Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 29
Chap. XXIX.
Ver. 1. WO to Ariel, to Ariel] i. e. to the brazen altar,Metonymia adjuncti Synecdochica. Ezek. 43.15, 16. called here Ariel or Gods lyon, becauſe it ſeemed as a lyon to devour the ſacrifices daily burnt upon it. Here it is put for the whole Temple, which together with the City wherein it ſtood, is threatned with deſtruction.
The City where David dwelt] Both Mount Moriah whereon ſtood the Temple, and Mount Zion whereon ſtood the Palace: both Church and State are menaced with Judgements Temporal in the eight firſt verſes, and Spiritual in the eight next. The reſt of the Chapter is no leſs Conſolatory then this is Comminatory.
Add ye year to year] i. e. feed your ſelves on with theſe vain hopes, that years ſhall run on alwayes in the ſame manner: See 2 Pet. 2.4. Ezek. 12.22.
Let them kill ſacrifices] and thereby think (but falſly and fooliſhly) to demerit God to themſelves; as that Emperor did, who marching againſt his enemy, ſacrificed and then ſaid, Non ſic deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret, Antonin. Philoſop.we have not ſo ſerved God that he ſhould ſerve us no better then to give our enemies the better of us: ſee Iſa. 58.3. Jer. 7.21. Hoſ. 9.1.
Ver. 2. Yet I will diſtreſs Ariel] though a ſacred place. Profligate Profeſſors are the worſe for their priviledges. The Jew firſt, Rom. 2.9.
And it ſhall be unto me as Ariel] i. e. it ſhall be full of ſlain bodies, as the Altar is uſually full of ſlaughtered beaſts, and ſwimmeth as it were in blood. So Jer. 12.3. Iſa. 34.6. Arias Montanus giveth this ſenſe; Jeruſalem which once was Ariel, that is, a ſtrong lyon, ſhall now be Ariel, that is, a ſtrong curſe or a rain of malediction.
Ver. 3. And I will camp againſt thee round about] I will bring the woe of war upon thee; a woe that no words how wide ſoever can poſſibly expreſs: ſee this accompliſhed, 2 King. 25.4.
And will lay ſeige] As the Captain General of the Chaldees.
Ver. 4. And thou ſhalt be brought down] from thoſe lofty pinacles of ſelf exaltation, whereunto thy pride hath peirhed thee.
And ſpeak out of the ground] humillime & ſubmiſſime, thou ſhalt ſpeak ſupplicatione, with a low voice, as broken men, who waſt wont to face the heavens, and ſpeak in ſpite of God and men, ſpeak big words, bubbles of words: See Jer. 46.22.
And thy voice ſhall be as one that hath a familiar ſpirit] cujus vox eſt gracilis, flebilis, hiulca, confuſa, gemebunda.
Out of the ground] as the Devil at Delphos did.
Ver. 5. Moreover the multitude of thy ſtrangers] thy forreign Auxiliaries theſe ſhall do thee no good, but be blown away as with a whirlwind.
It ſhall be at an inſtant ſuddenly] The laſt ſiege and ſack of Jeruſalem, was ſo by a ſpecialty, as is to be read in Joſephus. And ſome Interpreters underſtand this whole Chapter of the times of the new Teſtament: becauſe our Saviour and St. Paul do cite ſome places herehence, and apply the ſame to thoſe their times; not by way of Accommodation only, but as the proper and true ſenſe of the text, as Mat. 15.8, 9. Rom. 11.8. 1 Cor. 1.19.
Ver. 6. Thou ſhalt be viſited— with thunder and earth-quake, i. e. fragoſis, repentinis, vehementibus, & immedicabilibus plagis, with ratling, ſudden, violent and unmedicinable miſeries and miſchiefs: as if heaven and earth had conſpired thine utter undoing. Some apply this to the prodigies that went before the laſt devaſtation of Jeruſalem; whereof ſee Joſeph. lib. 7. cap. 12.
Ver. 7. Shall be as the dream of a night-viſion] Both in regard of thee to whom this ſiege and ruin ſhall happen beyond all thought,Diod. judgement and expectation; as alſo in reſpect of the Chaldees themſelves, who will never be ſatisfied with tormenting thee, as ver. 8. and yet ſhall fail of what they hope for too. Spes mortalium ſunt ſomnia vigilantium, ſaith Plato.
