 15. it was the glory of all lands. Jeruſalem the metropolis, was not onelyonly the moſt famous of all the cities of the Eaſt, as Pliny confeſſeth it,Pſal. 31.21.Ps 31:21 but alſo of the whole world ſi inſignia Dei ſpectemus beneſicia, as one ſaith, if we conſider Gods marvellous kind cſſe ſhewed to it in a ſtrong city, as David hath it. But, as ingentia beneficia, flagitia, ſupplicia, the greater the priviledges of any place or people are, the more hainous are their offences, and the more hideous their puniſhments; ſo ſell it out with this nation ſo advanced, ſo obliged, ſo ſhameleſly, ſo lawleſly wicked. They were but newly returned from captivity, ſcarce yet warm in their neſts, when they fell afreſh to their old trade of treachery, doing wickedly with both hands earneſtly. Abomination was committed in Iſrael and in Jeruſalem, even ſuch as Gods ſoul abhorred, and was ready to be looſened or dis oynted from them Ier. 6.8. becauſe in the land of uprightneſſe they dealt unjuſtly, and would not behold the majeſty f…he Lord ſay 26.10. Indah had profaned the holineſſe of the Lord which he loved, that is, the very place that he had eſpied out for himſelf, and that was dedicated to his name and ſervice, the holy and ſeparate land, the Iſle, as it is called Tſai. 20.6. (though part of the continent) becauſe compaſſied about with Gods favour as with a ſhield. Pſal. 5.12. In ſuch a conſecrated countrey to act their villany, was no ſmall aggravation of their wickedneſſe: this made it ſwell like a toad in the eyes of the Almighty, it was an abomination. Filthyneſſe in a ſtewes, in a ſtrumpet, is nothing ſo odious, as in a pretended Virgin. A nettle on the waſte is better born with then in a garden. To ſee the Devil in hell is no wonder: but what makes he in Paradiſe? England was anciently called the kingdom of God it may much better be ſo called now,Auglia reg…i Del. Pol. Vhg. that Goſpel of the kingdom is preached amongſt us. It was alſo called Albion quaſi Olbion (Happy or fortunate, the fortunate Iſland ſay ſome) or ab albis rupibus from the whiteneſſe of the rocks. True it is, we were black all over with ſuperſtition, firſt Pagan, and then Papagan; But Chriſt hath made us white again as ſnow in Salmon. And do we again ſully and ſoil our ſelves with ſinnes filthineſſe, with that unclean kitchin-ſtuffe? do we profane the holineſſe of the Lord, which he loved, to drive him away from us by degrees, as thoſe Jews did, Ezek 8.9, 10, 11. ſinne is the leaven that defiles our paſſeover; and urgeth God to paſſe away and depart from us. Sin is the ſnuff that dimmes our candle-ſtick, and threatens the removall p. 648of it. Let thoſe that live in Gods good land, but not in Gods good Laws (as Ariſtotle complained of his Athenians to like purpoſe,Laert. l. 5. c. 1 and as Seneca ſaid to the Romans, that they were become more filthy ſince they had bathes to waſh in) look forward to the following verſe, and tremble at that utter deſtruction there threatened to ſuch, Diſperdet Dominus &c. And thereunto Saint Paul ſeemeth to allude 1 Cor. 3.17. If any man defile the Temple of God, him will God deſtroy.

and hath married the daughter of a ſtrange God] This is that particular ſin whereby they had dealt treacherouſly againſt their brethren, profaned the Covenant, polluted the Church, and committed abomination in Iſrael: they had married with women of a ſtrange worſhip, and joyned in affinity with the people of thoſe abominations, as holy Ezra phraſeth it Chap. 9.14. and withall ſetteth it forth for ſuch a ſin in thoſe newly-returned captives, as he thinks heaven and earth might well be aſhamed of. A ſin it is, flatly forbidden in both Teſtaments, Deut. 7.3. 2. Cor. 6.14. and reaſons added: as 1. Danger of defection at leaſt, from former forwardneſſe: but moſt commonly of infection, as in Solomon 1 King. 11. Nehem. 13.26. what's the reaſon the Pope will not diſpenſe in Spain and Italy, if a papiſt marry a Proteſtant; yet here he will, but in hope to draw more to them. See 1 King. 12.25. and 2 King. 8.27. 2 Great inconveniency: as 1. Of grief to the godly parents Gen. 26.35. and 27.36. 2. Ill education of children, who commonly take after the mother (as did moſt of thoſe Idolatrous kings of Judah) and follow the worſer ſide, though it be the weaker, as the concluſion in a Syllogiſme follows the weaker propoſition. The birth, we ſay, followeth the belly: and moſt men, we ſee, do matriſſare take after the mother, in matters of religion. Hereunto might be added, that Gods ſervice muſt by theſe unequal matches neceſſarily be hindered, if not altogether omitted, (to gratifie a froward Zipporah, or a mocking Michol) and the better party forced to ſee and hear that, that cannot but grieve the Spirit of God. Beſides danger of diſloyalty, and a curſed poſterity, as Edomites of the daughters of Heth. D. Hall.Here then I could joyn with that Reverend Contemplatour in that holy wiſh of his, that Manoah could ſpeak ſo loud that all our Iſraelites might hear him; Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all Gods people, that thou goeſt to take a wife of the uncircumciſed Philiſtines? If Religion be any other then a cypher, how dare we not regard it in our moſt important choyces? how dare we yoke our ſelves with any untamed heifer that beareth not Chriſts yoke? what mad work made that noble pair of naughtypacks, Iezabel and Athaliah in the kingdoms of Iſrael and Judah, the later beginning her reigne in the ſame year that the former periſhed, as Bucholcer obſerveth? And who knoweth not what a deal of miſchief was done to the poor people of God in France, by Katherine de Medices, Q. Mother, with the advice and aſliſtance of the Cardinall of Lorrain? Concerning which two it was ſaid,

Non audet ſtygius Pluto tentare quod ander

Effraenis Monachus plenaque frandis anus.

