Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII.
Ver. 1. VVOe to thee that ſpoileſt] Minatur vaſtationem vaſtatori Sennacherib, vel Antichriſto, quem praeſignat; Oecol.Sennacherib and Antichriſt are here threatned.
And thou waſt not ſpoiled] Thou abuſeſt thy preſent peace, and the riches of Gods goodneſs and patience toward thee, to fall foule upon others unprovoked.
And dealeſt treacherouſly] This, ſome underſtand of Sennacherib, Oecol.See 2 King. 18.14, 17. others of Shebna and other Traitours in Jeruſalem, who dealt underhand with the enemy againſt Hezekiah, and might haply meet with the like meed, as he did who betrayed the Rhodes to the Turkes, who fleaed him and ſalted him: Or at leaſt as Charles the fourths Agents did from Philip Duke of Auſtria, who paid them the ſumme he promiſed them, but in counterfeit money, ſaying that falſe coyn is good enough for ſuch falſe knaves as they had ſhewed themſelves.
Thou ſhalt be ſpoiled] Of Kingdome, and life, and all, by thy treacherous ſons, Chap. 37, 38.
Siquis quod fecit patitur, juſtiſſima lex eſt.
See Judg. 7.11. with the Note, and fear thou God, who loveth to retaliate, to pay wicked men home in their own coyn, to fill them with their own wayes, to overſhoot them in their own bow, &c. Vae ergo vaſtatoribus: one time or other God will be even with ſuch.
Ver. 2. O Lord, be gracious unto us] Brevicula ſed pulchra precatio, a ſhort but ſweet prayer of the Prophet; teaching thereby the people to put the promiſe in ſuit, and to do it effectually: uſing a throng of ſtrong arguments, as here is Much in few.
Be thou their arm] Here the Church ſeemeth to pray for her children, as they before had prayed for her. Plena eſt affectibus haec precatio.
Every morning] Heb. In the mornings] That is, ſpeedily, ſeaſonably, continually, and for Chriſts ſake, Voce enim matutinis alluſum ad juge ſacrificium, Scultet. Piſcat. A Voce Angeli. Vulg.Exod. 29.
Ver. 3. At the noiſe of the tumult the people fled] i. e. The Aſſyrian Souldiers ſhall flee at the coming of the Angel with a hurry noiſe in the aire for greater terrour: but he ſhall give them their paſport. This their confidence was the fruit of prayer.
At the lifting up of thy ſelf] If God do but ariſe only, his enemies ſhall be ſcattered; and all that hate him ſhall flee before him, Pſal. 68.1. See the Note there.
Ver. 4. And your ſpoiles ſhall be gathered] The ſpoile of the Aſſyrians Camp now become yours, as 1 Sam. 30.20.
Like the gathering of Catterpillars] Quae ad hominum concurſum omnes repente diſperguntur, which are ſoon rid, when men ſet themſelves to deſtroy them.
Ver. 5. The Lord is exalted] He hath made him a name, gained abundance of honour.
For he dwelleth on high] Whence he can poure down plagues at his pleaſure on his proud enemies, and fill Zion with Judgement and Righteouſneſs.
Ver. 6. And wiſdom and knowledge ſhall be the ſtability of thy times] Thy times O Hezekiah: but eſpecially, O Chriſt: Or, the ſtability of thy times and ſtrong ſafeguard ſhall thy wiſdom and knowledge be: By his knowledge, that is, by faith in him, ſhall my righteous ſervant (Jeſus Chriſt) juſtifie many, Chap. 53.11. but theſe are alſo ſanctified by him: the fear of the Lord is their treaſure, they hold faith and a good conſcience, which ſome having put away, concerning faith, have made ſhipwrack, 1 Tim. 1.19. See the Note there.
The fear of the Lord is his Treaſure] The ſpirit of this holy fear reſted upon Chriſt,Paradin. in ſymbol. chap. 11.2. and good Hezekiah was eminent for it, not for civil prudence only: this was flos regis the faireſt flower in all his garland: this is ſolidiſſima regiae politiae baſis, as one ſaith, the beſt policy, and the way to wealth.
