Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Ver. 1. IN that day] Before the morrow, and while the mercy was yet freſh. We are not to take day for return of thanks, but to do it forthwith.
In that ſame day ſhall this ſong be ſung] As an evidence and effect of their ſpiritual joy and ſecurity, mentioned, chap. 25.9. Is any man merry? let him ſing Pſalms, James 5.13. and ſo ſet an edge upon his praiſes and thankſgivings. Thus Iſrael ſang Exod. 15.1. & Numb. 21.7. Spring up O well: ſing ye unto it. Thus in the Apoſtles times, Rom. 15.9. and afterwards, Juſtin, Tertullian, Athanaſius, others,Socrates lib. 7. c. 22. voce praeiverunt, gave the Note. Conſtantine and Theodoſius ever ſang Pſalms with their Souldiers, before they gave battle: They knew, that it is a good thing to ſing praiſes to our God: it is pleaſant, and praiſe is comely, Pſal. 147.1.
We have a ſtrong City] The Church is invincible: hell-gates cannot demoliſh it, whatever became of Moabs munitions, chap. 25.12.
Salvation will God appoint] All manner of health, help, and ſafety. Satan cannot have ſo many means to foyl and ſpoil the Saints, as Jeſus (to whoſe ſweet name our Prophet here and elſewhere oft alludeth, as much delighted therewith) hath means to keep and hold them up.
For walls and bulwarks] pro muris & antemurali, for walls, and rampart or counterſcarf. So Scipio was ſaid to be foſſa & vallum, the wall and trench to the Romans againſt Hannibal. If Salvation it ſelf cannot ſave Jeruſalem, let her enemies triumph, and take all. If her name be Jehovah-ſhammah, as Ezek. 48.35. The Lord is there, let her enemies do their worſt.
Ver. 2. Open ye the gates] Room for the Righteous: for ſuch only are free-men of this City, Rev. 22.14. ſuch only are written among the living in Jeruſalem, chap. 4.3, 4. Pſal. 118.19. And this ſeemeth ſpoken to thoſe door-keepers the Miniſters, to whom God hath committed the keyes of his kingdom: ſetting them as upon a watch-tower to keep out enemies, and to let in the true Citizens.
That the righteous nation which keepeth the truth] Heb. the truths, or faiths, (as Peter hath Godlineſſes, 2 Pet. 3.11.) that both obſerveth Chriſts Law, and preſerveth it; ſtriving together for the Faith of the Goſpel, Phil. 1.27. and accounting every particle of Truth precious, Jude 3. And here we have a true definition of a right Church-member. Civil righteouſneſs is but a beautiful abomination. If men men lay not Faith for a foundation to their vertue, 2 Pet. 1.5. it is no better then a gliſtering ſin.
Ver. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace] Heb. peace, peace, that is, a multiplied peace with God, with himſelf, and with others; or a renewed, continued peace, or a perfect, ſheer pure peace, as One ſenſeth it. What the old Tranſlatour here meaneth by his Vetus error abiit, is hard to ſay. An excellent deſcription of true ſaving Faith may be taken from this Text: and Mr. Bolton maketh mention of a poor diſtreſſed ſoul relieved by faſtening ſtedfaſtly in his laſt ſickneſs on theſe ſweet words: ſaying that God had graciouſly made them fully good to him.
Becauſe he truſteth in thee] So far as a ſoul can ſtay on and truſt in God, ſo far it enjoyeth a ſweet peace, and calm of ſpirit: perfect truſt is bleſſed with perfect peace. We have a famous inſtance for this in our bleſſed Saviour, Joh. 12.27, 28. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be ſober, and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1.13.
Ver. 4. Truſt in the Lord for ever] To truſt in God, is to be unbottom'd of thy ſelf and of every creature; and ſo to lean upon God, that if he fail thee, thou ſinkeſt.
For in the Lord Jehovah] Heb. for in Jah Jehovah: in him who is the all-powerful Eſſentiator, and faithful promiſe-keeper, &c. Here then, look not downward (ſaith One) upon the ruſhing and roaring ſtreams of miſeries and troubles which run ſo ſwiftly under us; for then we ſhall be taken with a giddineſs, &c. but ſtedfaſtly faſten on the power and promiſe of Jah Jehovah, and ye ſhall be eſtabliſhed.