Verſe 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this] Though the Magiſtrate be careleſſe and corrupt: though he either cannot puniſh this evil, it being growen ſo univerſall, or will not (and ſo impunity in the Magiſtrate maketh impenitency in the offendours) God will take the ſword in hand, and cut off every mothers child that doth this,Metaphora eſt à Medicis …la. Polan. (niſi currat poenitentia) as a chirurgion cutteth off a rotten member, ſo will God deſtroy ſuch for ever: he will take them away, and pluck them out of their dwelling places, and root them out of the land of the living, Pſal. 52.5. Neither ſhall this be done to himſelf onelyonly, but to his wretched poſterity (ſuch a legacy like Joabs leproſie, leaves every graceleſſe man to his children) for ſo the Chaldee here rendreth and interpreteth that proverbiall expreſſion in the text, both the maſter and the ſcholler, Sic & R. Salom.filium & filium filii, his ſonne, and his ſous ſonne, though he teach never ſo well by wholeſome inſtruction, and politic… adviſement, to prevent the miſchief: Agreeably hereunto for ſence Piſcator rendreth this text thus, The Lord will cut off his children that doth thus, the children that he begets of the daughter of a ſtrange god. An heavy curſe ſurely, and frequently inflicted, as upon p. 649Ahab: though he to avoid it, ſo followed the work of generation, that he leſt ſeventy ſonnes behind him; which yet would not do.

and him that offereth an offering &c.] that is, Although he be a Prieſt, Or Although he ſeek to make peace with me by an offering: as hoping thereby to ſtop my mouth or ſtay my hand to expiate his ſin, or to purchaſe a diſpenſation as thoſe Mic. 6.6, 7. and Eſay 58.2, 3. Thus Saul ſacrificeth, Ahab trembleth and humbleth, Ieroboams wile goeth to the Prophet, Ioab taketh hold of the horns of the Altar: the king of Perſia having loſt ſome of his children by untimely death as Cieſias reporteth) ſends earneſtly to the Jews for prayers for him and his, Ezra 6.10. So did Maximinus in like caſe to the Chriſtians. Tully tells us that they which prayed whole dayes together and offered ſacrifice,… D…vr. ut ſ… liberi ſuperſtites ſibi eſſent, that their children might out-live them, theſe were … called ſuperſtitiou perſons: afterwards the word was taken in a larger ſenſe. But devotion without holy converſation availes nothing to avert Gods judgements Iſa. 1.12.15. and …6.3. He that killeth an Ox unleſſe withall he kill his curruptions is as if he ſlew a man: he that ſacriſiccth a lamb, unleſſe by faith he ley hold upon the Lamb of God, is as if he cut off a dogs nick: he that effereth an old… tion &c. This men are hardly drawn to, viz. to part with their ſins, to cail the traytours head over the wall, to hang up the heads of the people before the Sun. Sin harboured in the ſoule, is like Achan in the army, or Jonas in the ſhip; much paines the marriners were at, and much loſle too, to have ſaved Jonas from the ſea, they ventured their own caſting away ere they would caſt him over-board: but there could be no calme, till they had done it effectually. So it is here. Full fain men would keep their ſins, and yet lave their foules: but that's impoſſible. God will not be bribed Pſal. 50. nor brought to ſuſter ſin unrepented to eſcape unpuniſhed. Poor ſoules when ſtung by the Friers ſermons, they ſet them penunces, pilgrimages, all ſorts of good works, which ſtilled them a while: and for them they thought they ſhould have pardon. So many run now …mongſt us to holy duties, but with the ſame opinion they did them, a bribes for a pardon. Theſe dig for pearle, in their own dunghils, make the meanes their mediat urs,… think to ſave themſelves by riding on horſes &c.

