Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 60
CHAP. LX.
Ver. 1. A Riſe] Thou O my Church that now lyeſt in pulvere vaſtitatis as a forlorn captive, rouze up thy ſelf, change both thy countenance and condition, tanquam libera ac laeta ad novum nuncium: up, and look up; I have joyful tydings for thee.
For thy light is come] Chriſt, who is foreign light eſſential, Joh. 12.48.
And the glory of the Lord is riſen upon thee] The glorious Goſpel of grace, 2 Cor. 3.7. and 4.4.
Ver. 2. For behold the darkneſſe ſhall cover the earth] As once it did Egypt, Exod. 10.21. when there was light in the land of Goſhen: ſo is there in the Church, when all the world beſides lyeth buried in a fog of ignorance,Semper in ſole ſita eſt Rhodos. and a bog of wickedneſſe. The ſeparation of the Saints in light, is a wonderful ſeparation, Exod. 33.16.
But the Lord ſhall ariſe upon thee] The Lord Chriſt who is the true light, Joh. 1.9. the light of the world, Joh. 8.12. the Sun of righteouſneſſe, Mal. 4.2. See the Note there.
Ver. 3. And the Gentiles ſhall come to thy light] The Apoſtles, thoſe ſhining Luminaries, were Chriſts foreign, holding forth the light of life to all people, as Simeon ſaid, Luk. 2. And we may well ſay, as our Saviour did, Luk. 4.21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in our ears, and made good to our hearts; praiſed be his holy Name throughout all eternity.
And Kings to the brightneſſe of thy riſing] As did our King Lucius, who is reckoned to be the firſt Chriſtian King. Our Conſtantine, the firſt Chriſtian Emperour; our Edward 6. the firſt reforming Prince,Scultet. and many others. Facit hoc contra Anabaptiſtas, qui excluſos putant Reges ab Eccleſia.
Ver. 4. Lift up thine eyes] As from a watchtower: for ſo Zion ſignifieth.—
All they gather themſelves together, &c.] See chap. 49.18.
Thy daughters ſhall be nurſed at thy ſide] Like ſucking children: they ſhall ſuck and be ſatisfied, chap. 66.11. The vulgar verſion here hath ſurgent for ſugent: as it hath unus de ſimilibus for unus è millibus, Job 33.23. and evertit for everrit, Luk. 15.8. with other ſuch groſſe miſtakes, not a few.
Ver. 5. Then thou ſha't ſee and flow together] Or,foreign tam de lumine quam de ſtum…e dicitur. thou ſhalt break forth as a river, or thou ſhalt ſhine.
And thy heart ſhall fear] At firſt, at leaſt; to ſee ſuch a confluence of people unto thee.
And be enlarged] With joy, upon better conſideration.
Becauſe the abundance of the ſea] i. e. The multitude of the Iſlanders and ſuch as dwell by the ſea-ſide, which are noted for the worſt of men, whence the Proverb, Maritimi mores. Such are we Britones.
Ver. 6. The multitude of camels ſhall cover thee] i. e. Of ſuch peoples as uſually ride upon Camels, viz. the Arabians and the adjacent Countries: theſe ſhall come flocking and flowing to the Church with their precious and pleaſant riches.
The Dromedaries] A leſſer and lower kind of camels, commended for their ſwiftneſſe, Jer. 2.23. (we call ſlow people Drom…daries by Antiphraſis) and for this, that they can travel four dayes together without water. Bajazet beaten by Tamberlan fled for his life, and might have eſcaped, had he not ſtayed to water his mare by the way, which thereupon went the more heavily, and was overtaken by the Tartars.
They ſhall bring gold and incenſe] This, the ancients interpret of thoſe wiſe men from the Eaſt, Mat. 2.11. which was indeed a ſmall eſſay of this Prophecy. But why ſhould the Papiſts call them the three Kings of Cullen?
And they ſhall ſhew forth the praiſes of the Lord] Gratanti animo.This is more than all their rich gifts. A thankful man is worth his weight in the gold of Ophir.
Ver. 7. All the flocks of Kedar] i. e. The Kedarens and Nebateans with their flocks, whereof they had abundance:Refrixit (proh dolor!) ardor iſle. and they now had hearts to honour the Lord with their ſubſtance, and with the beſt of their increaſe. See chap. 23.17, 18.
