Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Ver. 1. THe words of Jeremiah] Piſcator rendereth it Acta Jeremiae, The Acts of Jeremy, Verba ſive Res.as we ſay The Acts of the Apoſtles: which Book alſo, ſaith One, might have been called in ſome ſenſe, The Paſſions of the Apoſtles, who were for the teſtimony of Jeſus, in deaths often. And the ſame we may ſafely ſay of Jeremy, Serm. 4. contra A …nos.who although he were not omnis criminis per totam vitam expers (which yet great Athanaeſius affirmeth of him) that is, free from all fault (for he had his out-burſts, and himſelf relateth them) yet he was Judaeorum integerrimus (as of Phocion it is ſaid, that he was Athenienſum integerrimus) a man of ſingular ſanctimony and integrity; good of a little child, a young Saint, and an old Angel; an admirable Preacher, as Keckerman rightly calleth him,Keck. de Rhet. Eccl. cap. ult. and propoundeth him for a pattern to all Preachers of the Goſpel. Nevertheleſs, this incomparable Prophet proved to be a man of many ſorrows, foreign,Lib. 1. Epiſt. 198. (as Iſidor Peluſiot) a moſt calamitous perſon, as appeareth by this Book, and one that had his ſhare in ſufferings from, and fellow-ſufferings with his ungrateful Country-men, as much as might be. Nazianzen ſaith moſt truly of him,Prophetarum omnium ad commiſerationem propenſiſſimus. Orat. 17. ad cives, Nazi n. that he was the moſt compaſſionate of all the Prophets: witneſs that Pathetical wiſh of his, chap. 9.1, 2, 3. Oh that my head were waters, &c. and that holy Reſolve, chap. 13.17. But if ye will not hear it, my ſoul ſhall weep in ſecret places for your pride, and mine eye ſhall weep ſore and run down with tears, becauſe the Lords flock is carried away captive. It was this good mans unhappineſs to be a Phyſician to a dying State: Tunc etenim doctâ plus valet arte malum.
Long time he had laboured amongſt this perverſe people but to very ſmall purpoſe,Vide Oecol. as himſelf complaineth, chap. 27.13, 14. after Iſaiah, chap. 49. whom he ſucceeded in his office of a Prophet (ſome ſcores of years between) but with little good ſucceſſe. For, as in a dying man, his eyes wax dim, and all his ſenſes decay, till at length they are utterly loſt: ſo fareth it with Common-wealths, quando ſuis fatis urgentur, when once they are ripe for ruine: the nearer they draw to deſtruction, the more they are overgrown with blindneſs, madneſs, ſecurity, obſtinacy, ſuch as deſpiſeth all remedies, and leaveth no place at all for wholeſome advice and admonition. Loe this was the caſe of thoſe improbi & reprobi (reprobate ſilver ſhall men call them, chap. 6.30.) with whom our Prophet had to do. Moſes had not more to do with the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs, then Jeremy had with theſe ſtifnecked and uncircumciſed in in heart and ears, Acts 7.51.as good at reſiſting the Holy Ghoſt as ever their Fathers were. The times were not unlike thoſe deſcribed by Tacitus, concerning which Caſaeubon ſaith, quibus nulla unquam aut virtutum ſteriliora, aut virtutbus inimiciora, that no times were ever more barren of virtues, or greater enemies to virtues. And to ſay ſooth, how could they be much better, when the Book of the Law was wanting for above ſixty years, and the whole land overſpred with the deeds of darkneſſe? Joſiah indeed that good young King (by the advice of this Prophet Jermy, Joſias à zelo ignis divini nomen babet: Significat autem Jeremias Altitudinem Dei, vel Exaltatum à Deo.who was younger then himſelf, but both full of zeal) did what he could to reform both Church and State; but he alaſs could not do withall: the Reformation in his dayes was forced by him: and there was foul work in ſecret (as appeareth by Zephany who was our Prophets Contemporary) it met with much oppoſition both from Princes, Prieſt, and People, who all had been wofully habituated and hardned in their idolatry under Manaſſeh and Amon, &c. Unto which alſo and other abominations not a few they ſoon relapſed, when once Joſiah was taken away, and his ſucceſſours proved to be ſuch as countenanced and complied with the people, in all their impieties and exceſſes. This Prophet therefore was ſtirred up by God to oppoſe the current of the times and the torrent of vices; to call them to repentance, and to threaten the Seventy years captivity: which becauſe they believed not, neither returned unto the Lord, came upon them accordingly, as is ſet forth in the end of this Prophecy. Whence Procopius, Iſidor, and others, have gathered that, beſides this Prophecy and the Lamentations, Jeremiah wrot the firſt and ſecond Book of Kings. But that is as uncertain, as that he was ſtoned to death by the Jews in Egypt, Iſidor. Doroth. Epiphan.or that the Egyptians afterwards built him an honourable Sepulcher, and reſorted much unto it, for devotion ſake: when as R. Solomon thinketh from chap. 44.28. that Jeremy together with Baruc returned out of Egypt into Judaea, and there dyed.