Ver. 7. Behold their valiant ones] or their Heralds, Meſſengers, Heb. Hen Erelam Behold their Erel, or their Ariel chap. 29.1, 2. that is, their Altar, ſhall they (i. e. the Aſſyrians) cry without, ſc. in mockery, twitting the Jews with their Sacrifices as no way profitable to them.Mr. Clarkes Eng. Martyrol. So the profane Papiſts, when they murthered the poore Proteſtants at Orleans, ſang in ſcorn, Judge and revenge my cauſe O Lord: Others, Have mercy on us Lord. And when in the late perſecution in Bohemia divers godly Nobles and Citizens were carried to priſon in Prague, the Papiſts inſultingly cried after them, Why do ye not now ſing The Lord raigneth?
The Embaſſadours of peace] thar went for peace (having for their Symbol Pacem te poſcimus omnes) but could not effect it.
Weep bitterly] ſo that they might be heard before they entered the City. Vide quam vivide, ſee here how lively things are ſet forth, and what a lamentable report theſe Embaſſadours make of the ſtate of the country, and the preſent danger of loſing all.
Ver. 8. The high-ways lye waſte] and by-waies are more frequented, through fear of the enemy.
He hath broken the Covenant] Irritum factum eſt pactum. He took the money ſent him, but comes on nevertheleſs, though he had ſworn the contrary, 2 King. 18.14, 17. It is ſaid of the Turks at this day, that they keep their leagues (which ſerve indeed but as ſnares to intangle other Princes in) no longer then ſtandeth with their own profit.Turk. Hiſt. 755. Their Maxime is, There is no faith to be kept with dogs; whereby they mean Chriſtians: as the Papiſts alſo ſay, There is no faith to be kept with Hereticks, whereby they mean Proteſtants: But why kept not Ʋladiſlaus King of Hungary his Faith better with Amurath the great Turk? or our Henry the third with his Barons, by Papal diſpenſation? Vah ſcelus! vae perjuris.
He hath deſpiſed the Cities] and will not take them for his Subjects: he ſcorneth the motion.
He regardeth no man] He vilipendeth and ſlighteth all Jewels generally.
Metaphora Proſ…popoetica.Ver. 9. The earth mourneth and langiſheth] Or the land luget & languet: thus they go on in their doleful relation: Miſerrima ſunt omnia, atque miſeranda. What ſad work hath Antichriſt made of late years in the Chriſtian world? what deſolations in all parts?
Lebanon is aſhamed and hewn down, Sharon is like a wilderneſs] Eaſt, Weſt, North,P. al. 80 13. and South of the Land are laid waſt by the enemy and the avenger: that boare out of the wood, that bear out of the Foreſt.
Ver. 10. Now will I riſe, ſaith the Lord, now] Now, now, now, Emphaſin habet ingeminatio vocis Nunc: This now, thrice repeated, importeth both the opportunity of time, and Gods readineſs to relieve. Cum duplicantur lateres, venit Moſes, When things are at worſt, they'le mend, we ſay.
Now will I lift up my ſelf] who have hitherto been held an underling; and inferiour to the enemy.
Ver. 11. Ye ſhall conceive chaff, ye ſhall bring forth ſtubble] Gravidi eſtis ſtramine, parietis ſtipulam; So did Pharaoh, Antiochus, Julian, &c. ſo doth Antichriſt and his Champions, notwithſtanding his bloody alarmes to them; ſuch as was that ſounded out in the year 1582.
Ʋtere jure tuo, Caeſar, ſectamque Lutheri
Enſe, rota, ponto, funibus, igne neca.
And that other to the King of France not many years ſince; exhorting him to kill up all the Proteſtants per Galliam ſtabulantes (the very words of the Popes Bull) that had any ſtable-room in France.
Your breath as fire ſhall devoure you] ſhall blow up the fire that ſhall conſume your chaff and ſtubble: Your iniquity ſhall be your ruine Ezek. 18.38. Turdus ſibi malum cacat. Hic eſt gladius quem ipſe feciſti, this is a ſword of thine own makeing, ſaid the Souldier to Marius, when he ran him thorough with it.
Ver. 12. And the people ſhall be as the burning of lime] As hard chalk-ſtones which when burnt to make lime, crumble to crattle.
As thorns cut up] Sear-thornes, that crackle under a pot, and are ſoon extinct. The Hebrews tell us, that the Aſſyrian Souldiers were burnt by the Angel with a ſecret fire: that is, with the peſtilence as Beroſus cited by Joſephus witneſſeth: and our Prophet hinteth as much in many paſſages.Lib. 10. cap. 1.
Ver. 13. Hear ye that are afar of] Longinqui, propinqui. Gods great works are to be noted and noticed by all. The Egyptians heard of what God had done to the Aſſyrian Army; and memorized it by a monument, as Herodotus relateth.
