Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Isaiah · Chapter 65
CHAP. LXV.
Piſcat.Ver. 1. I Am ſought of them that asked not for me] I am ſought, that is, I am found, as Eccleſ. 3.6. Or, I am ſought to by thoſe that asked not of me, viz. by the Gentiles who knew me not, enquired not of me. See Rom. 10.20, 21. where the Apoſtle (then whom we cannot have a better Interpreter) expoundeth this verſe of the calling of the Gentiles; and the next verſe, of the rejection of the Jews: and herein Eſaias was very bold, ſaith St. Paul: ſo bold, ſay Origen and others, that for this cauſe, among others, he was ſawn aſunder by his unworthy Countrey-men. See on chap. 1.10.
I am found of them that ſought me not] The firſt act of our Coverſion then (the infuſion of the ſap) is of God: our will prevents it not, but followes it. See 2 Cor. 3.5. Rom. 8.7. Joh. 6.44. 1 Cor. 12.3. Deut. 29.3, 4. Pſal. 36.10. Note this againſt the Patrons of Nature, Free-will men, Papiſts eſpecially, who not only aſcribe the beginning of ſalvation to themſelves in coworking with God in their firſt converſion, but alſo the end and the accompliſhment of it, by works of condignity, meritorious of eternal life.
I ſaid, Behold me, behold me] We are not eaſily arrouſed out of that dead Lethargy into which ſin and Satan hath caſt us: hence this Lo I, Lo I. And here we have both Gods anſwer to the Churches prayer, chap. 64. and the ſcope of the whole book (as Oecolampadius obſerveth) ſet down in the percloſe: viz. the coming in of the Gentiles, and the caſting off of the Jews, for their many and mighty ſins, Amos 5.12.
Prov. 1.24. Act. 26.1.Ver. 2. I have ſpred out my hands] A Preachers uſe to do, or as thoſe that invite and becken others to themſelves with the hand: See Mat. 11.28.
Ʋnto a rebellious people] Whoſe deſtruction therefore is of themſelves, ſith they will not be ruled, reclaimed.
After their own thoughts] Which were evil, only evil, continually ſo. A Toad may as eaſily ſpet a cordial, as a natural man think a good thought.
Ver. 3. A people that provoketh me — to my face] As it were for the nouce, in deſpite and defiance of me. Siquis me in faciem depalmaret, vix indignius eſſem laturus: I could almoſt as well bear a blow on the face.
And burneth incenſe upon altars of brick] Erected on the houſe-tops,Lateres per Meioſin cum contemptu. 2 King. 33.12. Zeph. 1.5. they ſhould have offered on the golden altar only, Exod. 30.
Ver. 4. Which remain among the graves] Which uſe Necromancy and conſult with devils, (as Saul did and dyed for it) contrary to Deut. 18.11. See chap. 8.19. Mark. 5.5. with the Notes. This they had learned of the Heathens, with whom it was common, as Tertullian teacheth.
And lodge in the monuments] As beleeving that there they ſhould dream dreams divinatory, or have revelations in the night. By ſuch ill arts as theſe, Timotheus Herulus made himſelf Biſhop of Alexandria, Anno 467. and Boniface 8. gulled Celeſtine 5. of the Popedome, Anno 1295. Some render it,Jun. Piſcat. that lodge with the kept ones, i. e. with their Idols, which they were fain to keep, for fear they ſhould be ſtollen.
That eat ſwines-fleſh] Which was flatly forbidden, Lev. 11.7. and which thoſe Martyrs in the Maccabees would rather dye than do. But theſe belly-gods, who like ſwine, had their ſouls only to keep their bodies from putrifying? ſecurely violated this plain law: gratifying their luſts, and making their gut their God.
And broth of abominable things is in their veſſels] They had animos in patinis, Porcus quaſi ſpureus. Rupert.catinis, calicibus, &c. Therein they kept the broth of their ſwines-fleſh which they offered, and in offering eat of. But what ſaith one from this text? men muſt not only abhorre the Devils beef, but his broth too; all occaſions, appearances.
Ver. 5. Which ſay, Stand by thy ſelf, come not near to me] Theſe Jews were all manner of naughts (and therefore worthily rejected by God) Necromancers, Idolaters, Epicures, groſs hypocrites, as here their words (full of pride and contempt of others) ſhew them to be. Such were the Phariſees with their Sanctior ſum quam tu: Luk. 7.39.the Monkes and Maſſe-Prieſts among the Papiſts, and the Browniſts with their broad leaves of formal profeſſion amongſt us.Abbots his trial of Church forſakers, pag. 148. From Mat. 18.19. becauſe Chriſt promiſeth not doing for them that ask, except they agree on earth, Browniſts peremptorily conclude, that they ought not to pray with them that do not conſent with them in their opinions: nor will they pray with their own wives and children, though never ſo pious, if they do not meet in the ſame center of conceits.