Verſe 13. And this have ye done againe] Or, in the ſecond place. q. …. Nor content to have married ſtrange wives, yea have brought them in to your lowfull wives, to their intolerable vexation, ſo adding this ſin to the former, as a greater to the leſſe. This is ſtill the guiſe of graceleſſe men, to add druake…ſſe to thirſt, rebellion to ſin, to amaſſe and heape up one evill upon another, till wrath come upon them to the ut meſt. For three tranſgreſſions and for ſoxr I will not turn away their puniſhment Am. 1. that is, ſo long as the wicked commit one or two in…uities, I forbear them: but when it comes once to threes and fours, (how much more to ſo many ſcores, hundreds, thouſands, as one cipher added to a figure makes it ſo many tenns, two ſo many hundreds, three ſo many thouſands &c.) God will bear with them no longer. Of thoſe old Iſraelites it is demanded, not without great indignation on Gods part. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderneſſe, and grieve him in the deſart? Yea they turned ba… and tempted God &c. Pſal. 78.40, 41. Good men, if they fall once into foule practiſes, they fall not often. Of Judah it is expreſſely recorded that he knew Tamar no more. Lot indeed committed inceſt two night; together: but the orifice of his luſt was not yet ſtopped by repentance. Think the ſame of Solomon, Sampſon, Ionah, &c. their acts were as it were continued acts: and, in the interim, little or no remorſe or regret. Let us that have received merey, be admoniſhed to ſin no more, leſt a worſe thing come unto us. I…h. 5There is a woe to ſuch as draw iniquiey with cords of vanity, and ſin as it were with a cartrope Iſa. 5.20. Babylons ſins in the Revelation reached up to heaven, or they were thwacked together thick and threefold one upon another Rev. 18.5. there was a concatenation, or a continued ſeries of them: therefore ſhe fell ſurely and ſuddenly. When wickedneſſe is once ripe in the field, God will not let it ſhed to grow again: but cuts it up by a juſt and ſeaſonable vengeance.

covering the Altar of the Lord with teares] That is, You cauſed your poor wives, when they ſhould have been chearfull in Gods ſervice, as 1 Sam. 1. and p. 650in many other places it was required of the Iſraelites to rejoyce whenſoever they appeared before the Lord, Earthly Princes love not the company of mourners Eſth. 4.4. to cover the Lords Altar vith tears, with weeping, and with crying out, to throw themſelves, blubbered and ſwoln with tears, upon the Altar, which was a profanation of it: ſo that God regarded not the offering any more. 'Twere happy if we could be ſo affected with our unkindneſſe to Chriſt, our husband, that wee could cover his Table, when we come to it, with our tears. How ſhould the Lord regard our ſervice ſo much the more? how ſhould it be unto him as Muſick upon the waters, farre more harmonious! What a gracious reſpect had He to the weeping women that followed him to the croſſe; and what an honour was that to one of them, (Mary Magdalen I mean) that ſhe had the firſt ſight of the revived Phoenix,Pſal. 91.13.Ps 91:13 whom ſhe held faſt by thoſe feet that ſhe had once waſhed with her tears, and that had now lately trod upon the lion, and adder, &c? It was appointed by Moſes law that the bond-woman ſhould bewail her father and mother a full monet before ſhe might become an Iſraelites wife.Deut. 21.13.Deut 21:13 We, that are ſtrangers to the Commonwealth of Iſrael, as we cannot be preſented a chaſt virgin to Chriſt, but as weeping over him that bled over us, ſo we never pleaſe him better, then when we weep over our tears,Ipſae lachrymae ſunt lachryabiles, &c. ſigh over our ſobbes, mourn over our griefs, as not proportionable to our miſcarriages. But to return to the Text: The Jews as they are noted for a nation overmuch effoeminate, and given to women, (as they ſay) ſo when they have ſatisfied their luſt, and ſerved their own turns, they are as willing to be rid of them as Amnon was of Tamar. Hence thoſe many cautions in the law to put bounds to their petulancy: and that politick permiſtion of a divorce, for the relief of the poor deſpiſed woman, leſt ſhe ſhould come to a miſchief, by the hatred of the churl her husband, Deut. 22.13, 14 with chap. 24.3. At this day they look upon women, as not having ſo divine a ſoul as men, but are of a lower creation, made onelyonly for the propagation and pleaſure of man. They uſe them as their drudges, lay upon them with their unmanly fiſts, are ready to cut out their tongues (as the Welſh-men dealt by their French wives,Heyl. Geng. pag. 93. leſt they ſhould corrupt the language of their children) put them away upon every ſlight occaſion, covering that violence with the garment of the law, as verſe 16. Or if they kept them, they took other wives to them, to vex them, and to make them to ſr…t, 1 Sam. 1.6. or (as the word there ſigniſies) to thunder: not onelyonly tabring upon their breaſts, with the voyce of doves, (as Nahums expreſſion is) but filling the air, yea covering the altar (as it is here) with their laments and l…wings, Nah. 2.7. Lamentis gemituque & foeminco ululatu Tecta fremunt-Virg. Aeneid.Nah 2:7fl…ctu & mugitu, (ſo the Vulgar rendreth it) for their husbands harſhneſſe, and their concubines inſolencies, and indignities. Hierom tells us, that theſe returned captives ſlighted their old wives brought with them from Babylon, (as being by that tedions journey become infirm and deformed) and matched with ſlrangers, who were freſh, fair, rich, &c. this he gathers out of Ezra 9. and 10. whereas they ſhould rather have nouriſhed and cheriſhed them as their own fleſh, Epheſ. 5.29. they ſhould have handled them gently, becauſe of their weakneſſe, as ſo many chryſtall-glaſſes. They ſhould have given them all lawfull content, as Abraham did Saral, his faithfull fellow-traveller. They ſhould have given all honour unto them, ſaith Saint Peter; and why?1 Pet. 3.7.1 Pet 3:7 Mark his many reaſons. 1. They are the weaker veſſels, and are therefore to be handled with all tenderneſſe. Some tranſlate it the weaker inſtrument: and (as Luther ſpeaks of it) as a knife with a tender edge men will not cut ſtones, braſſe, or iron with it: ſo here. 2. They are heirs together of the grace of life, that is, of the life of grace, and of glory too: for ſouls have no ſexes, and as every one is in Chriſt, all are equall, ſo that the husband is bound, in this reſpect, to make his wives yoke as eaſie as may be, ſith ſhe draws even with him, though on the left ſide. 3. That your prayers be not hindered, as they will be, where there is not ſo much conjugium, as conjurgium. How can they pray together comfortably, that live ſo diſcontentedly? How can they bring their gift to that altar that is covered with the tears, and moans of their juſtly aggrieved and abuſed wives? Or, if they do, will God regard their offering any more, or receive it with good will at their hands? Will not the tears and groans of their diſtreſſed wives (who yet hold out their devotion, and will not be hindered by their juſt grief, from praying to God, and pouring out their ſouls before him) move God more p. 651then their ſacrifices can do? Eſpecially if they bring them with a wicked mind, as Solomon hath it: and as Lyra maketh it to be the ſence of this Text:Prov. 21.27Prov 21:27 Ye have covered the Altar of the Lord with tears, &c. but he regardeth not the offering any more, &c. that is, (ſaith Lyra, and he hath it from Chryſoſtom) you are reſolved to retain your idolatrous wives, though God have declared againſt it: And that ye may expiate this wickedneſle, and make amends by your good deeds for your bad; you run to the Temple, and there with many tears, and groans you beg pardon. But all in vain, becauſe you have no purpoſe at all to break off your ſins, but will needs perſiſt in your unlawfull marriages. See more of this in the Note on chap. 3.16. doct. 4. uſe 1.