Is everlaſting ſtrength] Heb. The rock of ages, or the old rock: ſo called of old, Deut. 32, 4, 18, 31. and ſo found to be from the beginning: Et quia in aeternum non mutat aut nutat erga pios, licet montes & colles nutent, Iſa. 54.10. The name of the Lord is a ſtrong Tower, Prov. 18.10. A munition of rocks, Iſa. 23 16. rocks ſo deep, no Pioner can undermine them; ſo thick, no Cannon can pierce them; ſo high, no ladder can ſcale it.
Ver. 5. For he bringeth down thoſe that dwell on high] Even all adverſe power, and every high thing that exalteth it ſelf againſt the knowledge of God▪ 2 Cor. 10.5.
The lofty City he layeth it low] This, Muſculus underſtandeth of Babylon, that towring City; as alſo of Rome, that ſpiritual Babylon, to which it was long ſince ſaid, Verſa eris in cineres quaſi nunquam Roma fuiſſes.
Ver. 6. The foot ſhall tread it down] He ſaith not the hand ſhall beat it down, but the foot ſhall ſpurn down this lofty City, even the feet of the poor and abject ones, as once Sampſon dealt by the Philiſtines, Judg. 15.8. and as men uſe to ſpurn baſe and peſantly fellows that ſtand in their way. God can and ſometimes doth (to ſhew his power and wiſdom) make deſolation it ſelf to ſcale a fort, Amos 5.10. Men thruſt through, to riſe up and ſet whole Cities a fire, Jer. 37.10. bring to paſs mighty things by baſe and abject means.
Ver. 7. The way of the juſt is uprightneſs] Heb. Ʋprightneſſes, that is, juſt and ſtrait courſes: They turn not aſide to crooked and wry wayes, as do the workers of iniquity, Pſal. 125.5. but hold on in an even way without windings or writhings, Prov. 4.26, 27. the Kings high-way to heaven is their rode, and this leadeth them to that City of God, ver. 1, 2.
Thou moſt upright doſt weigh the path of the juſt] Or, Thou doſt by levelling make the juſt mans path even. By thy preventing grace thou makeſt him juſt and upright, and by thy ſubſequent grace thou ſtrengtheneſt and directeſt him, that he may run and not be weary, walk and not faint, Iſa. 40.21.
Ver. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments] Rough though it be, and rugged: even when thou haſt wrought againſt us in the rigour of thy puniſhments, as One paraphraſeth it: in the diſcipline of thy chaſtiſements, as Another: There are that by this phraſe underſtand the doctrine of the Goſpel, which teacheth another way of judging of a righteous man then the Law doth; and ſuch as the Church truſteth to alone, and to none other, ſc. Juſtification by Faith in Chriſt Jeſus.
Diod.And to the remembrance of thee] i. e. to all the ſigns, gages, and teſtimonials which thou haſt given us of thy Grace by thy Word, Sacraments and Work.
Ver. 9. With my ſoul▪ &c. with my ſpirit] Spirit, Soul and Body muſt all be for God,The wicked with all their ſoul rejoyce to do evil. Ezek. 25.6. Attende quam non ſit otioſa fides. Oecol. 1 Theſ. 5.23. all that is within us eſpecially, Pſal. 103.1. the fat and inwards were conſecrated to him: the heart is his Bride-chamber, his bed of ſpices, Cant. 6.2. In the lives of the Fathers mention is made of a certain Monk to whom boaſting of perfection, it was anſwered from heaven, Illa eſt perfectio, quae Lunam, Solem & Canis iram Deo tribuit, id eſt COR, that is, Perfection conſiſteth in giving the whole heart to God.
For when thy judgements are in the earth, &c.] Gods judgements are the beſt Schoolmaſters. Q. Elizabeth learned much from Mr. Aſcham, but more from her affliction. Our Saviour himſelf learned ſomething by the things which he ſuffered, foreign, Heb. 5.8. ſo do all his Members, Ezek. 20.37. the worſt are forced to ſay with Phlegyas, Virg. Aeneid. lib. 6.Diſcite juſtitiam moniti, & non temnere numen.
