Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 55
CHAP. LV.
Ver. 1. HO every one that thirſteth] Sitit ſitiri Dominus ſaith Nazianzen, O…at. 40. in S. Baptiſ.the Lord even thirſteth to be thirſted after; he ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him as will worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth, Joh. 4.23. Hence this preſent Proclamation, Ho every one, of what Nation ſoever, that is duly affected with the preceding diſcourſe of Chriſts alſufficiency to ſave, chap. 53. and the Churches glory and ſafety, chap. 54.
That thirſteth] That, being ſcorched and parched with the ſenſe of ſin and fear of wrath, brayeth and breatheth after true grace and ſound comfort, as the hunted Hind doth after the water-brooks, Pſal. 42.1, 3. (See the Note there) as David did after the water of the well of Bethlehem, 2 Sam. 23.15, 16. as the Lamb of God did when roſted in the fire of his Fathers wrath he cryed aloud Sitio I thirſt; Joh. 19.28, Pſal. 22.11, 16.
Come] Non paſſibus ſed affectibus itur ad Chriſtum. Repent and beleeve the Goſpel, Mar. 1.15. Repentance is here ſet out by a word of activity. Come, buy, &c. The frame of a true repenting heart is in an active coming poſture, fitted for any ſervice; when the wicked pine away in their ſin, Ezek. 33.10. and ſo periſh eternally, Pſal. 9.17.
To the waters] To Chriſt the fountain of living water, upon which you had turned your backs, Jer. 2.13. Ortelius telleth us that in Ireland there is a certain fountain whoſe water killeth all thoſe beaſts that drink thereof; but hurteth not the people that uſually drink of it. Chriſt alſo is ſet for the fall and riſing again of many in Iſrael, Luk. 2.34. his ordinances are a ſavour of life to ſome, and of death to others, 2 Cor. 3.16.
And he that hath no money] Or moneys-worth. Many would come to Chriſt, but they would come with their coſt: wherefore they run up and down to borrow money of the creatures or of the Ordinances, uſing the means as Mediatours, and ſharking in every by-corner for comfort: but men may be ſtarved before they buy, if they go this way to work: for theſe in themſelves are broken ciſterns, empty granaries, and Horrea formicae tendunt ad inania nunquam.
In the Lord Chriſt is all fulneſs, Joh. 1.16. not of plenty only, but of bounty alſo. To this fountain if we bring but our empty veſſels well waſhed, Jer. 4.14. we ſhall return well refreſhed, and repleniſhed with good things, when the proud Self-Juſtitiary ſhall be ſent empty away, and ſhall not once taſte of Wiſdomes dainties, Prov. 9.
Buy] Emite, i. e. comparate & comed…te, get Chriſt with all your gettings: get him whatever elſe you go without: part with all you have to compaſs this pearle of price, Mat. 13.44, 46: and 16.24, 25. this gold cannot be too dear bought, Rev. 3.18. Heus ſaeculares, comparate vobis Biblia, animae pharmaca, ſaith Chryſoſtome, by a like expreſſion.
And eat] That is, beleeve: hic enim edere, eſt credere, and this water, this wine may be eaten alſo: nec enim rigat tantum ſed & cibat. Chriſt is to his water to cool them, wine to comfort them, milk to nouriſh them, bread to ſtrengthen them: he is all that heart can wiſh or need require. They who have once taſted how good the Lord is, cannot but thirſt after him, and be unſatisfiable, Optima demonſtratio eſt à ſenſibus: Eat therefore: it is a vertue here to be a holy glutton.
Yea come] Heb. And come: Come and come, yea come, come, come: linger not, loyter not, frame not excuſe, ſtrain not curteſie, hang not off by a ſinful baſhfulneſs; tis good manners to fall to your meat.
foreign Coloſ. 3. Argonaut. lib. 3.Buy wine and milk] Any thing, every thing, that is good and comfortable: for Chriſt is all and in all. As the worth and value of many pieces of ſilver is in one piece of gold, ſo all the petty excellencies ſcattered abroad in the creatures, are united in Chriſt. Apollonius writeth, that in the Court of Aeta King of Colchis, were three fountaines which flowed, one with milk, another with wine, and a third with honey: Chriſt is all this and more in one. And of beleevers it may better be ſaid than Juſtin doth of the Scythians, Lib. 2.Lacte & melle veſcuntur: nihil alienum concupiſcunt, &c. they feed upon milk and honey, they deſire nothing more than what they have: vines they have none, but gods they have; as they uſe to glory. Nazianzen and Hierom tells us, that anciently in ſome Churches they uſed to give to thoſe Proſelites whom they baptiſed, wine and milk: grounding upon this text, by a miſtake.