Theſe are a ſmoke in my noſe, a fire that burneth all the day] i. e. A continual offence to me, as ſmoke is to the noſe and eyes, Prov. 10.20. and ſhall be perpetually tormented by me in the hotteſt fire of hell; whereof hypocrites are the free-holders, and other ſinners are but tenants as it were to them; whiles they are ſaid to have their portion with the Devil and hypocrites. Some think he hinteth at their ſmoking and ſacrificing in their gardens and groves, ver. 3.
Ver. 6. Behold it is written before me] Heb. before my face, as your ſins were committed to my face, ver. 3. which therefore I ſhall ſurely remember and puniſh.
But will recompenſe, even recompenſe] Certo, cito, penitus, ſurely, ſeverely, ſuddainly: you may write upon't.
Ver. 7. Your iniquities and the iniquities of your Fathers together] Your vain converſation received by tradition from your Fathers, 1 Pet. 1.18. whom you have ſtriven to out-ſin. See Gen. 15.16. Mat. 23.32, 35, 36. and 27.25. 1 Theſ. 2.15, 16.
And blaſphemed me upon the hills] Or, reproached or diſhonoured me: diſpleaſing ſervice is double diſhonour; becauſe men diſhonour God in that wherein they pretend (or preſume at leaſt) to pleaſe him. Such are all Popiſh will worſhippers: neither will it help them to plead the example of their fore-Fathers: for here that of the Prophet Ezekiel, chap. 20. ſhould take place, Walk ye not in the wayes of your Fathers.
Therefore will I meaſure — into their boſom] Or Lap, very largely. See Pſal. 79.12. Luk. 6.38. I will pay them home, for the new and the old together.
Ver. 8. Thus ſaith the Lord] This he ſaith in effect, I will not deſtroy the righteous with the wicked, but ſtill reſerve a ſeed, a remnant: and this he ſetteth forth by a fine and fit compariſon; even as the husbandman, if he find any wine in the cluſter, that is, any life or ſap in the vine, cutteth it not down utterly.
So will I do for my ſervants ſake] Few though they be, even as one cluſter of grapes upon a vine, yet becauſe they are botri muſtei, cluſters full of new and ſweet wine, full of the juyce of piety, they ſhall be preſerved.
Ver. 9. And I will bring forth a ſeed out of Jacob] The good husband keeps ſome of his corn for ſeed: which though it be not much, yet it will come to much.
And mine elect ſhall inherit it] i. e. Reinhabit the land; a type of the laſt converſion of the Jews to Chriſt, Rom. 11.25, 26.
Ver. 10. And Sharon ſhall be a fold of flocks] The fieldlings ſhall be folds; and I will feed them dayly and daintily, Pſal. 23.1. with my graces and bleſſings. Sharon is a very ſweet and fruitful quarter reaching from Caeſarea of Paleſtine to Joppa: Achor is alſo a very rich vale near Jericho Northward, Joſh. 3.16. their firſt footing in the promiſed land. By both theſe they are aſſured, that they ſhall want for nothing, and leaſt of all for the Word of God, the food of their ſouls.
Ver. 11. But ye are they that forſake the Lord] Or, As for you, that have forſaken the Lord, to obſerve lying vanities, and ſo are miſerable by your own election, Jo…. 2.8. you ſhall be yet more miſerable at the great day of Judgment eſpecially, of which ſome take this following part of the Chapter to be meant and intended. Then theſe improbi & reprobi ſhall be ſure to ſmoke for it: then they ſhall return and diſcern betwixt the righteous and the wicked: yea the Judge himſelf ſhall ſhew them a manifeſt difference, as ver. 13, 14, 15, &c.
That forget my holy mountain] i. e. My Temple and pure worſhip, which ye ſlight and neglect, q. d. there is no new wine in your cluſter, but rather gall and deadly poiſon: therefore it ſhall be otherwiſe with you.
That prepare a table for that troop] As the Iſraelites feaſted before the Lord, Deut. 16.14, 15. ſo in an apiſh imitation did the heathens before their Idols, Judg. 9.27. Ezek. 18.6, 7. 1 Cor. 8.10. and of them theſe ſuperſtitious Jews had learned to do the like, in the dayes of Ahaz and Manaſſeh, who degenerated into his Grand-Father Ahaz, as if there had been no intervention of an Hezekiah.