Ver. 8. It ſhall be as when] See on ver. 7.
Ver. 9. Stay your ſelves and wonder] Siſtite gradum, ſtand ſtill, and ſtand amazed at this peoples ſtupendious ſtupidity and deſperate ſecurity. Piſcator rendreth the Text thus; Cunctantur, itaque admiramini: deliciantur, itaque vociferamini. They delay (to return) therefore wonder ye at it: they ſport at it, but cry ye out, as lamenting their folly, Ezek. 9.4. where the Original is very elegant. Some tranſlate the words thus, Obſtupefacite vos ipſi, & ſitis ſtupidi, & excoecate vos ipſi & ſitis coeci; ſtupifie your ſelves and be ſtupid; blind your ſelves and be blind: do ſo I ſay; for ye will do ſo undoubtedly. And here begin their ſpiritual miſeries; ſee ver. 1. confer chap. 6.9, 10.
They are drunk, but not with wine] but yet with that which is much worſe, viz, with a ſpirit of ſtupidity, ver. 10. they are not only drunk with a dry drunkenneſs, but deadly ſick of a lethargy; being dulled in their underſtandings, lulled aſleep in their ſinful practices, ready to fly in the face of one that ſhall offer to awake them. Other drunkenneſs a man may ſleep out,Homil. de plaga grandinis. ſleep himſelf ſober, as Noah did: not ſo here, as Nazianzen well obſerveth upon this Text.
Ver. 10. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the ſpirit of deep ſleep.] By a judiciary hardneſs ne hath rolled a ſtone upon your hearts, and given you up to a reprobate ſenſe: He hath caſt you into a dead lethargy, a dedolent diſpoſition; ſo that becauſe of the blindneſs of their hearts, this people are paſt feeling, Eph. 4.18, 19. and becauſe they have wilfully winked, he hath even daſhed out their eyes; bereaving them of the light againſt which they rebelled, Job 24.13. ſo that they have neither ſight nor light, lemoſorum inſtar oculos mentis concretos habent: they are miſerably benighted.
The Prophets &c.] A blind Seer is a monſter: how could theſe thus blindly led avoid the ditch of deſtruction?
Ver. 11. And the viſion of all is become unto you &c.] The Scriptures were ſo to the Scribes and Elders of the people; who although when Herod asked them of the Meſſiah, they could give ſuch deſcriptions of him as agreed to none but the Babe of Bethlehem, Mat. 2.5, 6. yet would they by no means be drawn to believe in his name. And the like woful obſtinacy is found in the Rabbins and other Jews to this day. The like ſpiritual judgement hath befaln the Papiſts alſo, both the learned and unlearned; and yet one of them ſticks not to tell us to our heads, that our damnation is ſo plainly and plentifully ſet down in our own Engliſh Bibles, that no man needeth to doubt of it who hath but a book, and can read Engliſh. Thus, who ſo bold as blind Bayard? who ſo blind as thoſe that will not ſee?
Ver. 12. And the book is delivered to one that is not learned] Heb. knoweth not to read. By the learned is meant, ſay ſome, the Rulers in Church and State: by the unlearned, the common people: all were in a pickle. Nicodemus had oft read in this our Prophet, in Ezekiel, and elſewhere, of Regeneration, though not under that term; but how little he underſtood of it, ſee Joh. 3. And what a buzzard is Bellarmine himſelf in ſome ſuch fundamentals as whereof it is a ſhame for a very child to be ignorant? I muſt needs confeſs, ſaid a learned Papiſt to the Biſhop of Cavaillon, that I have often been at the ſchools of Sorbon in Paris, where I have heard the Diſputations of the Divines,Act. & Mon. 865. but yet I never learned ſo much as I have done by hearing theſe young children at Merindol poſing one another before the Biſhop about points of religion. The poor men of Lions in France were enlightened, when the great Doctors were blinded and beſotted in their ſuperſtitious Tenets and practices.
Ver. 13. Becauſe this people draweth near to me &c.] For their putid hypocriſie, and outſideneſs in Gods ſervice, they were given up by him to be further hardened by the Devil, and to have their necks poſſeſt by an iron ſinew;Hypocritis nihil ſtupidius. ſee the Note on Mat. 15.8.
Their fear towards me] ſee on Mat. 15.9.
