Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 64
CHAP. LXIV.
Ver. 1. O That thou wouldeſt rent the Heaven] That Thou wouldeſt lie no longer hid there, as to ſome it may ſeem; but making thy way through all impediments and obſtacles,Lyra. Alex. Ales. thou wouldeſt powerfully appear for our help, as out of an engine. Ʋtinam lacerares coelos & deſcenderes. Some take the words for a hearty wiſh that Chriſt would come in the fleſh: others that he would make haſte, and come to Judgement, laté fiſſo coelo ad percellendum impios. The Metaphor ſeemeth to be taken from ſuch as being deſirous ſuddainly and effectually to help others in diſtreſs, do break open doors, and caſt aſide all lets, to make their way to them.
That the mountains may flow down] As Judg. 5.5. By mountains ſome underſtand the enemies kingdoms.
Ver. 2. As when the melting fire burneth] So let the mountains burn and boyl at thy preſence. Ariſtotle reporteth that from the hill Aetna there once ran down a torrent of fire,De mundo cap. 6. So Hecla and Hogla in Iſeland. that conſumed all the houſes thereabout. The like is recorded of Veſuvius, and of Peitra Mala a mountain in the higheſt part of the Apenines, which perpetually burneth.
Ver. 3. When thou dideſt terrible things] Or, As when thou diddeſt, &c. as thou didſt of old for our Forefathers.
Which we looked not for] See Deut. 4.32, 33. where God himſelf extolleth them.
Ver. 4. For from the beginning of the world men have not heard] ſc. The myſteries of the Goſpel, revealed by the Spirit: whereunto the Angels alſo deſire to look, as the Apoſtles witneſs, 1 Cor. 2.9. & 1 Pet. 1.12.
Neither hath the eye ſeen O God beſides thee] or a God beſide thee, i. e. That can do as thou doeſt.
For him that waiteth for him] For them that love him, ſaith the Apoſtle. It is by faith and hope that we wait upon God: now Faith, Hope, and Charity are near of kin, and never ſevered. All that truly love God are well content to wait for him, yea to want, if he ſee it fit: being deſirous rather that God may be glorified than themſelves gratified.
Ver. 5. Thou meeteſt him that rejoyceth and worketh righteouſneſs] That doth thy work diligently and with delight; that being acted by thee, acteth vigorouſly for thee. Tantum velis, & Deus tibi praeoccurret, ſaith an Ancient: as the Prodigals Father met him upon the way. If ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good things of the land, chap. 1.21. which that we may be, Nolentem praevenit Deus ut velit, Aug.volentem ſubſequitur ne fruſtra velit. God worketh in us both to will and to doe, of his own good pleaſure. Howbeit he expecteth that we ſhou…d go as far as we can naturally, if ever we look that He ſhould meet us graciouſly. Though the Miller cannot command a wind, yet he will ſpread his fails, be in the way to have it, if it come.
In thoſe is continuance] i. e. In thoſe ſins of ours: and ſhall we be ſaved? Or, in thoſe wayes of thine, thy wayes of mercy and fidelity is permanency: therefore we ſhall be ſaved, our ſins notwithſtanding.
Ver. 6. But we are all as an unclean thing] Both our perſons and our actions are ſo: for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? What a mercy is it then, that God ſhould look upon ſuch walking dunghils as we are, and accept the work of our hands?
And all our righteouſneſſes are as filthy rags] Or, as a coat of patches, Panno ancumulenta. Scultet.a beggers coat, veſtis centonum, veſtis è vilibus paniculis conſuta, Heb. a cloth of ſeparations, a matury rag, a menſtrous clout, nauſeons and odious, ſuch as a man would loath to touch, much more to take up. Such are our beſt works, as they proceed from us: when there ſpringeth up any ſweet fountain of grace within us, our hearts cloſely caſt in their filthy dirt, as the Philiſtines dealt by Iſaac: they drop down from their impure hands ſome filth upon that pure web the Spirit weaveth, and make it a menſtruous cloth. Where then are Juſtitiaries our Merit-mongers? &c. Thoſe that ſeek to be ſaved by their works, Luther fitly calleth the Devils Martyrs; they ſuffer much, and take great pains to go to Hell. We are all apt to weave a web of righteouſneſs of our own, to ſpin a thred of our own, to climb up to Heaven by: but that cannot be. We muſt do all righteouſneſſes, reſt in none but Chriſts; diſclaiming our own beſt, as ſpotted and imperfect.
And we all fade as a leaf] That falleth to the ground in Autumn. The Poet could ſay, foreign.Hom
And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away] Out of thy preſence; and will hurry us to Hell, if thou foreſend not.
Ver. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name] i. e. Very few: for that God had then a praying people, this very prayer declareth:Apparent rari nant…s in gurgite vaſto. but they were drowned in the multiude, being ſcarce diſcernable.
That ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold of thee] That rouſeth up himſelf, and wraſtleth with God, laying hold on him by faith and prayer, reſolved to retain him. Let us go forth as Sampſon did, and ſhake up our ſelves againſt that indevotion and ſpiritual ſloth, that will creep upon us in doing good: See for this Mr. Whitfield's Help to ſtirring up, an excellent Treatiſe, written upon this text.
For thou haſt hid thy face from us] Or, though thou haſt hid thy face: Ne tuis quidem ferulis caeſi reſipuimus.
Ver. 8. But now, O Lord, thou art our Father] Or, Yet now, O Lord, thou art our Father: therefore we ſhall not dye, ſay they, Hab. 1.12. boldly, but warrantably. See on chap. 63.16.
We are the clay and thou art our potter] This was grown to a Proverb among the Heathens alſo, foreign, Man is a clod of clay, foreign, a piece of clay, neatly made up, ſaith Arrian upon Epictetus. Fictus ex argilla & luto homulus, Orat. ad Piſon.ſaith Cicero. And Nigidius was ſirnamed Figulus or the Potter, ſaith Auguſtine, becauſe he uſed to ſay that man was nothing elſe but an earthen veſſel. See 2 Cor. 4.7. & 5.1.
We are all the work of thy hands] Both as made, and re-made by Thee: therefore deſpiſe us not, Job 10.8, 9 Pſal. 138.8. Look upon the wounds of thy hands, and forſake not the work of thine hands, prayed Queen Eliſabeth.
Ver. 9. Be not wroth very ſore, O Lord] Neither over-much, nor over-long; but ſpare us as a man ſpareth his own ſon that ſerveth him. This is commended for the beſt line in all Terence, Pro peccato magno paululum ſupplicii ſatis eſt Patri.
Ver. 10. Thy holy Cities are a Wilderneſs] And is that for thine honour? Behold, ſee we beſeech thee.
Ver. 11. Our holy and our beautiful houſe] The Church riſeth higher and higher in her complaints to God: we muſt do likewiſe.
Where our Fathers praiſed thee] Their own praiſes there they mention not, as not holding them worth mentioning.
Ver. 12. Wilt thou refrain thy ſelf for theſe things?] Or, Canſt thou contain thy ſelf at theſe things? No, he cannot: witneſs his anſwer hereunto, chap. 65.1. The obſtinate Jews do in vain ſtill recite theſe words in their Synagogues, as Hierom here noteth.
Wilt thou hold thy peace?] And, by thy ſilence, ſeem to conſent to the enemies outrages, and our calamities? Habet acrimonian…, ſaith Hyperius; there is ſome ſharpneſs in theſe ſhort queſtions: and yet becauſe they were full of faith and fervency, they were highly accepted in Heaven.
And afflict us very ſore?] Heb. Ʋſque valde? unto very much or unto extremity?