Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Ver. 1. RIghteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee] Or, though I ſhould contend with thee. Eſt elegans foreign.This the Prophet fitly premiſeth to the enſuing diſceptation, that he might not be miſtaken. Thy judgements ſaith he, are ſometimes ſecret, alwayes juſt: this I am well aſſured of, though I thus argue.
Yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements] Let me take the humble boldneſſe ſo to do, that I may be further cleared and inſtructed by thee.
Wherefore doth the way of the wicked proſper?] Viz. Whil'ſt better men ſuffer; as now the wicked Anathothites do, whil'ſt I go in danger of my life by them. This is that noble queſtion which hath exerciſed the wits and moleſted the minds of many wiſe men, both within and without the Church. See Job 21.7.—13. Pſal. 37.1. and 73.1, 2,—12. Hab. 1.4, 5. Plato, Cicero, Seneca, Epictetus, Claudian againſt Ruffin, &c.
Wherefore are they all happy] Heb. at eaſe. Not all neither; for ſome wicked have their payment here, their hell afore-hand. To this queſtion the Lord (who knoweth our frame, Pſal. 103.) being content to condeſcend where he might have judged, calmly maketh anſwer, ver. 5. like as Chriſt in like caſe did to Peter, Joh. 21.21, 22.
Ver. 2. Thou haſt planted them and they have taken root] All goes haile with them; they have more then heart can wiſh, Pſal. 73.7. And in lieu of Gods goodneſſe to them, they profeſſe largely, and pretend to great devotion: but that's all.
Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reines] That is, from their affections, Tit. 1.16. Hypocrites are like that heap of heads, 2 King. 10.8. that had never a heart among them: they have vocem in chor…, mentem in foro; virtutem non colunt ſed colorant. That Perſian Embaſſadour (of whom before) when converſing with Chriſtians, he had ſo oft in his moth, Soli Deo Gloria, made believe that he gave glory to the only true God, when as he meant the Sun, whom he worſhipped as his God. The King of Bohemia when beaten out of Prague, was encouraged by ſome great Commanders about him, that he had many Princes his friends and allyes, that would readily aſſiſt him: to which he made no anſwer, but wrot the word Deus in great letters. But ſome thought he meant Denmark in D, England in E, Hungary in U, and the Swedes in S. God knows what his meaning was: but he will make all the Churches to know, that he ſearcheth the hearts and reines, and that he will kill with death all ſuch as had rather ſeem to be good then ſeek to be ſo. If Jeremy had been one of thoſe, he durſt never have ſaid
Ver. 3. But thou, Lord, knowest me, &c.] q. d. I can ſafely appeal unto thee, and take thee for a witneſſe of mine innocency and integrity; that I have thee not in my mouth only, as they, but in my heart alſo, which is wholly devoted to thy fear, ut ſit tecum, hanging toward thee, and …ankering after thee continually.Trem.
Pull them out as ſheep] Puniſh ſome of them preſently for an example of thy Providence; and reſerve others of them till hereafter for an inſtance of thy Patience. See chap. 11.20.
Prepare them] Heb. Sanctifie them, as Iſa. 13.3. chap. 6.4. Fatted ware is but fitted for the ſhambles.
Ver. 4. How long ſhall the land mourn] For the ſake of thoſe wicked wretches aforementioned?
The beaſts are conſumed and the birds] See chap. 4.25, 26.
Becauſe they ſaid He ſhall not ſee our laſt end] God ſhall not; and ſo they deny his providence and preſcience. Or, the Prophet ſhall not, though now he thunder out our puniſhment with ſo great vehemence: Confer chap. 11 23.
Ver. 5. If thou haſt run with the footmen] Here God returneth an anſwer to the Prophets foregoing complaint, ſaith the Chaldee: partly checking him for his diſcontentedneſſe, and partly exciting him to an humble ſubmiſſion, and a well knit reſolution.
Then how wilt thou contend with horſes?] If thy countrymen of Anathoth overmatch and overmaſter thee, how wilt thou deal with thoſe of Hieruſalem who are a fair deale worſe?
And if in a land of peace] Theſe are proverbial ſpeeches, both to one purpoſe: Ferre minor a velis, ut graviora feras. How would'ſt thou endure wounds for Chriſt, that canſt not endure words? ſaith one; and how wilt thou fry a faggot that ſtartleſt at a reproach for the truth? Whileſt William Cobberly Martyr was in durance, his wife alſo, called Alice, being apprehended was in the Keepers houſe the ſame time detained: where the keepers wife had ſecretly heated a key fire-hot, and laid it in the graſſe on the back-ſide; ſo ſpeaking to Alice Cobberly to fetch her the key in all haſte,Act. & Mon. fol. 1719. ſhe went with ſpeed to bring the key; and taking it up in haſte, did piteouſly burn her hand; whereupon ſhe cryed out. Ah thou drabbe, quoth the other, thou that canſt not abide the burning of thy hand, how wilt thou be able to abide the burning of thy whole body? And ſo ſhe afterward revoked.
