Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII.
Ver. 1. BEhold a King] Hezekiah in the type, Chriſt in the Antytipe.
Shall reign in righteouſneſs] Regiment without righteouſneſs, is but robbery with authority.
foreign.
And Princes ſhall rule in Judgement] Not as Shebna, and thoſe other (placed in by wicked Ahaz) do now, whiles the King is young, and not ſo well able to weed them out. Evil under-rulers are a great miſchief to a State. Nerva was a good Emperor, and ſo was Aurelian; but ſo bought and ſold by bad Counſellors and inferior Magiſtrates, that the people were in a worſe caſe then when they were under Nero. Hezekiah would ſee to his Princes that they were right: Chriſt hath none about him but ſuch: All his people are righteous, Iſa. 60.21. his Miniſters and Officers eſpecially. Theſe are Princes in all lands, Pſal. 45 16. yea they are Kings, becauſe righteous ones. Mat. 13.17. compared with Luk. 10 24. Miniſters eſpecially are Plenipotentiaries under Chriſt, Mat. 18. John 20.
Ver. 2. And a man ſhall be] i. e. Each man of thoſe forementioned Princes: Or, that man, viz. Hezekiah: how much more the man Chriſt Jeſus ſhall be a comfort to diſtreſſed Conſciences, an abſolute and All ſufficient Saviour? ſuch as his people may truſt unto for ſafety here, and ſalvation hereafter.
Ver. 3. And the eyes of them that ſee ſhall not be dim] Or, ſhall not be cloſed: they ſhall not wink or be wilfully ignorant,Feſtucam quaerunt unde oculos ſibi eruant. ſhutting the windows leſt the light ſhould come in, or ſeeking ſtraws to put out their eyes withall, as Bernard expreſſeth it.
And the ears of them that hear ſhall hearken] they ſhall liſten to Chriſts word as for life; they ſhall draw up the ears of their ſouls to the ears of their bodies, that one found may pierce both: they ſhall hear what the Spirit ſpeaketh to the Churches.
Ver. 4. The heart alſo of the raſh] Heb. of the haſty ones, ſuch as are headlong and inconſiderate; that weigh not things, that ſay not, What ſhall we do in the end thereof?
And the tongue of the ſtammerers] that once did but bungle at holy diſcourſe, pronouncing as it were Sibboleth for Shibboleth, and marring a good tale in the telling; as not underſtanding either what they ſay, or whereof they affirm, 1 Tim. 1.7.
Shall be ready to speak plainly] ſhall be forward to ſpeak fruitfully, having an holy dexterity therein. The Corinthians are commended for their utterance, 1 Cor. 1.5. they could expreſs themſelves firly, and they would do it freely.
Limpida, nitida.To ſpeak plainly] Heb. neat or clear words: A Metaphor from clear or fair weather.
Ver. 5. The vile perſon ſhall be no more called liberal] Benefici & magnifici Domini. That ſapleſs fellow Nabal ſhall no more be called Nadib, that is, Bountiful benefactor, or Gracious Lord. Of Arch-biſhop Bancroft was made this Diſtich,
Here lyes his Grace in cold clay clad,
Who dyed for want of what he had.
In Ahaz his time the worſt of men gat honours and offices. Hezekiah would look to that. Dignity ſhall henceforth wait upon deſert, and flattery ſhall be utterly out of faſhion and requeſt at Court. Our old Engliſh Bibles have it thus, A niggard ſhall not be called a gentle, or gentleman.
Nor the Churl ſaid to be bountiful] The Hold-faſt, whoſe Logick is all little enough to conclude for himſelf, ſhall not be cleped a Magnifico. The Vulgar Latine hath it, Neque frandulentus appellabitur major.