For that troop] So the Prophet ſpeaketh, as pointing to their Idols, whereof they had great ſtore. Gad (here uſed) and Menni (rendered Number here likewiſe) ſome interpret Fortune and Fate; others, Jupiter and Mercury. The Septuagint for to that Number, hath to the Devil. Oecolampadius thinks the Prophet alludeth to the Pythagorean numbers:foreign. and eſpecially to the number of four, which they ſuperſtitiouſly obſerved. Others ſay, the Jews ſymbolized with the Heathens in drinking to their Idols by number: to ſuch an Idol they would drink ſo many cups, and that was called a Drink-offering to that Number. Hence Antiphanes in Athenaeus ſaith, Lib. 10.Aduſque tria pocula venerandos eſſe deos.
Ver. 12. Therefore I will number you to the ſword] Eſt elegans Paronomaſia: I will give you up to the ſword by number and tale; to the end that none of you may eſcape. God uſually retaliateth, and proportioneth number to number: ſo, choice to choice, chap. 66.3, 4. jealouſy to jealouſy, provocation to provocation, Deut. 32.21. device to device, Mic. 2.1, 3. frowardneſs to frowadrneſs, Pſal. 18.26.
And ye ſhall all bow down to the ſlaughter] As you uſed to bow down to your Idols.
Becauſe when I called ye did not anſwer] See on Prov. 1.24.
But did evil before mine eyes] Did evil things as you could, Jer. 3.5. with both hands earneſtly, Mic. 7.3.
Ver. 13. Behold my ſervants ſhall eat, but ye ſhall be hungry] Lepidas antitheſes ponit. You have ſpent your meat and drink upon Idols; therefore ye ſhall faſt another while, yea you ſhall feed upon the fierce wrath of God in hell, and drink deep of that cup of his, that hath eternity to the bottom.
But ye ſhall be aſhamed] Your hopes and hearts failing you together, ye ſhall pine away in your iniquities, Ezek. 24.23.
Ver. 14. Behold my ſervants ſhall ſing] In the tranſgreſſion of an evil man there is a ſnare, or a cord to ſtrangle his joys with: but the righteous doth ſing and rejoyce, Prov. 29.6. See the Note there.
And ſhall howl] When ye come to Hell eſpecially, where is wailing, and yelling, and gnaſhing of teeth.
Ver. 15. And ye ſhall leave your name for a curſe] So that when mine Elect ſhal denounce my curſe againſt any one, they ſhall ſay, God make thee ſuch another as was ſuch a curſed caytiff. See Jer. 24.9. & 29.22. & 34.9. See Zach. 8.13. with the Note. Judaeus ſim ſi fallo, ſay the Turks at this day: As hard-hearted and unhappy as a Jew, ſay we.
And call his ſervants by another name] Jews inwardly, Iſraelites indeed, Chriſtians, a choſen Generation, a royal Prieſt-hood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, 1 Pet. 2.9. The wicked, when they dye, go out in a ſnuff, leave a ſtench behind them, as they ſay the Devil doth, when he goeth out of a room: but when the Saints depart, they leave a ſweet ſmell behind them, as thoſe lamps do that are fed with aromatical oyle. Yea it is more then probable, that in the next world, we ſhall look upon Bradford, and ſuch, with thoughts of extraordinary love and ſweetneſs, through all eternity; as Bonner and ſuch, with execration and everlaſting deteſtation.
Ver. 16. That he who bleſſeth himſelf in the earth, &c.] Or, that bleſſeth, either himſelf or any other.
Shall bleſs himſelf in the God of truth] Heb. ſhall bleſs in the God of Amen, that is, ſay ſome, in Chriſt who is Amen the faithful and true witneſs, Rev. 3.14. in whom all the Promiſes are Yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. and who was wont often to ſay Amen, Amen. Others render it thus, Benedicat ſibi per Deum firmi, ſhall bleſs himſelf by the God of the firm or faithful people, founded and rooted in God, ſo as that the gates of Hell ſhall not prevail againſt them.
Shall ſwear by the God of truth] Or, by the God of the firm and faithful people, as before.
Becauſe the former troubles are forgotten] Rememberd no otherwiſe then as waters that are paſt. See Zach. 10.6. with the Note.
Ver. 17. For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth] I am making of a new world, that is, Goſpel-times, called a new Creation, 2 Cor. 5.17. and the world to come, Heb. 2.5. Heaven aforehand, Matth. 3.2. The conſummation hereof we are to expect at the laſt day, 2 Pet. 3.13. Rev. 21.1, 5. when the former ſhall not be remembred, nor come into mind, becauſe the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth, ſhall bleſs his people out of Zion, Pſal. 134.3.