Ver. 6. For even thy brethren] Let this comfort us in like caſe. Abel and John Diazius were butchered by their own unnatural brethren. Paul ſuffered moſt of all from his own country-men.
Yea they have called a multitude after thee] Or, with full mouth: Clamant poſt te pleno gutture.as thoſe did againſt Chriſt who cryed crucifie him crucifie him: and thoſe againſt Paul, Away with ſuch a fellow from the earth: and thoſe againſt the Primitive Chriſtians, Chriſtianos ad leones, to the Lyons with them. In Rhodanum, in Rhodanum, cryed many at Geneva againſt Farellus their faithful Preacher; into the River with him: but God preſerved him from their fury, for the good of many other Cities after that converted by him.
Believe them not, though they ſpeak fair words to thee] Fair words make fools fain, we ſay: but be not light of belief: the worlds naught.
Mel in ore, verba lactis:
Fel in corde, fraus in factis.
Ver. 7. I have forſaken my houſe] A mans houſe is dear to him; dearer his heritage; deareſt his well-beloved wife: Jeruſalem had been all this to God: but now for ſin, abandoned by him.
I have given the dearly beloved of my ſoul] Or, my dearly beloved; my ſoul: i. e. My ſelf, my ſecond-ſelf. Heb. the love of my ſoul. Gr. and Vulg. My beloved ſoul. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, Nah. 1.2.
Ver. 8. Mine heritage is unto me as a Lyon in the forreſt] Roaring againſt me, and revelling in the ruine of my meſſengers. Ʋbi affectus augetur in Antitheſi verborum; Haereditas mea, & contra me. Sheep they were wont to be: now they are become Lyons.
Ver. 9. Mine heritage is unto me as a ſpeckled bird] As an owle ſay ſome, that ſoveth not the light; as a Peacock ſay others, proud and inconſtant, all in changeable colours, as oft changed as moved. God that could not endure Miſcellane ſeed, nor linſy-woolſy in Iſrael, can leſſe endure that his people ſhould be as a ſpeckled bird, here of one colour, and there of another; or as a cake not turned, Hoſ. 6.4, &c.
Ver. 10. Many Paſtours have destroyed my vine-yard] Thoſe who before were called Beaſt, ver. 9. are here called Paſtours: viz. Nebuchadnezzars Captains. See chap. 6.3.
Ver. 11. Becauſe no man layeth it to heart] Heb. there is not a man putting it upon heart, that is duely and deeply affected with my menaces, ſo as to take a timely courſe for prevention, and their own preſervation.
Ver. 12. For the ſword of the Lord] i. e. Of the enemy ſet on by the Lord: for whenceſoever the ſword cometh, it is bathed in heaven, Iſa. 34.5. See Ezek. 14.17.
Ver. 13. They have ſown wheat] The Prophets have, ſay ſome, but to no profit.
Vatab.They ſhall put themſelves to pain] Or, they are ſick, ſc. for the affliction of Joſeph, as Am. 6 6. See the Note there. Others interpret it of the Jews who ſought to help themſelves by this means & that, but loſt their labours and their hopes together.
Becauſe of the fierce anger of the Lord] Quo laeſo nihil eſt illaeſum, tutum, & fidum hominibus.
Ver. 14. Thus ſaith the Lord againſt all mine evil neighbours] Theſe were the Syrians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, &c. God alſo hath his evil neighbours; and this may be a comfort to us in like caſe.
Behold I will pluck them out, &c. And pluck out the houſe of Judah] This was a different plucking.
Ver. 15. After that I have plucked them out] ſc. In both ſenſes, ver. 14.
I will return] In the midſt of judgement I will remember mercy.
And bring again every man to his heritage] To the Church: for in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteouſneſſe, ſhall be accepted with him, and have a childs part, even the reward of inheritance.
Ver. 16. If they will diligently learn] Heb. learning learn the wayes of my people chalked out unto them in my word, and their conformity thereunto: for the lives of Gods people are but the Word exemplified; they walk as patters of the rule, and are of exemplary holineſſe, as Luk. 1.6.
To ſwear by my Name] In righteouſneſs, in truth and in judgement, as chap. 4.2.
Then ſhall they be built] i. e. Bleſt.
Ver. 17. But if they will not obey] The tartneſſe of the threatning maketh us beſt taſte the ſweetneſs of the Promiſe; and a mixture of them ſerves to keep the heart in the beſt temper.
I will utterly pluck up and deſtroy that Nation] This is fulfilled to the utmoſt upon the Jews, eſpecially ſince the laſt deſtruction of Jeruſalem.