Verſe 14. Yet ye ſay wherefore?] A ſenſeleſſe queſtion: but there is nothing more ſtupid, and ſtubborn then an hypocrite: he will not yeeld, though never ſo clearly convinced, but will have ſtill ſomewhat to ſay though to ſmall purpoſe, as had Saul to Samuel, 1 Sam. 15. and theſe Queſtioniſts here to God, whom (as before oft, and again after) they put to his proofs. (See the Note on chap. 1. verſe 2, 6.) and his anſwer is ready:

Becauſe the Lord hath been wineſſe between thee and the wife of thy youth] The Heathen could ſay,

Maxima debetur pueris reverentia ſiquid

Turpe paras: — And again,

Turpe quid acturus te, ſine teſte, time.

We ſhould not do wickedly if but a child be by. And, when thou art about to do ought amiſſe, fear thine own conſcience, which is a thouſand witneſſes. But if God be by as a witneſſe, ſhould not men fear to offend him? Tremble thou earth, at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the God of Jacob. He that dares ſin, though he know God be an eye-witneſſe, is more impudent in ſinning then was Abſalom, when he ſpred a tent upon the top of the houſe, and went in to his fathers concubines, in the ſight of all Iſrael, and of the Sunne. Theſe treacherous husbands could not but know that they had entred into a covenant of God, Prov. 2.17. when they married: that the bond was made to God, and that upon the violation of it, he would be ready enough to take the forfeiture: for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, Heb. 13.3. That God had been witneſſe, Proteſtatus eſt.or had proteſted (ſo Montanus renders it) and withall had, by interpoſing of his own authority, confirmed the contract and compact, ſaying, verbis concept is, as Hoſ. 3.3. Thou ſhalt not be for another man, ſo will I alſo be for thee, and not for another woman, till God ſhall ſeparate us by death. Indeed if the husband or the wife be dead,Rom. 7.2.Rom 7:2 the ſurviving party is at liberty to marry again (whatſoever the Canoniſts ſay againſt bigamy.) Hierome tells us of an old man in Rome that had buried twenty wives, which hee had married one after the death of another: and that he had taken to wife the one and twentieth, who alſo had buried nineteen husbands. And that,Hier. apud Lonicer in Theat. hiſtor. p. 734. burying that wife too, he followed the corps to the Church (ſo his neighbours would needs have it) with a garland of bayes upon his head in manner of a triumpher. But againſt Polygamy (which is, when a man or woman couples himſelf or her ſelf in marriage to more then one) here are an heap of arguments in the text, which we ſhall take as they lie in order. Mean-while it is worthy our obſervation, that the firſt Authour of Polygamy was that Thraſonicall Lamech, noted for a profane and wicked perſon: as was likewiſe Eſan another Polygamiſt. Laban though he had cheted Jacob into the having of his two daughters to wife, yet he could not but confeſſe it to be a ſinne againſt the light of Nature. Hence at parting he takes a ſolemne oath of Jacob, Gen. 31.50. If thou ſhalt afflict my daughters, or if thou ſhalt take other wives beſides my daughters: no man is with us: ſee God is witneſſe betwixt me and thee. Some of the Fathers were herein faulty, as Abraham, David, &c. and ſome ſay it was their priviledge: but that's not likely. Rather it was their ignorance or incogitancy, (they conſidered not that it was a breach of the firſt inſtitution of marriage) or, as ſome conceive, it was their meer miſtake of that Text, Lev. 18.18. Thou ſhalt not take a wife to her ſiſter, to vex her, Confer Ezek. 1.9.Ezek 1:9to uncover her naked eſſe, beſides the other, in her life time. Here they took the word (ſiſter) for one ſo by blood, which was ſpoken of a ſiſter by nation, as thoſe clauſes to vex her, p. 652and da…ghter life, do evince. One thing was, the commonneſſe of the ſinne, and the … cuſtome of it. So long had it continued, and was grown ſo faſhionable, that it ſeemed to be no ſinne. But debt is debt, whether a man know of it, or not: And ſin, as a debt, may ſleep a long time, and not be called for of many years, as Sauls ſin in killing the Gibeonites ſlept fourty years; and Joabs killing of Abner ſlept all David's dayes, &c. Another thing that might cauſe deſire of many wives, was want of love and chaſt affection to the wife of their youth. Iſaac is noted for a moſt loving husband to his Rebecca: and he never deſired more wives then her. Re oyce in the wife of thy youth: Let her be as the loving Hind, and pleaſant Roe, &c. This will keep thee from being raviſhed with a ſtrange woman, or ombracing the boſomc of a ſtranger, Prov. 5.18, 19, 20. The Hind and the Roe are moſt loving to their mates, and therefore moſt faithfull to them. So, among birds, are the turtledove, and the ſtork. The former, they ſay, as he keeps cloſe to his mate, while ſhe lives; ſo when ſhe dies, he groans and moans continually, and never ſits upon a green bough. The later are chaſt, and ſevere, in puniſhing thoſe of the kind that are not. It iscredibly reported by ſome that have ſeen it, that whole flocks of Storks meeting in a medow, they have ſet in the middeſt of them two of their company that have been found diſloyall,Sphi…. Philoſ. pag. 231. and runnning upon them with main force have killed them with their beaks. So that the company breaking up, and all the reſt flying away, the two offending Storks onelyonly have been found dead in the place.