Ver. 14. The ſinners in Zion are afraid] At the invaſion of the Aſſyrian: Herod. l. 2. Juſtin.thoſe that formerly fleared and jeared Gods Prophets and their menaces, now fear, and are creſt faln, ready to run into an anger-hole, as we ſay. It is as natural for guilt to breed fear and diſquiet, as for putrid matter to breed vermine. Sinners (eſpecially thoſe in Zion where they might be better, and are therefore the worſe a great deal) have galled conſciences, and want faith to fortify the…r hearts againſt the fear of death or danger; and hence thoſe pitiful perplexities and convulſions of ſoul in the evil day: what wonder if when they ſee all on fire, they ring their Bells backwards? if inſtead of mourning for their ſins and making peace with God (as they ought to do) they mutter and growl againſt him (as theſe hypocrites do) for his over-great ſeverity?
Fearfulneſſe hath ſurpriſed the hypocrites] The Jews were an hypocritical Nation, chap. 9. Epiphanius when he left Conſtantinople, ſaid that he left three great things behind him, viz. a great City, a great Palace, & ingentem hypocriſin, and a great deal of hypocriſy. That facies hypocritic] of our Nation is that facies Hippocratica which Phyſicians ſpeak of, of a ſpent dying man, that looks gaſtly: it is a mortal complexion, a ſad progniſtick. Oh that theſe frozen hearts of ours, ſith they muſt have a thew or it will be worſe, might melt here, and be unfoldered from hypocriſy, that we might be ſaved, though ſo as by fire, rather then to be reſerved to be thawed with everlaſting burnings, the portion of hypocrites, Matth. 24. So might we dwell with everlaſting burnings, that is, within the knowledge of Gods terrible preſence and ſight of his great Judgements, whereof the hypocrites of the world are afraid, becauſe this fire melteth off their paint, and threatneth to waſh off their varniſh with rivers of brimſtone.
Who among us ſhall dwell] Or, who of us can but fear a devouring fire?
Ver. 15. He that walketh righteouſly] q. d. Though you cannot, yet there are thoſe that can: viz. thoſe that are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit. Surely to ſuch there is no one condemnation, Rom. 8.1. Chriſt ſtandeth as a skreen betwixt the wrath of God and his Elect, for whoſe ſake alſo this Paſchal Lamb was once for all roaſted in the fire of his fathers indignation, whereby they are not only delivered from the wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1.10. but alſo have boldneſs and acceſs with confidence by the Faith of him, Eph. 3.12. & 2.18.
He that walketh righteouſly] Through whoſe whole life righteouſneſs runneth as the woof doth through the web, as the blood doth through the veins, &c.
And ſpeaketh uprightly] Heb. Evenneſſes, non blaſphema, impudica, feſcennina, not the language of Hell but of Canaan, ſee Jam. 3.2.
That deſpiſeth the gain of oppreſſions] The Mammon of iniquity, wealth gotten by force or fraud. A publick perſon (eſpecially) as he ſhould have nothing to loſe, ſo he ſhould have nothing to get: he ſhould be above all price or ſale, Nec prece nec precio ſhould be his Motto.
That ſhaketh his hands from holding of bribes] He doth not only not do wrong, but not receive a gift, whereby he may be engaged or inclined to do it.
That ſtoppeth his ears from hearing of blood] He not only not ſheddeth it, but refuſeth to hear any communing about ſuch a buſineſs.Quintil. declam.
That ſhutteth his eyes from ſeeing of evil] Leſt his heart ſhould thereby be betrayed: for vitiis nobis in animum per oculos eſt via, could an Heathen ſay: By the eyes evil getteth into the heart: by looking cometh luſting: and millions dye of the wound in the eye.
Ver. 16. He ſhall dwell on high] Extra jactum, out of the gun-ſhot, the reach of evils and enemies. Or in heaven ſhall he dwell with God in ſafety: who is to the wicked a conſuming fire, ver. 14.
His place of defence ſhall be the munitions of Rocks] Rocks within Rocks; Rocks beneath, above Rocks: Rocks ſo deep no Pioner can undermine them, ſo thick no Canon can pierce them, ſo high no Ladder can ſcale them, &c.
Bread ſhall be given him, his waters ſhall not fail] He ſhall have all that heart can wiſh, or need require.