Ver. 6. For the vile perſon will ſpeak villany] Why then ſhould he be advanced to great places? why ſhould he be ſmoothed and ſoothed up with high titles? The adverſary and the enemy is this wicked Haman, ſaid Eſther, chap. 7.6. Before, ſome had ſtiled him Noble, others Great, and ſome perhaps Vertuous; only Eſther giveth him his own: Peſſimus iſte, That moſt wicked Haman: ſo, Go tell that fox, ſaith our Saviour; and God ſhall ſmite thee thou whited wall, ſaith St. Paul to Ananias, &c. Nomina rebus conſentanta imponentur] a ſpade ſhall be called a ſpade, Bernard.a fool a fool; there ſhall not be nomen inant, crimen immane, ſedes prima & vita ima, ingens authoritas & nutans ſtabilitas, &c.
And his heart will work iniquity] Exegefis flagitioſi, the true portraiture of an evil Magiſtrate: Judex locuſta civitatis eſt malus.Scalig.
Ver. 7. The inſtruments alſo of the chur are evil] There is an elegancy in the Original, cujus lepos in vertendo perit. By his inſtruments or veſſels are meant, ſay ſome, his evil arts and deceits of all ſorts. Or, as others hold, his under-Officers and Teaſors.
Even when the needy ſpeaketh right] right or wrong, he is ſure to be undone: the doing of any thing or of nothing he findeth alike dangerous.
Ver. 8. But the liberal deviſeth liberal things] Beneficus beneficia cogitat: munificentias conſultat, & conſulit, in oppoſition to the churl, ver. 7. He is of a publike ſpirit, and ſtudyeth how and where to do moſt good. Auguſtus Caeſar was for this called Pater patriae; Charls the great, Pater orbis. Claudian thus beſpake Honorius,
Tu civem patrem que geras, tu conſule cunctis,
Non tibi: nec tua te moveant, ſed publica damna.
And by liberal things ſhall be ſtand] One would think he ſhould fall rather: but he knows what he does; and that not getting but giving, not hoarding, but diſtributing is the way to thrive.
Ver. 9. Riſe up ye women that are at eaſe] Secure ſedentes, ye Court-ladies whoſe pride hath brought on the wars, chap. 3.25. Or, ye hen hearted Jews, foreign. Or, ye leſſer Cities and villages of Judah, riſe up and rouſe up your ſelves, ad exhibendum honorem verbo Dei, in honour of Gods holy word, as Judg. 3.20.
Ver. 10. Many dayes and years ſhall ye be troubled] A juſt puniſhment of your former ſecurity, which uſually uſhereth in deſtruction. Dayes above a year your calamity ſhall laſt, by the invaſion of the Aſſyrians, but not two full years; take that for your comfort.
For the Vintage ſhall fail] War makes woful work and waſte.
Ver. 11. Tremble ye women] Adhortatio ad poenitentiam, ſaith Hyperius an exhortation to repentance: not unlike that of St. James, chap. 4.9, 10. Afflict your ſelves,Trepidate O tranquillae. Tremel. and weep and mourn, let your laughter be turned into mourning, your Joy into heavineſs.
Ver. 12. They ſhall mourn for the teats] That it, for their Corn and wine. The Heathens called Ceres their goddeſs of plenty, foreign Mammoſam, fullteated: ſome ſenſe it thus, Let them (infants) mourn for the teats, denied them in this day of humiliation, as Jon. 3.5, 6. or ſo dryed up that there is no milk for them: Others render it, Beating upon their breaſts, plangentes pectora palmis.
Ver. 13. Ʋpon the Land of my people ſhall come up thorns] Here the Prophet proceedeth to denounce the deſtruction of the Land, that ſhould one day come by the Babylonians: and yet he foretelleth, that afterwards God ſhall receive them into favour, and reſtore unto them ſuch a Kingdom as wherein righteouſneſs and peace ſhall meet and mutually ſalute.
In the Joyous City] Or, revelling City: ſee chap. 22.2, 13. Zeph. 2.15.
Ver. 14. The multitude of the City ſhall be left] for, the City ſhall be left of its multitude.
The Forts and Towers] Heb. Ophel and Bachan. The Hebrews tell us that theſe were two high Towers in Jeruſalem: now they were to be diſmantled, and lye waſt.