Without money and without price] All things for nothing, gratis: this is doubled and trebled for the comfort of poor trembling conſciences: Chriſt is rich to all that call upon his Name, Rom. 10.12. none giveth to him, Rom. 11.35. but he to all his freely, Iſa. 43.25. for the praiſe of his gloriour grace, Eph. 1.6. Tis his good pleaſure to do ſo, Luk. 12.32. And if ſo, what can man, devil or any diſtruſtful heart ſay againſt it?
Ver. 2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?] Heb. for not bread, for that which can no more feed you than thoſe huskes could the hungry Prodigal, Luk. 15.16.
Martial.Turpe eſt difficiles habere nugas:
Et ſtultus labor eſt ineptiarum.
The ſaying of the Romane General to the Souldier that kept the Tents, when he ſhould have been fighting in the field, Non amo nimium diligentes, I love not thoſe that are over-diligent, will be uſed of God, if when he calleth us to the care of higher things, we buſie our ſelves only about matters of an inferiour alloy. Surely as Domitian the Emperour ſpent his time in catching flyes: and Artaxerxes in making haftes for knives: ſo do moſt men in trifles and lying vanities, neglecting the One thing neceſſary (with Martha) and preferring as thoſe Gergeſites in the Goſpel, haram domeſticam arae Dominicae, a ſwine-ſty before a Sanctuary. Betwixt ſuch and true beleevers there is as much difference as is betwixt ſubſtantial merchants who deale in rich commodities, and thoſe nugivenduli Agyrtae, who ſell gawdes, rattles and trangums: as is betwixt Spiders that catch flyes, and Eagles that hunt after Hares and Hirons; as is betwixt Fowlers that follow after Quailes, and children that run after butter-flyes. Had men but taſted of Gods bread, they would never ſet ſuch a price upon Doves-dung. Had they drunk of Chriſts wine (which is beyond the beſt Nectar or Ambroſia) they would never thirſt again after the worlds delights, Joh. 4.14. which are ſuch as whereof a man may break his neck before his faſt, Eccleſ. 1.8.
Clitorio quicunque ſitim de fonte levarit,Ovit. Metam. lib 15.
Vina fugit, gaudetque meris abſtemius undis.
And your labour for that which ſatisfieth not] The world is full of pomp and pleaſure, 1 Joh. 2.15. and yet it ſatisfieth not, becauſe it is full of nothing but of emptineſs: the creature is now ever ſince the fall as the husk without the grain, the ſhell without the kirnel: yea the world paſſeth away and the luſt thereof, ver. 17. for a man cannot make his heart long to delight in the ſame things, but ipſa etiam vota, poſt uſum, faſtidio ſunt, we loath after a while what we greatly luſted after, as Amnon did Tamar. Therefore love not the world, ver. 15. labour not for the meat that periſheth, Joh. 6.27. but haſten heaven-ward, ſaying as that Pilgrim did who travelling to Jeruſalem, and by the way viſiting many brave Cities with their rare-Monuments, and meeting with many friendly entertainments, would ſay eftſoones, I muſt not ſtay here, this is not Jeruſalem.
Harken diligently unto me] Heb. hearing heare, i. e. heare as for life, with utmoſt attention of body, intention of mind, and retention of memory.
And eat ye that which is good] Not only heare the Word of God, but eat it: turn it in ſuccum & ſanguinem, diſgeſt it, incorporate it into your ſouls, Jam. 1.20. for it is the heavenly Manna; that hath all manner of good taſtes in it, and properties with it, 2 Tim. 3.16.
And let your ſoul delight it ſelf in fatneſſe] Talis eſt doctrins & gratia Evangelica qua mentem ſaginat & impinguat. A good ſoul feedeth on the fat and drinketh of the ſweet that is found in the precious promiſes, Pſal. 36.8. and 63.5.
Ver. 3. Encline your ear] Hear with all your might. Alphonſus King of Arragon is renowned for his attentive hearing: ſo is our King Edward 6. who uſually ſtood, and took notes all the Sermon while. Origen chideth his hearers for nothing ſo much as for their ſeldom coming to hear Gods Word, and for their careleſs and needleſſe hearing it when they did come. whence their ſlow growth in godlineſſe.
Hear and your ſoule ſhall live] God hath ordained (as it were to croſs the devil) that as death entred into the world through the ear, by our firſt Parents liſtening to that old man ſlayer, ſo ſhould life enter into the ſoul by the ſame door, as it were. The dead ſhall hear the voyce of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live, Joh. 5.25. The Romaniſts hold not hearing ſo abſolutely needful:Spec. Europ. the Maſs only they make a work of duty, but the going to Sermons but a matter of conveniency, and ſuch as is left free to mens leaſures and opportunities without imputation of ſin.