Ver. 8. What are theſe that fly as a cloud] Which flyeth more ſwiftly than any bird, and covereth the sky far and near. Deus bone, Confertis agm…nib….quam multi catervatim accurrunt! (ſaith the Church here) wonderful! what trooping and treading upon the heeles one of another is here?
And as the doves to their windows] To their columbaries, —Columba Radit iter liquidum, cele…es neque comm vet auras.whereinto they ſcour and ruſh gregatim, & mira pernicitate, eſpecially if they have young ones there, or elſe are driven by ſome hauke or tempeſt. Gods people are free-hearted, Pſal. 110.3. they ſerve the Lord with cheerfulneſs, Pſal. 100.2. Amor enim alas addit: and well might Plato deſcant upon the word, foreign, whom men call Love, the Immortal call winged.
Ver. 9. Surely the Iſles ſhall wait for me] They ſhall come off freely,Huic admirationi Meſſias ipſe reſpondet. & non quaſi angariati ad auditum verbi & Sacramentorum uſum. And this is taken to be Gods anſwer, declaring the cauſe of that wonderful concourſe, ver. 8.
And the ſhips of Tarſhiſh firſt] i. e. With the firſt, or in the beginnings, as the vulgar hath it. The Iſlands were converted aſſoon as any; as this of Britain is ſaid to have been by Joſeph of Arimathea; Omnium provinciarum prima Britannia publicitus Chriſti nomen recepit, ſaith Sabellicus; Of all Provinces,Enne…d. 7. lib. 5. Britain firſt embraced the faith of Chriſt. From the which alſo, as we firſt of all the ten Kingdomes, (Rev. 17.) revolted to the Pope, ſo we were the firſt that ſhook off that yoke: our Henry 8. being the firſt that broke the neck of the Popes uſurped authority.
Becauſe he hath glorified thee] By his gracious preſence, and the ſanctification of his Spirit by the Word.
Ver. 10. And the ſons of ſtrangers ſhall build up thy walls] By preaching and writing for the truth; as did many famous Greek and Latine Doctours; and ſince them not a few of all Nations.
And their Kings ſhall Miniſter unto thee] As did Cyrus and Darius: but eſpecially Conſtantine the Great (who cared not what he beſtowed upon the Church, and was therefore in a jear, by the Heathens called Pupillus, His life by Sr. Jo. Heyw. p. 115.as if he needed a Guardian to order his expences) Valentinian, Theodoſius, Honorius, Juſtinian: Our Edward the ſixth (beſide the much good he did at home,) ſent at one time five thouſand pounds, to relieve Proteſtants beyond ſeas. Queen Elizabeth ſent both men and means in abundance to the relief of the French and Hollanders.
Ver. 11. Therfore ſhall thy gates be open continually] Such ſhall be thy ſpiritual ſecurity; and ſo great the reſort unto thee.
And that their Kings may be brought] Led captive, ſaith the Chaldee, ſc. to the obedience of Faith, as Pſal. 149.8. or led in ſtate: ſo others.
Ver. 12. For the Nation and Kingdom that will not ſerve thee ſhall periſh] They are utterly out then, who hold that men may be ſaved in what Religion ſoever, ſo be it they lead an honeſt life. And Pope Julius the third is juſtly accuſed of ſacriledge, for ſtamping money with his own image and this inſcription, The Nation and Kingdom that will not ſerve thee ſhall periſh.
Ver. 13. The glory of Lebanon] The beſt Cedars there, in alluſion to the building of the material Temple by Solomon, and afterwards by Ezra. q. d. Whatſoever is good in the world either in underſtanding, virtue or doctrine, ſhall be ſanctified and employed for the building up of the Church.
The Fir-tree, the Pine-tree, and the Box tree] Which from thoſe that would but cannot bring better, ſhall be well accepted.
And I will make the place of my feet glorious] i. e. My Church, when at loweſt, and the members thereof even the meaneſt of them. Hence alſo Chriſts name King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is written on his thigh, i. e. On his lower parts, Rev. 19.16.
Ver. 14. The ſons alſo of them that afflicted thee] When once they ſhall return and diſcern betwixt the righteous and the wicked, as Mal. 3.18. there ſhall be a ſtrange alteration wrought in them as was in Paul, Cyprian, Vergerius, Latimer, others.
