Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Ver. 1. O Lord, thou art my God] Sunt verba fidelium in regno Chriſti, ſaith Piſcator: Theſe are the words of the Subjects of Chriſts Kingdom, who in the end of the former Chapter are called his Ancients or Elders: See Rev. 4.4. But that of Oecolompadius I like better; More ſuo in jubilum & hymnum …rumpit Propheta. The Prophet as his manner is, breaketh forth into a joyful jubilation: and being raviſhed, and as it were rapt beyond himſelf with the conſideration of ſo marvelous things, he firſt maketh a ſtop or breathing, and then ſweetly celebrateth Gods Power, Truth, Juſtice, and Mercy; the naked bowels whereof were ſeen (as it were in an anatomy) in the ſending of his Son, and the benefits thereby: concerning which, the Apoſtles afterwards diſcourſing more plainly and plentifully, do yet make uſe of ſome paſſages in this Chapter, as is to be ſeen, 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 7. & 21.
Thou art my God] So to ſay ex animo is the very pith of true Faith: the property whereof is to individuate God, and appropriate him to it ſelf.
I will exalt thee] This we do, when we bleſs and praiſe him for his bleſſings. But what a mercy is it of ſo great a Majeſty, that he ſhould count himſelf thus exalted and magnified by ſuch worthleſs worms as we are? and how ſhould this excite and edge us to ſo holy a ſervice?
For thou haſt done wonderful things] In the Worlds creation, but eſpecially in the Churches preſervation.
Thy counſels of old] Thy promiſes and threatnings are all fulfilled and verified: they are faithful and firm.
Ver. 2. For thou haſt made of a City an heap] Babylonem intelligit, ſay ſome. Narratur everſio urbis Romae, ſay others: the ruin of Rome is here foretold:foreign. Sept. which is therefore alſo, ſay they, called a palace of Strangers, becauſe Antichriſt with his adherents reigneth there. Hierom ſaith, the Jews underſtand it of Rome, which ſhall be in the end deſtroyed, and then their poor Nation ſhall be relieved, as v. 4. It may be ſo.
Ver. 3. Therefore ſhall the ſtrong people glorifie thee] Will they, nill they, they ſhall confeſs, as Julian did, that thou art too hard for them: and that thy Church is invincible. Thus God wringeth out of the mouth of the wicked a confeſſion of his praiſes, and a counterfeit ſubjection, Iſa. 60.14.
Ver. 4. For thou haſt been a ſtrength to the poor, &c.] That is, Thou haſt protected thy poor people from the perſecution of the Antichriſtian rout, ſaith Piſcator. Great is Gods mercy in ſuccouring his oppreſſed ones: This is here ſet forth by a double compariſon: Firſt
A refuge from the ſtorm, a ſhadow from the heat, Chriſt is a ſhadow, &c. when as all worldly comforts are but as ſo many burning-glaſſes to ſcorch the ſoul more.&c.] Where the Churches enemies are compared to raging waters that bear down all before them: God to a place of refuge to fly unto. Secondly
Ver. 5. As the heat in a dry place] Where the inſolency of theſe Strangers (from the l…fe of God, the Antichriſtian rabble) the ſtir and ado they make, is reſembled to a heat and drought that doth parch and ſcorch the godly: Gods protection of his, to a thick ſhadow.
The branch of the terrible ones ſhall be brought low] Some read the Text thus: As the heat (is ubated) with a thick ſhadow: So the ſong or chanting of the terrible ones was abaſed: Others, the whole verſe thus, As the heat in a drought thou haſt brought down the ſtir of the ſtrangers: heat, I ſay with the ſhadow of a cloud, which (heat) did anſwer (a life) to the branch of the terrible ones. That is (ſay they) ſerved well their turn, and was moſt commodious for the wicked, who think their branches ſpread and flouriſh, when the Godly are ſcorched with calamities.
Ver. 6. And in this mountain] i. e. in the Church, Chap. 2.2. Gods Court, chap. 24.23. as the Tableſtood in the Sanctuary.
Shall the Lord of hoſts make] Inſtead of that tree of life, in Paradiſe, See Rev. 2.7.
Ʋnto all people] i. e. To the Elect among all people: for reprobates are not worthy, Mat. 22.8. with Rev. 3.4.