Ver. 14. Therefore behold I do a marvellous work] ſc. by infatuating theſe Maſters in Iſrael, and bereaving their wiſe men of their wiſdom: this was a greater Marvell then to take ſight from the eye, whiteneſs from the ſwan, ſweetneſs from ſugar, &c.
For the wiſdom of their wiſe men ſhall periſh] And worthily, ſith they either hid their candle under a buſhell, or elſe their learning hung in their light, whilſt it better ſerved them to deviſe a thouſand ſhifts to elude the truth, then their pride would ſuffer them once to yield and acknowledge it. This the Prophet ſpeaketh of the Phariſaical and Rabbinical wiſdom: and the Apoſtle fitly extendeth it to the wiſdom of the Gentiles, 1 Cor. 1.19. calling both the Phariſees and Philoſophers Princes of this world for their learning; but yet denying that they knew any thing to any purpoſe at all, 1 Cor. 2.8.
Si Chriſtum neſcis, nihil eſt ſi caetera noſcis.
Ver. 15. Wo unto them that ſeek deep to hide] that carry two faces under a hood, as all Formaliſts and double-minded perſons do, deſirous to deceive the world, and if it were poſſible, God himſelf alſo, with their pretences and profeſſions, and to cozen him of heaven.
To hide their counſel] their cunning contrivances, ut ita liberè in omnes veneres & ſcelera ruant.
From the Lord] which cannot be, becauſe he is All-eye, and the ſearcher of hearts; he is intimo noſtro intimior nobis, and will bring to light the hidden things of darkneſs, 1 Cor. 4, 5.
Their works are in the dark] Out of ſight, but not out of the light of his countenance, Pſal. 90.8. Deo obſcura liquent, muta reſpondent, ſilentium confitetur, all things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do, Heb. 4.13. Sin not therefore in hope of ſecrecy; Si non caſte tamen caute, will prove too ſhort a covering.
And ſay, who ſeeth us? and who knoweth us?] God doth, (to be ſure) whoever doth not, hold this faſt againſt that natural Atheiſm which is in us all; See Ezek. 9.9. Rom. 3.18. with the Note.
Ver. 16. Surely your turning of things upſide down] your denying the Divine Providence and Omniſcience,Heb. Invertere veſtrum whereby ye go about to pervert the whole courſe of nature, and to put all into a confuſion.
Shall be eſteemed as the Potters clay] Shall be confuted by a very familiar compariſon. Calvin readeth it thus, Shall be eſteemed as the Potters clay: i. e. is as eaſily effected as he maketh a veſſel at his pleaſure.
For ſhall the work ſay of him that made it, He made me not?] It ſhould ſay ſo upon the matter, by denying his knowledge of it. The Watch-maker knoweth every pin and wheel in it; ſo the Heart-maker knoweth every turning and winding in it, were they more then they are.
Ver. 17. Is it yet not a very little while?] Nonne adhuc paululum paululum] or an hundred years hence the Gentiles ſhall be called by the preaching of the Apoſtles (for here beginneth the Conſolatory part of this Chapter; ſee on ver. 1.) and that's but a very ſmall time with God. He ſpeeds away the generation, that he may finiſh the calling of his elect, and ſo put an end to All.
And Lebanon ſhall be turned into a fruitful field] Heb. Lebanon ſhall be turned into Carmel, Sylveſtria corda electorum inter gentes. Piſcator.the wide world, the wilde waſte of the Gentiles (confer Iſai. 22.15.) the Elect amongſt them ſhall be made Gods husbandry or vineyard, Eph. 2.12. Rom. 11.17 & è contra, Carmelus fiet Libanus.
The fruitful field ſhall be eſteemed as a forreſt] The obſtinate Jews with their ſeeming fruitfulneſs ſhall be rejected. Lo here is a turning of things upſide down, that you dream not of; this is that marvellous work, ver. 14.
Ver. 18. In that day ſhall the deaf hear the words of the book] i. e. the deaf and blind Gentiles being by the preaching of the Goſpel drawn out of darkneſs into Gods marvellous light, ſhall ſee and hear that which eye never ſaw, nor ear heard, neither hath entred into the heart of any natural man to conceive, 1 Cor. 2.9. They ſhall firſt be illightened, ſecondly, accheared, ver. 19. ſo Act. 13.48. Rom. 14.17.
The words of the book] the holy Scriptures, that book which the proud would not read, the ignorant could not, ver. 11. & 12.