It was a true ſaying in the general of the Proconſul to Cyprian at his Martyrdom, though ill applied to him in particular; In ſanguine tuo caeteri diſcent Diſciplinam, by thy puniſhment others ſhall learn wiſdom. As when one Scholar is whipped, the reſt are warned: And as a thunder-bolt falleth with the danger of few, but with the fear of all: ſo is it here.
Ver. 10. Let favour be ſhewed to the wicked, &c.] No fair means will work upon him, whatever foul may do. But as an evil ſtomach turneth good meat into bad humours; ſo here, all's loſt that's laid out upon them.
Ʋngentem pungit, pungentem ruſticus ungit.
In the land of uprightneſs will he deal unjuſtly] In the Church where Righteouſneſs raigneth. Or, in a land of evenneſs he will wry and ſtray. Ye all know, (ſaith holy Bradford in a certain letter of his) there was never more knowledge of God (viz. in good King Edward 6. his days) and leſs godly living and true ſerving of God.Act. & Mon. It was counted a folly to ſerve God ſincerely: and earneſt prayer was not paſt upon. Preaching was but paſtime: Communion was counted too common, &c.
And will not behold the Majeſty of the Lord] Or, and he ſhall not ſee the Majeſty of the Lord, ſc. in his heavenly kingdom, Heb. 12.14.
Ver. 11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not ſee] i. e. Obſerve, conſider, and take warning: let Gods hand be never ſo high and glorious, ſo lifted up and exalted, yet theſe Buzzards will not behold his Majeſty, as ver. 10. as being more blind then Moles, more deaf then Sea-monſters, they refuſe to regard ought.
But they ſhall ſee and be confounded] But yet, maugre their head, (as One well paraphraſeth the words) they ſhall be driven both to ſee, and to acknowledge to their ſhame, the great and mighty hand of God, his zeal for his people, and the fire of his wrath to conſume his foes: See Zach. 1.15, 14. experientur ſuo magno malo, they ſhall to their coſt, feel the weight of Gods hand, which the higher it is lifeed, the heavier it will light at length. Mrs. Hutchinſon, Story of Sect. in New Engl. by Mr. Weid. pag. 44.that Jezabel of New England, as ſhe had vented about thirty miſhapen opinions there, ſo ſhe brought forth about thirty deformed monſters. Shee and her family were after this (becauſe they would not be reclaimed, but turned off admonition, ſaying, This is for you, ye Legaliſts that your eyes might be further blinded by Gods hand upon us, in your Legal wayes, &c.) ſlain (ſome ſay burnt) by the Indians who never uſed to exerciſe ſuch an outrage upon any.
Ver. 12. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us] Or. Lord, dispoſe peace for us.
For thou alſo haſt wrought all our works in us] Or, for us, Certum eſt nos facere quod facimus, ſed Deus facit ut faciamus: without Chriſt we can do nothing, Ioh. 15.5. In him alone is our fruit found, Hoſ. 14.8. It is well obſerved by a grave Interpreter, that the Church in the Canticles is nowhere deſcribed by the beauty of her hands or fingers, becauſe God alone worketh all her works for her: and had rather that ſhe ſhould abound in good works in ſilence, then to boaſt of them at all.
Ver. 13. O Lord our God, other Lords beſides thee have had dominion over us] Or, have maſtered us: Oh that men were ſo ſenſible of their ſpiritual ſervitude, as thus to complain thereof to Jeſus Chriſt! But alaſs they do nothing leſs for moſt part, delighting on the Devils drudgery, which they count the only liberty, and dancing, as it were, to hell in their bolts.
Will we make mention of thy name] For which end we would not be the ſervants of men (much leſs the ſlaves of Satan,1 Cor. 7.27. that baſeſt of ſlaves) but the free-men of Chriſt: where the ſpirit is, there is liberty; and if the Son ſet us free,Joh. 8. we ſhall be free indeed.
Ver. 14. They are dead] Thoſe other Lords of ours are, (ver. 13.) But ſeldom lieth the devil dead in a dyke, ſaith our proverb: yet he and his agents have their deadly wound, and ſhall be trodden under our feet ſhortly, Rom. 16.20. Oh groan in ſpirit after that ſweet day of full redemption, &c.
Therefore thou haſt viſited] Or, becauſe thou haſt viſited. Wo be to a perſon or people, when God taketh them to do.