Shall bow themſelves at the ſoales of thy feet] Such was the cuſtome of the Eaſterlings: And this, the Popiſh writers ſay, is fulfilled in their Vice-god; as we may in the worſt ſenſe beſt call him. The firſt that held forth his feet to be kiſſed was Diocleſian the Tyrant.
Eutrop.Ver. 15. Whereas thou hast been forſaken and hated] The Primitive Chriſtians ſuffered Odio humani generis, Lib. 15.ſaith Tacitus, through the general hatred conceived againſt them: and non tam crimen quam nomen puniebatur, ſaith Another, their very name was odious.
I will make thee an eternal excellency] Here in part: but hereafter, in all perfection. God ſo favoured the firſt orthodox Chriſtian Emperours, ut cum illorum pietate, Dei liberalitas certare videretur, That Gods liberality might ſeem to ſtrive with their piety.
Ver. 16. Thou ſhalt alſo ſuck the milk of the Gentiles] Satiaberis divitiis populorum, ſaith the Chaldee. Thou ſhalt be ſatisfied with the riches of the peoples.
And ſhalt ſuck the breſt of Kings] i. e. With Kingly dainties and delicacies, ſaith Zanchez after the Rabbines.
Ver. 17. For braſſe I will bring gold] i. e. I will beautify my Church with far greater gifts of my Spirit then now. The New Jeruſalem (which ſignifieth, ſay ſome, the ſtate of the Church in this world) when it ſhall be refined to the utmoſt, is all of gold: and theſe golden times are yet to come.
Thine exactours] Or, Overſeers: thy Biſhops, ſay the Sept.
Ver. 18. Violence ſhall no more be heard in thy land] The full accompliſhment of this is not to be expected here.
But thou ſhalt call thy walls ſalvation] ſc. When thou haſt got the great gulf, Luke 16.26. betwixt thee and thine enemies.
And thy gates praiſe] God will continually come to thee with new benefits, and thou ſhalt go forth to meet him with thankſgiving, Pſal. 89.16.
Ver. 19. The Sun ſhall be no more] God ſhall be thy Sun and ſhield, thy ſolace and ſafety, Pſal. 84.11. the light of his loving countenance ſhall be lifted up upon thee: and this ſhall be better to thee then all outward comforts.
Ver. 20. Thy Sun ſhall no more go down] Thy joy ſhall no man take from thee: thou ſhalt have an habitual cheefulneſs.
Ver. 21. Thy people alſo ſhall be all righteous] Profeſſional Saints at leaſt they ſhall all be: Saints by calling: ſome of them alſo ſhall be really righteous and religious, juſtified by the merit, and ſanctified by the Spirit of Chriſt. And theſe together make up a true viſible Church, ſuch as was that of Corinth and of Sardis. A mature there will be to the worlds end.
They ſhall inherit the land for ever] Thoſe that are righteous indeed, are heirs of the world together with faithful Abraham. The meek ſhall inherit the earth: and as for the poor in ſpirit, theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 5 3, 5.
The branch of my planting] So may ſome be that yet bear no fruit, Joh. 15.2.
The work of my hands] By regeneration, Eph. 2.10. And ſo are ſuch as are ſanctifyed by habitual infuſion, and not by baptiſmal profeſſion ony. In both ſorts God is glorified.
Ver. 22. A little one ſhall become a thouſand] Three thouſand were added to the Church in one day, Acts 2. five thouſand in another, Acts 4. Homo ille tricubitalis (as Chryſoſtom calleth Paul) that little man and leaſt of all the Apoſtles, what great pains took he? how many Churches planted he? how many thouſand ſouls gained he to Chriſt? See what a circuit he ſet, and what a deal of work he diſpatcht at one bout, Rom. 15.18, 19, 20. Here was minimus in mille, as tis Here. Think the like of the reſt of the Apoſtles; as alſo of Luther, Melancthon, Ferellus, &c. Mr. Fox telleth us that many were made to ſee the falſities of Popery by reading Chaucer, more by reading Eraſmus his Colloquies.
I the Lord will haſten it in his time] Heb. In its time; that is, in the time of the New Teſtament: but moſt compleatly and gloriouſly, at the Reſurrection, ſhall all theſe things that are foretold be accompliſhed.