Shall ſee out of obſcurity] ſee their Saviour, as Simeon, ſee that blisful viſion, Eph. 1.18, 19. See Joh. 9.39.
Ver. 19. The meek alſo ſhall increaſe their Joy in the Lord] All ſincere Converts, ſuch eſpecially as have maſtered and mortified their unruly paſſions, and are cured of the Fret; theſe ſhall add Joy, theſe ſhall have Joy upon Joy, they ſhall over-abound exceedingly with Joy, 2 Cor. 7.4.
The poor amongſt men] the poor in ſpirit. Theſe ſhall greatly rejoyce, both for the mercy of God to themſelves, and for the Juſtice of God exerciſed upon others, ver. 20, 21.
Ver. 20. For the terrible one is brought to nought] This is part-matter of the Juſt mans joy: where obſerve the contrary Characters given to the godly and the wicked: thoſe are ſaid to be lowly, meek, poor in ſpirit: theſe to be tyrants, ſcorners, ſedulous in ſin, catch-poles, incorrigible, ſuch as turn aſide the Juſt, &c. ver. 20.21.
And all that watch for iniquity] Surgunt de nocte latrones: they alſo break their ſleep to deviſe miſchief, Pſal. 36.4. Mic. 2.1. but they ſhould watch for a better purpoſe, Mar. 13.37. as Seneca alſo could ſay, and Pliny, qui vitam mortalium vigiliam eſſe pronunciat; Proaem. nat. Hiſt.who calleth mans life a watch.
Ver. 21. That make a man an offendor for a word] when he meant no hurt: or by perverting and miſconſtruing his ſpeeches. Thus they ſought to trap Chriſt in his ſpeeches: and thus they dealt by many of the Martyrs and Confeſſors. To ſay, The Lord, Act. & Mon. fol. 1116.and not Our Lord is called by Stephen Gardner, ſymbolum haereticorum, a note of an Heretick. Dr. Stories rule to know an heretick was, they will ſay, The Lord, and We praiſe God, and The living God.] Robert Cook was abjured for ſaying that the bleſſing with a ſhoo-ſole was as good as the Biſhops bleſſing:Ibid. 1803. Another for ſaying, that Alms ſhould not be given untill it did ſweat in a mans hand. Mrs. Catiſmore for ſaying that when men go to offer to images,Ib 952. Ib. 765. they did it to ſhew their new geare; and that images were but Carpenters Chips; and that folks go on pilgrimage more for the green way then for devotion.Ib. 763. Philip Braſier for ſaying that when any miracle is done, the Prieſts do noint the images, and make men believe theſe images ſweat in labouring for them,Ib. 952. &c. Every day they wreſt my words, ſaith David of his enemies, Pſal. 56.5. As the ſpleen is ſubſervient to the liver, to take from it only the moſt putrid and feculent blood: ſo do Detractors pick out the worſt of every thing, to lay it in a mans diſh, or alledge it againſt him.
And lay a ſnare for him that reproveth] See the Note on Amos 5.10. Freedom of ſpeech uſed by the Waldenſes in blaming and reproving the vices and errors of great ones,Girard. offecit ut plures nefariae affingerentur eis opiniones, à quibus omnino fuerant alieni, made them hardly thought and ſpoken of.
Ver. 22. Who redeemed Abraham] ſc. out of his Idolatry; that pulled him as a brand out of Up of the Chaldees, Joſh. 24.2, 3. The Rabbins ſay that his Father Terah was a maker and ſeller of Images.
Concerning the houſe of Jacob] i. e. The calling of the Jews, confer Rom. 11.25.
Ver. 23. The work of mine hands] Created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, Eph. 2.10. and now ſanctifying Gods name in their hearts and lives, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt. Thus, as it were, ex prof…ſſo, doth the Prophet Iſaiah here handle the doctrine of Regeneration; which and other like places, whiles Nicodemus had not noted, he was worthily reproved, Joh. 3.
Ver. 24. They alſo that erred in ſpirit] Erroneous opinions, and muttering againſt Miniſters are here inſtanced as two ſpecial Oppoſites to effectual Converſion. Thoſe that relinquiſh not theſe two evils, are far enough from Gods Kingdom; and yet now adayes nothing more ordinary: hence ſo few Converts, ſo many Apoſtates.