againſt whom thou haſt dealt treacherouſly] viz by ſuperinducing another wife contrary to thy covenant, This is not a ſimple injury againſt thy lawfull wife; but ſuch as is joyned with contumely, which the Greeks call foreign: and the children that come of ſuch copulation they call foreign, becauſe they are ſubject to contumelies. The Hebrews call them brambles; A…imelech was ſuch an one, Iudg. 9.14. a right bramble indeed, who grew in the baſe hedge-row of a concubine; and ſcratcht and drew blood to purpoſe. Lo, this is the Prophets firſt argument againſt Polygamy: it is treachery againſt both God, who is deeply intereſted in the marriage-covenant, and againſt the true wife, who is hereby extremely deſrauded, and defeated. Follows not the ſecond:

yet ſhe is thy companion] thy compeer, and copartner, thy conſort, and fellow-friend, ſuch another as thy ſelf (ſo the woman is called, Gen. 2.18.) a ſecondſelf, a mate meet for thee, a piece ſo juſt cut out for thee, as anſwereth thee rightly in every point, in every joynt. A wife is not a ſlave, (ſaith One) but a companion: a yoke-fellow, ſtanding on even ground with thee, though drawing on the left ſide. From the left ſide (ſay ſome) ſhe was taken where the heart is, to teach, that hearty love ſhould be betwixt married couples. Made ſhe was of a rib, a bone of the ſide; not of the head, (the wife muſt not uſurp authority over her husband) nor yet of the foot, ſhe may not be trampled upon, or diſregarded as an underling. A bone, not of any anterior part; ſhe is not …raela…a, preferred before the man: neither yet of any hinder-part, ſhe is not poſtpoſita, ſet behind the man: but a bone of the ſide, of the middle, of the indifferent part, to ſhew that ſhe is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant. A bone ſhe is from under the arm: to put man in mind of protection, and defence to the woman. A bone, not far from his heart; to put him in mind of dilection and love to the woman. Neither can the rib challenge any more of her, then the earth can do of him. And as he was ignorant when himſelf was made, ſo he knew as little when his ſecond-ſelf was made out of him: both that the comfort might be greater then was expected; as alſo that he might not upbraid his wife with any great dependance or obligation; he neither willing the work, nor ſuffering any pain to have it done. Shine ſhe muſt with the beams of her husband: Share ſhe muſt with him, in his maſterly government of the family, as Sarah did with Abraham by Gods allowance, Gen. 16. and as the Roman Ladies were wont to ſay to their husbands, Ʋbi tu Caius, ibi ego Caia, where you are Lord, I am Lady. That over-lordly carriage of husbands towards their wives, and that uſage of them as drudges, is condemned by the Heathen Philoſophers, in the very Barbarians themſelves, as a great ataxy, and diſorder in the family.

and the wife of thy covenant] And is it nothing to be covenant-breaker with a wife; eſpecially where God alſo is ingaged, as above ſaid? Foedus foreign. p. 653foreign, ab eadem radice, perform your truſt, make good the troth you have plighted. Otherwiſe, if the fruits of the fleſh grow out of the trees of your hearts, ſurely,Ser. of Rep. p. 70. ſurely, ſaith Maſter Bradford Martyr, the devil is at inne with you: you are his birds, whom when he hath well fed, he will broach you, and eat you, chaw you, and champ you world without end, in eternall wo and miſery.