And I will make an everlaſting Covenant with you] Heb. I will cut out unto them a Covenant of perpetuity. A Covenant is a cluſter of Promiſes ſolemnly made over.
Even the ſure mercies of David] Or firm, faithful. The Greek, Act. 13.34. hath it, The holy things, or the venerable things of David, that is of Chriſt: for the ratifying and aſſuring whereof it was neceſſary that Chriſt ſhould riſe from death and enter into glory: for which purpoſe Paul alledgeth this text, Act. 13.34.
Ver. 4. Behold I have given him] i. e. Chriſt called David, ver. 3. becauſe typed out by David, promiſed to him, and ſprang of him.
For a witneſſe] To teach and teſtifie his Fathers will and counſel, at which,Ʋt de veritate hac & voluntate Patris teſtaretur. being his eternal wiſdom, he had been preſent. See Rev. 3.14.
A Leader and Commander to the people] Of Chriſts Prieſtly office had been ſpoken, chap. 53. here of his Prophetical and Princely. Theſe were frequently ſet forth even in the Old Teſtament: by the Crown or golden plate on the high-Prieſts head was ſignified Chriſts Kingly office: by the breaſt plate his Prieſtly, and by the bells his Prophetical.
Ver. 5. Behold thou ſhalt call a Nation] Yea all Nations that yet dwell in darkneſs and in the ſhadow of death: being utterly ignorant of God and his will, of themſelves and their duties. But now when they ſhall know God or rather be known of him, they ſhall run to Chriſt, and yea flye as a cloud, and flock into the Church, as doves ſcour into their columbaries, ruſhing into the windows, chap. 66.8.
Becauſe of the Lord thy God] Through the mighty operation of his Spirit by the preaching of his Word. The Philoſophers though never ſo able, could hardly perſwade ſome few to embrace their Tenents. Plato went thrice into Sicily to convert Dionyſius, but could not do it. Socrates could not work upon Alcibiades, nor Cicero upon his own ſon, becauſe God was not with them, nor was willing to glorify his Son Chriſt by them, as he did afterwards by his holy Apoſtles.
Ver. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found] Seek not his Omnipreſence (for that ye need not do, ſith he is not far from any one of us, Acts 17.27.) but his gracious preſence, his face and favour: ſeek to be in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt, in communion with him and conformity unto him; and give not over till you find it. Seek him ſeriouſly, ſeek him ſeaſonably. There is a time when men ſhall ſeek the Lord with their flocks and heards, and yet not find him, when once he hath withdrawn himſelf from them, Hoſ. 5.6.
Call ye upon him while he is near] In a time of acceptance, Pſal. 32.6. before he hath ſworn that he will not be ſpoken with, Pſal. …5.11. God is but a while with men in the opportunities of grace, Prov. 1.24, 28.
Ver. 7. Let the wicked forſake his wayes] Or elſe never think of finding favour with God, or of calling upon him to any purpoſe: The Leapers lips ſhould be covered according to the Law: A good motion from an ill mouth will never take with God.
Pura Deus mens est, purâ vult mente vocari:
Et puras juſſit pondus habere preces.
And the unrighteous man his thoughts] See Jam. 4.8. with the Note. A Pilat may waſh his hands, a Phariſee clenſe the outſide of the platter. Caſtae manus ſunt, ſed mens habet piacula, ſaid an Heathen, who ſaw by the light of nature that clean hands and foul hearts did not ſuit well.
And let him return unto the Lord] See the Notes on Zach. 1.2. Joel 2.12, 13.