Ver. 17. Thine eyes ſhall ſee the King in his beauty] Hezekiah in his priſtine ſtate and luſtre: yea more glorious and renowned then ever before. Hierom underſtandeth it of Chriſt reigning gloriouſly in Heaven, and the Saints looking from thence ſhould ſee the earth a farre off as little and contemptible, and ſay,
O quam anguſti ſunt mortalium termini!
O quam anguſti ſunt mortalium animi!
Auſtine wiſhed that he might have ſeen theſe three things, Romam in flore, Paulum in ore, Chriſtum in corpore, Rome in the flouriſh, Paul in the pulpit, Chriſt in the body of fleſh. Venerable Bede came after him, and wiſhed rather that he might ſee his King Chriſt in his beauty, as he is now at the right-hand of his Father far outſhining the brighteſt Cherub in Heaven.
Oiim haec meminiſſe juvabit.Ver. 18. Thine hearts ſhall meditate terror] But thou ſhalt now think of it as waters that are paſt, calling to mind what ſpeeches amongſt thoſe late diſtractions had fallen from thee.
Where is the Scribe? Or the Muſter-maſter of the Aſſyrian Army? Verba ſunt inſultantium & exſultantium, ſaith Piſcator, they are the words of Gods people inſulting over the enemy now overthrown and diſperſed. See the like done by the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 1.10.
Ver. 19. Thou ſhalt not ſee a fierce people] Or, Look not upon a fierce people, or, as ſome render it, a barbarous people, of a ſtammering tongue that thou canſt not underſtand (ſuch as are moſt of the School-men; ſeven years ſaid one, are but ſufficient to underſtand the barbariſms of Scotus upon Lombard.) but rather look upon Zion.
Ver. 20. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities] where God is daily and duely ſerved, and is therefore her ſheild and exceeding great reward, Gen. 17.1. If that Heathen King, hearing of his enemies approach whilſt he was ſacrificing, could anſwer foreign I am ſerving my Gods, and therefore fear not their force: how much more cauſe had Zion to be confident, and to ſing as Pſal. 46.1, 2, 3, &c. See Pſal. 48.12, 13.
Ver. 21. But there the glorious Lord will be] The Church muſt needs be invincible, becauſe the glorious Lord is her Champion, or will do gallantly for us, as the words may be rendered. Her name is Jehovah-Shammah, Ezek. 48.35. The Lord is there, and how many reckon we him at? He alone is a potent Army, Iſa. 52.12.
A place of broad rivers and Streams] Such as Meſopotamia was, or the Garden of God. Or, he ſhall be inſtead of broad rivers, &c. even a river that ſhall not be drawn dry or ſucked out (as Euphrates was by Cyrus when he took Babylon) a river that ſhall not fail the dwellers by (as Nilus, once at leaſt, did Egypt, for nine years together;
Ovid Art. l. 1.Creditur Aegyptus caruiſſe juvantibus arva
Imbribus; atque annis ſicca fuiſſe novem)
But ſhall fill its banks and ſhores perpetually, and keep a full ſtock of ſtreams and waters.
Wherein ſhall go no gally — nor gallant ſhip] i. e. None of the enemies navies ſhall annoy it. England had the experience of this in that famous 88. when the Seas were turreted with ſuch a Navy of Ships, as her ſwelling waves could hardly be ſeen: and the Flags, Streamers and Enſignes ſo ſpred in the wind, that they ſeemed to darken even the Sun: but the glorious God defeated them.
Ver. 22. For the Lord is our Judge] Ours in all relations, therefore we ſhall not dye or do amiſs. See Habak. 1.12. with the Note: Our Judge will do us right. Our Law-giver will give us the beſt direction, (See Nehem. 9.13. with the Note) Our King will ſee to our ſafety. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King, Pſal. 149.2.
Ver. 23. Thy Tacklings are looſed] Thy ſhipping O Aſſyrian, is wracked and diſſipated. Ʋbi per funes tentoria; per vela, vexilla intelliguntur. The Prophet elegantly expreſſeth the matter in Sea-mens termes.
Ver. 24. And the inhabitant ſhall not ſay I am ſick] Sc. by reaſon of the long and ſtreight ſeige. None ſhall be ſo lame, ver. 23. or ſick and in pain (as here) but that he ſhall be in caſe to purſue and prey upon the enemies.
The people that dwell therein ſhall be forgiven their iniquity] Jehovah Rophe, or the Phyſician ſhall heal them on both ſides, make them whole every whit. This is a moſt ſweet Promiſe, and highly to be prized by all that are heires of the Promiſes.
Optandum eſt ut ſit mens ſana in corpore ſano.