Ver. 15. Thou haſt increaſed the Nation] That righteous Nation which keepeth the truth, ver. 2. Some render and ſenſe the words thus, Thou haſt indeed increaſed the Nation, ſc. of the Jews, thou hadſt done it (O ſweet mercy, I am the better to ſpeak of it, and therefore I ſpeak it twice) but thou waſt heavy-laden, ſc. with their ſins: therefore thou haſt removed it far unto all the ends of the Earth. Who knoweth not what a diſperſed and deſpiſed people the Jews are in all places, baniſhed as it were out of the world by a common conſent of Nations: Be not therefore high-minded, but fear.
Ver. 16. Lord, in trouble have they viſited thee] Pulcherrimus afflictationum fructus, precandi ardor & aſſiduitas. Affliction exciteth devotion, as blowing doth the fire. Chriſt in his agony prayed moſt earneſtly, Luke 22.44. Martha and Mary when their Brother Lazarus was ſick, ſent Meſſengers to Jeſus, Joh. 11.3. quos putas niſi ſuſpiria continuata, niſi prece… irremiſſas, ſaith Scultetus: i. e. what were thoſe Meſſengers but their continued groans, and earneſt prayers? See Hoſ. 5.15. with the Note. Prayer is the Daughter of affliction, and the Mother of comfort.
Not dropped but poured: not prayers but a prayer; one continual act: and as in the ſpeaking of three or four words there is much efficacy in a charm, ſo their prayers were very prevalent.They poured out] Freely and largely, and well-watered, as 1 Sam. 1.10. & 7.6. ver. 9.1.
A prayer] Heb. A charm, a muſſitation, a ſubmiſs and lowly ſpeech. Spels and Enchantments were conceived to be full of efficacy, containing much in few; think the ſame of prayer. But how much was he miſtaken in this kind of charm or ſpell, who would haunt the Taverns, Play-houſes and Whore houſes at London all day, but he durſt not go forth without private prayer in the morning: and then would ſay at his departure, Now Devil, do thy worſt.
Ver. 17. So have we been in thy ſight] Heb. From thy face, i. e. By reaſon of thy wrath. So 2 Theſ. 1.9. who ſhall be puniſhed from the preſence of God, that is, of God himſelf preſent to their terrour.
Ver. 18. We have been with child] With divers devices and hopes, which yet have miſcarryed and run aſlope. See Job 15.35. with the Note there.
We have as it were brought forth wind] As did Queen Mary, to her own great grief, and the diſappointment of her Expectants; Dale the promoter for inſtance: Well (quoth he at the apprehending of Julian Living) You hope and hope, but your hope ſhall be aſlope. For although the Queens conceptions ſhould ſtill fail (as they did) yet ſhe that you hope for ſhall never come at it; for there is my Lord Cardinals grace and many more between her,Act. & Mon. fol. 1871. and it. But my Lord Cardinals grace departed the very next day after Queen Mary, Ib. 1905.having taken, as tis thought, ſome Italian Phyſick, and Queen Elizabeth ſucceeded in the Throne to the great joy of all good men.