Verſe 15. And did not he make one] Another forcible argument againſt Polygamy, and adultery. See our Saviours explanation of it, Mat. 19.4, 5, 6. with the Notes there. The onelyonly wiſe God made but one woman for one man at the firſt creation: and ordained that thoſe two ſhould be one fleſh, two in one fleſh, not three, or four, or as many wives as a man is able to maintain, as among the Turks, who (as a juſt hand of God upon them) are grievouſly vexed with jealouſie, not ſuffering their women to go to Church: nor ſo much as look out at their own windows:B…unt. 106. Or if they go abroad upon any occaſion, they muſt go muffled, all but the eyes. Sardus tells us, that the old Brittains would ten or twelve of them take one woman to wife. Belike women were rare commodities with them. As likewiſe men were in Judaea, when ſeven women took hold of one man, ſaying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparrel: onelyonly let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach, Eſay 4.1. That is, we will maintain our ſelves and thee: onelyonly be thou an husband to us, and let us have children by thee.

yet had he the reſidue of the spirit] Or, breath: ſo that he could as eaſily have made more, and breathed into their faces the breath of life. And although it is not ſaid of the woman, that God breathed into her the breath of life, as of Adam, (whence Tertullian concludes, that ſhe had both body and ſoul too from Adam) yet Auſtin rightly gathereth, that their ſouls were both alike imbreathed by God:10. Lib ſup. Geneſ. Otherwiſe, the ſcripture would not have been ſilent in it, no more then it is in the new manner of the creation of her body. Thence alſo it is that Adam ſaith not, This is ſoul of my ſoul, but bone of my bone, and fleſh of my fleſh, Gen. 2.23. Souls are not propagated by the Parents, but created of God, and joined to the body, by an occult operation. Auguſtine following Origen, held the contrary for a long time. At length he began to doubt, and after a while changed his opinion: Hierom ſtoutly defending the contrary againſt him: Ariſtotle alſo underſtood the truth hereof, and concluded, that the ſoul was divine, and came from above: and.foreign. Lib. 2. c. 9. de gen. anim. though of nothing, yet is it made a matter more excellent then the matter of the heavens, in nature not inferiour to the Angels. An abridgement it is of the inviſible world, as the body is of the viſible. And why may we not ſay, that the ſoul as it came from God, being divinae particula aurae, ſo it is like him? One, immateriall, immortall, underſtanding ſpirit, diſtinguiſht into three powers, which all make up one Spirit. In this reſpect it is ſaid, Gen. 9.6. that in the image of God made he man. There is a double image of God in the ſoul. One in the ſubſtance of it: this is never loſt, and of this that text is to be underſtood. The other is the ſupernaturall grace, which is an image of the knowledge, holineſſe, and righteouſneſſe of God, and this is utterly loſt, and muſt be recovered. This the ancient Heathens hammered at, when they fained that the ſoul once had wings: but, thoſe being broken, it fell head long into the body; where when it hath recovered it's wings, it flies up to heaven again. That was very good counſell given by a godly man to his friend, not to buſie his brains ſo much in enquiring how the ſoul entred into the body, as how it may depart comfortably out of the body. And ſeeing the ſoul is more excellent then the body, (ſaith another grave Divine) like as Jacob laid his right hand upon the younger, but his left upon the elder, ſo our beſt care, and the ſtrength of our thoughts ſhould be for the ſoul, younger as much as it is, then the body; they ſhould be but left-hand thoughts for the body.

and wherefore one? that he might ſeek a godly ſeed] Heb. a ſeed of God: not a baſtardly brood, a ſpurious iſſue, a Mamzer, as the Hebrews call ſuch, that is, labes aliena, a ſtrange blot, a ſeed of the adulterer and the whore, Eſay 57.3. but ſuch as God appointeth, and approveth, ſuch as may be holy, with a federall holineſſe at leaſt, if not ſanctified from the womb, as ſome have been, and are.: laſtly,1 Cor. 7.14.1 Cor 7:14 ſuch as in and by whom the Church and religion may be propagated and not idolatry ſpread and increaſed.

therefore take heed to your spirit] that is, to your wife, which is the reſidue of p. 654your ſpirit; keep and cheriſh her: ſo Remigius and Lyra interpret it. But they do better that expound it by that of Solomon, Keep thy heart with all diligence, Prov. 4.23. and by that of the Apoſtle, Mortific therefore your members which are upon earth, fornication, uncleanneſſe, inordinate affection, evil concupiſcence, &c. Col. 3.5. Theſe are thoſe that defile the man, Mat. 15.19, 20. Theſe make his heart a filthy dunghill of all abominable luſts, and his life a long chain of ſinfull actions, a very continued web of wickedneſſe, therefore take head to your spirits, that is, to your affections, keep thoſe pure and chaſte: abſtain from fleſhly luſts that fight againſt the ſoul. Take heed where you ſet gunpowder, ſith fire is in your heart. Auſtin thanks God that the heart and temptation did not meet together. Look well to the affections: for by thoſe maids Satan woes the miſtreſſe. Look to the cinque-ports, the five ſenſes: ſhut thoſe windows that death enter not in thereby. Take heed to thy fancy: we allow an horſe to praunce and skip in a paſture; which if he doth when backt by the rider, we count him an unruly and unbroken jade. So, howſoever in other creatures we deny them not liberty of fancy, yet wee may not allow it in our ſelves, to frisk and rove at pleaſure, but by reaſon bridle them, and ſet them their bounds that they ſhall not paſſe. The Lord quieteth the ſea, and turns the ſtorme into a calme, Pſal. 107.29. If then the voluptuous humours in our body (which is but as a cup made of the husk of an acorne in reſpect of the Sea) will not be pacified when the Lord ſaith unto them, Be ſtill, every drop of water in the ſea will witneſſe of our rebellion and diſobedience.