Ver. 18. But be glad and rejoyce for ever] what can ye be leſs then everlaſtingly merry when you conſider your Goſpel-priviledges? which are ſuch as may well ſwallow up all diſcontents, and make you more then Conquerours, and that is, Triumphers.
For behold I create Jeruſalem a rejoycing] Creo talem Jeruſalem ut ſit ei nomen Tripudium, & populus ejus vocetur Gaudium. Oecol.Hence it appeareth that theſe things are not to be taken according to the letter: but of Jeruſalem which is above, that mother of us all.
Ver. 19. And I will rejoyce in Jeruſalem] Well may Jeruſalem then rejoyce in in God: who as in all her afflictions he is afflicted, ſo he taketh pleaſure in the proſperity of his people.
And the voice of weeping] See chap. 35.11. & 51.12. Rev. 21.4.
Ver. 20. There ſhall be no more thence an infant of dayes] This verſe (as ſome others) had been eaſie, had not Commentatours made it ſo knotty. There ſhall be no more thence, that is, from Jeruſalem, ver. 19. an infant of dayes or a childe for dayes, viz. that ſhall ſo dye by an untimely death: for longevity is the bleſſing here promiſed.
Nor an old man that hath not filled his daies] That hath not lived his utmoſt, ſatur dierum, as Abraham.
For the child ſhall dye an hundred years old] i. e. He that is now a childe, ſhall live till he be ſo many year old. Note this againſt thoſe that otherwiſe underſtand the words, and have therehence fiſhed out many frivolous crotchets, too long here to be related.Hinc proverb. Puer centum annorum.
But the ſinner being an hundred year old ſhall be accurſed] And the more accurſed, becauſe ſo long-lived, and yet dyeth in his ſin; going down to the grave with his bones full of the ſins of his youth. See Eccleſ. 8.12, 13. with the Notes.
Ver. 21. And they ſhall build houſes and inhabit them] The contrary whereunto is threatned againſt the wicked, Deut. 28.30, &c. Gods people are freed from the curſe of the Law; from the hurt, if not from the ſmart of afflictions.
Ver. 22. They ſhall not build, and another inhabit] They ſhall not provide for poſterity alone, but live a long while to take benefit of their own labours.
For as the dayes of a tree, are the dayes of my people] i. e. Robuſti atque diuturni, they ſhall be hearty, healthy, and long-laſting, as Pſal. 52.10. & 92.13. even as if they had eaten of that tree of life in Paradiſe.
Ver. 23. They ſhall not labour in vain] As wicked men ſhall, Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Hag. 1.6. See the Note there.
Nor bring forth for trouble] Bring forth children to the murtherer, Hoſ. 9.13. to the great grief and trouble of their poor parents.
Ver. 24. And it ſhall come to paſs, that before they call I will anſwer] Mirabilis certè promiſſio, a wonderful promiſe verily, ſaith Scultetus. The prayers of the Saints do ſooner peirce from their hearts to heaven, then they can find way from their hearts to their mouths. So David found it, Pſal. 32.5. and Daniel, chap. 10.12. and that Prodigal, Luke. 15.18, 20. Our Saviour, who came out of the boſom of the Father, gives two reaſons: 1. The Father himſef loveth you, Joh. 16.27. and love is liberal. 2. The Father knoweth before ye ask, that ye have need of all theſe things, Mat. 6.32.
And while they are yet ſpeaking, I will hear] Thus he heard thoſe praying Iſraelites at the meet at Mizpeh, 1 Sam. 7. David, Pſal. 6.8, 9. Daniel, chap 9.21. Cornelius, Acts 10.3. and his company, ver. 44. Luther when he came leaping out out of his ſtudy (where he had been praying) with Vicimus, Vicimus, in his mouth; the day is ours, we ſhall carry the cauſe.
Antipathiam in ympathiam convertent. Lap.Ver. 25. The wolf and the Lamb ſhall feed together] Heb. as one: See chap. 11.6. There ſhall be an holy harmony of hearts, and all good agreement among Chriſts Subjects; when they come to heaven eſpecially.
And duſt ſhall be the ſerpents meat] He ſhall be held in to his firſt condemnation, Gen. 3.14. The Devil alſo that old ſerpent, ſhall be limited to the heel of the Saints; the head he ſhall not touch: he ſhall be tyed up to his own meat, viz. that unquenchable fire prepared for him and his angels from the beginning.
They ſhall not hurt, &c.] See on chap. 11.9.