Ver. 19. Thy dead men ſhall riſe] So ſhall not thine enemies, ver. 14. This may ſeem to be Chriſts gracious anſwer to his poor deſponding people: and it is, ſay ſome, argumentum à beata Reſurrections ſumptum, an argument taken from the happy reſurrection of the righteous; the wicked alſo ſhall be raiſed at the laſt day, but not by the like means, nor for the like bleſſed purpoſe, Dan. 12.2. Some read the words thus, Thy dead, my dead body ſhall live; for the faithful, ſay they, are Chriſts body, Eph. 4.12. and therefore to ſhew this, My dead body is here added by Appoſition; to ſhew how the faithful being dead and buried, are to be accounted of, even Chriſts dead body, &c. and ſhall be raiſed at the laſt day, by vertue of that myſtical union which ſtill they hold with Chriſt. Hence they are ſaid to ſleep in Jeſus, to be dead in Chriſt, Phil. 3.21.who ſhall change our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to ſubdue all things unto himſelf. The Hebrews call a dead corpſe Nepheſh, i. e. a ſoul, Numb. 5.2. & 9, 10. & 19.11. Hag. 2.14. to note that it ſhall live again, and that the ſoul ſhall return to it. At this day alſo they call the Church-yard Bethcaiim the houſe of the living: Leo Modena Hiſt. of Rites of the Iews, pag. 238.and as they return from the burial-place, every one plucks off graſs from off the ground twice or thrice, and caſts it over his head ſaying, florebunt de civitate tanquam foenum terrae, &c. Pſal. 92.12, 13. ſo to ſet forth their hopes of a reſurrection. Neither need it ſeem incredible with any that God ſhould raiſe the dead. Acts 26.8. conſidering what followeth: 1. Together with my dead body ſhall they ariſe, i. e. with Chriſts body raiſed as the firſt fruits of them that ſleep, 1 Cor. 15. One of the Rabbins readeth it, As my dead body, they ſhall ariſe. 2. The force of Chriſts all-powerful voice, ſaying, Awake and ſing ye that dwell in duſt: Ariſe and come away, lift up your heads for your Redemption is at hand. The Reſurrection is in the Syriack called the Conſolation, Joh. 11.24. 3. Thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth ſhall caſt out the dead, i. e. Qua facilitate herbulas reficit Deus, eadem mortuos animare poteſt. God can as eaſily raiſe the dead, as refreſh the herbs of the earth with a reviving dew, when they were even ſcorched to death with the heat of the Sun. See we not a yearly reſurrection of graſs, grain, flowers, fruits every Spring-tide: And ſurely if Nature can produce out of a ſmall ſeed a great Tree, or a Butter-fly out of a worm, or the beautiful featherd Peacock out of a miſhapen egg, cannot the Almighty raiſe our bodies out of duſt, who firſt out of duſt made them? or can the condition of any people or perſon be ſo deſperate, that he is not able to help them out? The aſſurance of Gods power which ſhall ſhew it ſelf in the raiſing of the dead, is a moſt excellent argument to confirm us in the certainty of Gods Promiſes, ſeem they never ſo incredible to fleſh and blood. Atque haec de Cantico.
Ver. 20. Come my people] Thus God lovingly beſpeaketh his, as leading them by the hand to an hiding place of his providing. So he ſhut up Noah in the Ark, ſecured Lot in Zoar, hid Jeremy and Baruch when ſought for to the ſlaughter: bade Daniel to go away and reſt before thoſe great troubles foretold, chap. 12.13. Auſtin and Paraeus died a little before Hippo and Heidelberg were taken. So did Luther before the bloody wars of Germany. For Mr. Brightman, a Purſuivant was ſent,Life of K. James by Wilſon. a day or two after he was buried. The burying place is not unfitly called foreign, a reſting room to the Saints, the grave a bed, Iſa. 57.2. the bier that carrieth men to it, Matteh, i. e. a pallet, 2 Sam. 3.31. Lyra and others by Chambers here underſtand the graves, (Confer Rev. 6.11. Joh. 16.33.) thoſe chambers of reſt, and beds of down to the bodies of the Saints, until the laſt day. There are that by chambers, will have meant the cloſets of Gods Providence and Protection, ſuch as Pella was to the Primitive Chriſtians. Hitherto the Saints are exhorted to retire till the ſtorm be over, the enemy gone, the deſtroying Angel paſſed over, as Exod. 12.12. poſſeſſing their ſouls in patience.
As it were for a little moment] Heb. A little af a moment. Nubecula eſt, Sozom lib. 15. cap. 5.cito tranſibit, as Athanaſius ſaid when perſecuted by Julian, This ſtorm will ſoon blow over: this indignation doth not tranſire, but pertranſire, paſs, but paſs a pace.
Ver. 21. For behold] This is as a cryer to prepare attention.
The Lord cometh out of his place] Here God compareth himſelf to a Prince upon his Throne, who goeth from his place of State into Countries, to quiet mutinies and rebellions among his people.
The earth alſo ſhall diſcloſe her blood] Murther ſhall out: oppreſſion, whether by force or fraud, ſhall be certainly and ſeverely puniſhed: See Job 16.8. See an inſtance hereof in Leviathan, chap. 27.1. whether you underſtand it of the Devil that old man-ſlayer, as Many Ancients do: or elſe the Kings of the Nations, and eſpecially of the Turks, as ſome Rabbins.