Convivium opimum, & munificentiſ. convivium medullatorum.A feaſt of fat things] The very beſt of the beſt; fat things, and marrow of fatneſs; wines, and the moſt refined; ſo that the meek ſhall eat and be ſatisfied, Pſal. 22.16. Their ſoul ſhall delight it ſelf in fatneſs, chap. 55.2. In the life to come, eſpecially where there ſhall be ſolidum hujus convivii complementum ac plena perfruitio. Meanwhile the Saints have here (at the Lords Table eſpecially) their dainties and junketting diſhes, their celeſtial viands, and moſt precious proviſions, fat things marrowed, (as the Hebrew word is) not only full of marrow, but picked, as it were, and culled out of the heart of marrow: Wine, firſt in the lees that keepeth the ſmell, taſte and vigour,Vina probantur odore, colore, ſapore, nitore. Convivium faecium, Heb. Shemarim: faeces, enim vina ipſa conſervant. (Vinum Cos, as they call it) as Jer. 48.11. Next, of the fineſt and the beſt; ſuch as at Lovain they call Vinum Theologicum, becauſe the Divines there (as alſo the Sorboniſts at Paris) drink much of it. Jeſus Chriſt in his Ordinances and Graces, is all this, and much more, Prov. 9.2. Mat. 22.2. and yet men had rather, as Swine feed on ſwill and husks, then on theſe incomparable delicacies.
Ver. 7. And he will deſtroy in this mountain, &c.] Abſorbebit velum faciei, id eſt, faciem veli. Chriſt came a light into the world, that whoſoever believeth on him, ſhould not abide in darkneſs, Joh. 12.46. Faith freeth from blindneſs; we no ſooner taſte of the bread of life by Faith, but the vail of ignorance, which naturally covereth all fleſh, is torn: and men are ſuddenly brought out of darkneſs into a marvelous light. 1 Pet. 2.9.This is the firſt Elogy and noble commendation of the doctrine of the Goſpel, Light: there follow two more, viz. Life, and Joy ſpiritual (chap. 35.6.) which is the life of that life, ver. 8.
Ver. 8. He will ſwallow up death in victory] As the fire ſwalloweth up the fuel: or as Moſes's Serpent ſwallowed up the Sorcerers Serpents. The kiſſes of Chriſts mouth have ſucked out the ſting of death from a juſtified believer: ſo that his heart doth live for ever, as Pſal. 22.6. and if ſo, then in death it ſelf: which made Cyprian receive the ſentence of death with a Deo gratias; as did alſo Bradford, and many more Martyrs, accounting the dayes of their death their Birth-days, and welcoming them accordingly. Hierom inſults over death as diſarmed and devoured, Illius morte tu mortua es: Animaſque in vulnere ponunt. V…g.devoraſti, & devorata es, &c. Ever ſince Death ran through the veins of Jeſus Chriſt, who is Life Eſſential, it is deſtroyed or ſwallowed up: like as the Bee dieth, when ſhe hath left her ſting in the wound. Hence Saint Paul doth ſo crow over death, and as it were, call it craven, 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57.
And the Lord God w…ll wipe away] A Metaphor from a Mother.
And the rebuke of his people] Or, the reproach; their afflictions and perſecutions, for which the world reproacheth them.
Ver. 9. Lo this is our God] ſc. Jeſus Chriſt our ſole Saviour, who is God bleſſed for ever; and our God by a ſpecialty. Wait for him, for he waiteth to be gracious, chap. 30.18.
Ver. 10. For in this mountain] In the Church, as ver. 6, 7.
Shall the hand of the Lord reſt] i. e. ſettle for their ſafeguard.
Junius.And Moab ſhall be trodden down] i. e. Contumax quiſque & perverſus hoſtis Dei & Eccleſiae Piſcator thinketh Papiſts are here meant by theſe Moabites, who were nearly allied to Gods Iſrael, but Ardeliones, bitter and brutiſh enemies, skilful only to deſtroy, as Ezek. 21.31.
As ſtraw for the dung-hil] Or, as ſtraw in Madmenab, Jer. 48.2. God will make an hand of all his peoples adverſaries, as is here and in the following verſes ſet forth by three ſeveral Metaphors.
Ver. 11. And he ſhall ſpread forth his hands▪ &c. i. e. He ſhall deſtroy them with greateſt facility. The motion in ſwimming is eaſie, not ſtrong: for ſtrong ſtrokes in the water would rather ſink then ſupport. Vatablus referrs this to Chriſt ſtretching out his hands upon the Croſs, whereby he overcame Satan and his Imps.
Together with the ſpoyls] Or, wiles of his hands, i. e. his wealth gotten by wrench and wile, as we ſay.
Ver. 12. Shall he bring down, &c.] To ſhew that there is no ſtrength againſt the Lord, the true foreign.