For he will abundantly pardon] Heb. he will multiply to pardon: as we multiply ſins,Epiſt. 7. ad Venant. he will multiply pardons. God in Chriſt mollis est & miſericors, not an auſtere man, implacable, inexorable, but multus ad ignoſcendum, as the Vulgar here rendereth it: and Fulgentius thus deſcanteth upon it, In hoc multo nihil deeſt, in quo eſt omnipotens miſericordia & omnipotentia miſericors, &c. In this much nothing is wanting (how can there, ſay) ſith there is in it omnipotent mercy, and merciful omnipotence? A pardon of courſe He giveth us for involuntary and unavoidable infirmities; this we have included in that general pardon which we have upon our general repentance. And for other ſins (be they blaſphemies, Matth. 12.13.) God hath all plaiſters and pardons at hand and ready made and ſealed: for elſe we might dye in our ſins, while the pardon is in providing. He hath alſo hanged out his tables, as I may ſay in the holy Scriptures, ſhewing what great ſinners he hath pardoned,Act. & Mon. 109. as Adam that Arch-rebel, Manaſſeh who was all manner of naughts, David, Peter, Paul, Magdalen, &c. The Lord Hungerford of Hatesby was beheaded for buggery in Henry the eights time: The Lord Thomas Cromwel a better man, but executed together with him, cheared him up and bad him be of good comfort: for, ſaid he, If your repent and be heartily ſorry for that you have done, there is for you alſo mercy with the Lord, who for Chriſts ſake will forgive you: therefore be not diſmaid. God ſeemeth to ſay to ſinners as once the French King Francis the firſt did to one that begged pardon for ſome ill words ſpoken againſt his Majeſty; Do thou learn to ſpeak little (ſo to ſin no more) and I will not fail to pardon much: I can remit whatſoever you can commit, never doubt it.
Ver. 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts] q. d. You may think it impoſſible likely, that ſuch great and grievous ſinners as you have been, ſhould ever be received to mercy: but what talk you of your thoughts? mine are infinitely above them: neither may you meaſure my mercies by your own models. Bring broken and bleeding hearts to my Mercy-ſeat, and I ſhall ſoon think all the meritorious ſufferings of my Son, all the promiſes in my Book, all the comforts of my Spirit, all the pleaſures of my kingdom but enough for you.
Ver. 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth] And that's no ſmall deal: ſee the Note on Pſal. 103.11, 12. Lo, ſuch is the proportion that my mercy beareth to your mercy (even the very beſt of you) that the heaven doth to the earth, i. e. That a moſt vaſt circumference doth to one little point or center.
Ver. 10. For as the rain cometh down] Simile omnium elegantiſſimum pariter & notiſſimum. Of the uſe and efficacy of fit ſimilitudes, See the Note on Hoſ. 12.10.
Ver. 11. So ſhall the word be that goeth out of my mouth] The word in general, but ſpecially the word of Promiſe: it ſhall ſurely give ſeed to the ſower, and bread to the eater, comforts of all ſorts both for the preſent, and for the future. OnelyOnly we muſt ſee that we be good ground, and then pray that the heaven may hear the earth, as Hoſ. 2.21.
But it ſhall accompliſh that which I pleaſe] It ſhall produce the ſweet fruits of righteouſneſſe, Rom. 8.13, 14. There is (ſaith a good Author) a certan ſhell-fiſh that lyeth alwaies open towards Heaven as it were looking upward, and begging one fruitful drop of dew: which being fallen, it ſhutteth preſently, and keepeth the door cloſe againſt all outward things, till it hath made a pearl of it. In reading or hearing the Promiſes, if we open our ſhells, our ſouls, the Heaven will drop the fruitful dew of grace to be employed worthily in making pearles of good works and ſolid virtues. Who is ſhe that commeth out of the wilderneſſe to joyn her ſelf to her well-beloved! Cant. 6.9.
Ver. 12. For ye ſhall go out with joy] ſc. Out of your ſpiritual bondage, worſe then that of Babylon.
The mountains and the hills] The mute and brute creatures, as they ſeem to groan together with the fathfull, Rom. 8. ſo here by a Proſopop…ia they are brought in as congratulating and applauding their deliverance.
Ver. 13. Inſtead of the thorn ſhall come up the fir-tree] There ſhall be a bleſſed change of men and of manners: thoſe who before were ſtark naught or good for naught, yea vexatious and miſchievous, ſhall become fruitful and beneficial:Spinis paliurus acutis. Virg. Eclog. The Fir-tree is good for many uſes, the Myrtle brings berriers of excellent taſte, as Pliny tells us. The Chaldee thus paraphraſeth here, Juſt men ſhall riſe up inſtead of ſinners, and ſuch at fear the Lord in the room of the unrighteous. Sed cave ne hic ſomnies, ſaith Oecolampadius, but be warned you dream not as ſome do, that in this world and before the day of Judgement the wicked ſhall all be rooted out. For there will alwaies be Cains to perſecute Abels, &c.
And it ſhall be to the Lord for a name] i. e. For an honour: it ſhall be much for his glory, which is the end that he propoundeth to himſelf in all that he doth: and well he may; ſith 1. He is not in danger of doing any thing through vain-glory. 2. He hath none higher then himſelf, to whom to have reſpect.
For an everlaſting ſign] In monumentum non momentaneum, Heb. for a ſign of pepetuity or eternity.
That ſhall not be cut off] Or, that it (the Church) ſhall not be cut off.