and let none deal treacherouſly againſt the wife of his youth] He had convinced them of this ſinne before, verſe 14. Now he admoniſheth them to abrenounce and abandon it. Lo this is the true method and manner of proceeding, in adminiſtring admonitions. The judgement muſt be convinced, ere the affections can be wrought to any thing: like as in the law, the lamps were firſt lighted, before the incenſe was burned: Firſt, know thine iniquity, and then turn from it, Jer. 3.13, 14. Exhortation is the end of doctrine, ſcience of conſcience, reformation of information, converſion of conviction: and wo be to thoſe that being convinced, or reproved for their faults, get the bit between the teeth, as it were, and run away with their rider. When I would have healed Ephraim, then his iniquity brake out (as if it were to croſſe me) like the leproſie in his forehead, Hoſ. 7.1. what can ſuch ſturdy rebels expect better, then that God ſhould reſolve, as Ezek. 24.13. as if he ſhould ſay, Thou ſhalt have thy will, but then I will have mine too: I ſhall take another courſe with thee, ſith thou refuſeſt to be reformed, hateſt to be healed: thou ſhalt pine away in thine iniquities, Levit. 26.39. O fearfull!

Verſe 16. For the Lord the God of Iſrael ſaith, that he hateth putting away] Heb. Put away, q. d. God hates that Put her away, Put her away, that is ſo much in your mouthes. For, becauſe you are juſtly reproved for Polygamy, for keeping two wives, you think to mend that fault by putting away your old ones, and plead you may do it by a law, licenſing divorces. But the Lord would ye ſhould know, that he hates ſuch your practiſes: and the rather becauſe you maliciouſly abuſe his law, as a cloke of your wickedneſſe. Divorce is a thing that Gods ſoul hateth, unleſſe it bee in caſe of adultery, (which breaks the marriage knot) and malicious perpetuall deſertion. This laſt was the caſe of that noble Italian convert,1 Cor. 7.15.1 Cor 7:15 Galeacius Caracciolus Marqueſſe of Vico (as is to be ſeen in his life, written by my much honoured brother, Mr. Sam…el Clark, in the ſecond part of his Marrow of Eccleſiaſticall hiſtory, pag. 101.) who by the conſent of Mr. Calvin, Peter Martyr, and other learned Divines (who met and ſeriouſly debated the caſe) ſued out a divorce againſt his former wife, who had firſt maliciouſly deſerted him, and had it legally by the Magiſtrate at Geneva granted unto him: after which he married another, Anno 1560. The Civill Law of the Empire permitted divorce for diverſe other cauſes. And theſe Jews, for every light cauſe (if but a blemiſh in the body, or crookedneſſe of manners) pretending to hate their wives, would write them a Bill of divorce, and turn them off. Our Saviour deals againſt this, matth. 5. and 18. See the Notes there. This ſinne was alſo rife among both the Athenians (who were wont to put away their wives upon diſcontent,Archcol Attic. 140. or hope of greater portions, &c.) and the Romans, whoſe Abſceſſionale, or Writ of divorce was this onelyonly, Res tuas tibi habeto; Take what is thine, and be gone. It is ordinary alſo among the Mahometans: But p. 655the Lord God of Iſrael ſaith here, that he hateth it: and it appeareth ſo by his practiſe to his Spouſe the Church. See Jer. 3.1. Joh. 13.1. and then ſay, that Gods mercy is matehleſſe; and that he takes not advantages againſt his revolting people, but follows them with his favour: no otherwiſe then as when a man goes from the Sun, yet the Sun-beams follow him, ſhine upon him, warm him, &c. Zanchy (and ſome others) reads the text thus, If thou hateſt her, put her away, in that diſcourſe of divorces, which he wrote upon occaſion of Andreas Pixzardus his divorce, as indeed agreeing beſt with the matter he undertook to defend. But in another book of his he utterly diſliketh the doings of Luther, and ſome other Dutch Divines, who adviſed Philip, Lantgrave of Heſſe to marry, alteram, hoc eſt, Zanch. Miſc. Epiſt dedit.adulieram, his former lawfull wife being yet alive. Archbiſhop Grindall, by cunning practiſes of his adverſaries, Leiceſter and others, loſt Queen Elizabeths favour,Camb. Elizab. Arſlibiſhop Abbots alſo died in diſgrace for oppoſing Semmerſets abhorred match with the Counteſſe of Eſſex. Figuier. as if he favoured Prophecyings, &c. but in truth, becauſe he had condemned an unlawfull marriage of Julio an Italian Phyſician with another mans wife, whileſt Leiceſter in vain oppoſed againſt his proceedings therein.

for one covereth violence with his garment] This Text had been eaſie, had not Commentatours (the Hebrew Doctours eſpecially) made it knotty. Rabbi David in opening of it, obſcurior videtur, quam ipſa verba quae explicare conatur, ſeems to be more obſcure then the words themſelves which he undertaketh to open; ſaith Figueir, who alſo reciteth the expoſitions of ſeverall Rabbines. Concerning which, I may ſay as One did once, when being asked by another, whether he ſhould read ſuch a Comment upon Ariſtotle? anſwered, Yes; when Ariſtotle is underſtood, then read the Comment. The plain ſence is this: Theſe wicked Jews pretended the Law of God, as a cloke and cover of their ſinne, that it might be no ſinne to them. And though the Lord had proteſted to hate their divorces, yet they pleaded I know not what liberty permitted them by Moſes: but this was but a politike coverture of iniquity, Mat. 18.8, 9. The like hereunto was the ſin of Saul, 1 Sam. 15. of Jezabel, 1 King. 21.13. of thoſe Jews, Joh. 19.7. of thoſe Libertines, 2 Pet. 2. Jam. 2.8, 9. of all Heretikes, that plead Scripture for their hereſies: and ſome others impudently impious, who leſt they ſhould ſeem to be mad without reaſon abuſe Gods holy word to the defence of their unreaſonable and irreligious practiſes. Theſe mens judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation ſleepeth not, 2 Pet. 2, 3.