Ver. 15. Ʋntill the Spirit be poured upon us from on high] Donec Dominus dignabitur ſuum favorem & gratiam denuo nobis impertiri, Till God ſhall pleaſe once more to impart unto us his grace and favour. So he ſets them no certain time of reſtauration: as deſirous thereby to ſtir them up to pray continually, and to bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life. This effuſion of the Spirit upon all fleſh, Joel 2.28. (that is, of the beſt thing upon the baſeſt) is a very great mercy.
And the wilderneſſe be a fruitful field] Heb. a Carmel: Such a change worketh the Spirit of grace; it maketh barren hearts fruitful, and manifeſteth hypocrites (whatever they ſeem) to be no better than wild trees that beare no good fruit.
Ver. 16. Then judgement ſhall dwell in the wilderneſſe] In this and the next Verſe, he ſetteth forth the ſweet effects of Gods Spirit in the Saints, in hypocrites alſo when once they come to be converted; theſe are Righteouſneſſe, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt, as Rom. 14.17. By Righteouſneſſe and Judgement there is to be underſtood the Righteouſneſſe of Faith, together with all thoſe good works the fruits thereof, Obedience I mean, which Luther was wont to call fidem incarnatam. Faith incarnate.
Ver. 17. And the work of Righteouſneſſe ſhall be Peace. Peace both of Countrey and of Conſcience: none other but this laſt, can laſt for ever.
Quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever] Such as the world giveth not, ſuch as the wicked meddleth not with; the Cock on the dunghil knoweth not the worth of this jewel; it is the new name that none knoweth but he who hath it. Oh this bleſſed quietneſſe and aſſurance for ever, this boldneſſe and acceſſe with confidence by the Faith of him, Eph. 3.12. having a full certainty, Luk. 1.4. yea a confident glorying and boaſting, Rom. 5.3. ſo as to ſtand upon Interrogatories, 1 Pet. 3.21. ſuch as are thoſe, Rom. 8.35, 36, 37. and to have God to make anſwer, as Iſa. 43.25.
Ver. 18. And my people ſhall dwell in a peaceable habitation] Great peace have all thoſe that love Gods Law, and nothing ſhall offend them, Pſal. 119.165. Peace ſhall be within their walls, and proſperity within their Palaces. From this and the next Verſe one well gathereth, that when the heart lyeth loweſt, it lyeth quieteſt: in loco humili humilis erit civitas, ſc Dei.
Ver. 19. When it ſhall hail, coming down on the Forreſt] When reprobates (here compared to a Forreſt, or tall wood) ſhall be hail-beaten that is, grievouſly plagued, as thoſe Egyptians once were, Exod. 9.22, 26. it ſhall be hail or well with the Elect: the Church, as a City that ſtandeth in a low bottome, is ſecure and ſafe: her afflictions alſo working together for her good. In humbling her, God remembreth her; for his mercy endureth for ever, Pſal. 136.23.
Ver. 20. Bleſſed are ye that ſow beſides all waters] Concluſionem texit ipſe Propheta. The Prophet concludeth with an exclamation, as admiring the happineſſe of ſuch as ſhould live till the Common-wealth ſhould be thus reſtored: but eſpecially when Chriſt ſhould come in the power and purity of his Ordinances, filling his people with the fruits of Righteouſneſſe, and fattening them for the purpoſe with thoſe waters of the Sanctuary, as Nilus doth the land of Egypt, &c. Oh the heaped up happineſſe of ſuch! O terque quaterque beati! Say, they ſow in tears, yet they ſhall reap in joy, Pſal. 126.5. ſay, they ſend thither the feet of the Ox and the Aſſe, thoſe laborious and uſeful creatures to ear the ground and fit it for receipt of ſeed, Pſal. 144.14. they ſhall ſurely eat the fruit of their labours, Pſal. 128.2. They ſhall reap in due time if they faint not, Gal. 6.9. His faecunda ſine dubio meſſis indulgantiae orietur, ſaith Arnobius: their labour cannot be in vaine in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. ult.