therefore take heed to your spirit] A repetition of the dehortation: of which ſee verſe 16. Good things muſt be often inculcated, Phil. 3.1. one exhortation muſt peg in another, till they ſtick in our ſouls, as forked arrows in the fleſh. Men do not uſe to lay ointments onelyonly upon their lame limbes, but rub them, and chafe them in; ſo here. Auſtin perſwades the Preacher, ſo long to inſiſt upon a neceſſary point, till by the geſture and countenance of the hearers he perceiveth, that they underſtand and reliſh it. Chryſoſtome being asked by his people, when he would give over preaching againſt ſwearing? anſwered, Never till you leave your ſwearing.

Verſe 17. Ye have wear…ed the Lord with your words] Laborare ſc…ſtis Dommun…, ſo the Vulgar renders it. Ye have put the Lord to pain, as it were; ye have even tired out his patience, whileſt yee have made him to ſerve with your ſinnes, and have wearied him with your iniquities, Eſay 43.24. I have long time holdon my peace, I have been ſtill and refrained my ſelf, ſaith the Lord: Eſay 42.14Isa 42:14Now will I cry like a travailing woman, that hath long time bitten in her pain, I will deſtroy and divour at once. God can bear and forbear as well as any other: Who is a God like unto thee for this, ſaith Micah, chap. 7.17? Were the patienteſt man upon earth in Gods room, but for a very ſhort ſpace, to ſee and hear the provocations, and indignities daily done unto him by the ſinfull ſonnes of men, he would ſoon be weary of it, he would quickly make a ſhort work upon the earth, Rom. 9.28. It would trouble his patience to ſpread out his hands all a day long to a rebellious people, Eſay 65.2. to give forty dayes reſpite to Nineveh that bloody city, full of lies and robbery, Nahum 3.1. to be grieved fourty yeers long with a perverſe people, and to ſuffer their evil manners in the wilderneſſe, Acts 13.18. to bear four hundred years with thoſe wretched Amorites, who had filled the land from one end to the other, Ezek. 4.5, 6Ezek 4:5Ezek 4:6with their abominable uncleanneſſes, Ezra 9.11. In the fourth of Ezekiel God is brought in as lying upon p. 656his left ſide for three hundred and ninety years: a long while to lie on one ſide, without turning on the other) and all to ſet forth his long-ſufferance. Our text tells us, that hee is patient even ad defatigationem uſque, toward the wicked: he bears till he can bear no longer. See the like Rom. 9.22. and the reaſon, Rom. 2.4. and the ill uſe that is made of it, Eccleſ. 8.11, 12, 13. till they tire out him that is indefatigable, Jer. 15.6. and make him weary of repenting. But is this a ſafe courſe they take?1 Cor. 10.221 Cor 10:22 Do they provoke the Lord to wrath? Are they ſtronger then he? Hear ye now, O houſe of David: Is it a ſmall thing for you to weary men, but yee will weary my God alſo? Eſay 7.13. Will he not put an end to his abuſed patience, that juſtice, Deut. 16.20 Ezek. 1.Deut 16:20Ezek 1juſtice, (as Moſes hath it) actuall and active juſtice may take place? God in Ezekiel is ſaid to ſit upon a throne, to ſhew his ſlowneſſe: but this throne hath wings, to ſhew his ſwiftneſſe to come, if need require. His patience paſſeth along as a pleaſant river. But if men ſtop the courſe of it by their blaſphemies, and contumelies as here, and preſſe him with their provocations, as a cart that is loaden with ſheaves, Am. 2.13. God will ſurely have his full blow at them, Nah. 1.2, 6. Rom. 2.4. Heb. 12.29

with your words] that is, with your continuall contentions and quiblings: or with thoſe enſuing words, blaſphemous enough, and Atheiſticall: together with your bold juſtification of them: yet ye ſay, wherein, &c.

when ye ſay, every one that doth evil, &c.] As if they ſhould ſay, God puniſheth not but proſpereth the wicked: therefore he loveth and favoureth them above better men. Job, Jeremy, and David were once, for a fit, in the ſame errour, but ſoon recanted it, when once the waters of the Sanctuary had cured their eye-ſight, Pſal. 73.17. for ſuch are ſand-blind, and cannot ſee far off, 2 Pet. 1.9.

or where is the God of judgement?] q. d. No where: either there is no God: or at leaſt,Corn. à Lapid. not a God of that exact, preciſe, impartiall judgement. (ſuch an Emphaſis there is in the Heb.) Diagoras turned Atheiſt, becauſe his adverſary that had robbed him was not preſently thunder-ſtruck. The like is recorded of Porphyry, Lucian, Averroes, and others. See the Notes, on chap. 3.14, 15.