The ſon of Hilkiah] The High-prieſt who found the Book of the Law, ſay the Chaldee Paraphraſt and others, but many think otherwiſe: and the Prophet himſelf addeth.
Iſal. 10.Of the Prieſts that were at Anathoth] Poor Anathoth renowned as much by Jeremy, Ex praepoſitis Templi. Iunuitur in ipſum rectius potuiſſe competere Propheticum munus, quam in multos alios vel ex aula, vel ex caula vocatos.as little Hippo was afterwards by great Auſtin Biſhop there. The Targum tels us that Jeremy was one of the twenty four Cheiftains of the Temple. A Prieſt he was, and ſo an ordinary Teacher, before he acted as a Prophet: but his Country-men of Anathoth evil-intreated him.
In the land of Benjamin] Some three miles from Jeruſalem.
Ver. 2. Ʋnto whom the Word of the Lord came in the dayes of Joſiah] Woe be to the world becauſe of the Word. The Lord keepeth count what Preachers he ſendeth, what pains they take, and how long, to how little purpoſe they preach unto a people. He ſaith that it was the Word of the Lord, for authority ſake, and that none might deſpiſe his youth, ſith he was ſent by the Ancient of dayes.
In the thirteenth year of his reigne] Eighteen years then he prophecyed under good Joſiah, who was too blame, doubtleſſe, in not ſending to adviſe with this or ſome other Prophet, before he went forth againſt Pharaoh-Necho: ſometimes both grace and wit are aſleep in the holieſt and warieſt breaſts.
Ver. 3. It came alſo in the dayes of Jehoiachim] Called at firſt Eliachim by his good Father Joſiah, from whom he degenerated, cutting Jeremies roul with a pen-knife and burning it, chap. 36. at which his Fathers heart would have melted, as 2 Chron. 34.27.
Ʋnto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah] Jehoahaz and Jehoiachim, are not mentioned becauſe their raign was ſo ſhort, hardly half a year. By this computation it appeareth, that Jeremy prophecyed forty years at leaſt. And the Holy Ghoſt ſetteth a ſpecial mark (as a Reverend Writer hath well obſerved) upon thoſe forty years of his prophecying,Lightfoots Harmony Chron. of old Teſt. Ezek. 4.6. where when the Lord ſummeth up the years that were betwixt the falling away of the ten Tribes and the burning of the Temple, three hundred and ninety in all, and counteth them by the Prophets lying ſo many dayes upon his left-ſide; he bids him to lye forty dayes upon his right-ſide, and bear the iniquity of the houſe of Judah forty dayes, a day for a year. Not to ſignify that it was forty years above three hundred and ninety betwixt the revolt of the ten Tribes and the captivity of Judah (for it was but three hundred and ninety exactly in all) but becauſe he would ſet, and mark out Judah's ſingular iniquity, by a ſingular mark; for that they had forty years ſo pregnant inſtructions and admonitions, by ſo eminent a Prophet: and yet were impenitent to their own deſtruction.
Ʋnto the carrying away of Jeruſalem] He thought (belike) when he prefixed this title, that he ſhould have prophecyed no more, when once Jeruſalem was carried captive; but it proved otherwiſe; for he peophecyed after that in Egypt, chap. 44. yet not forty years alſo after the captivity, as the Jews have fabled: Nor is it ſo certain, that for that prophecy he was ſlain by Pharaoh Ophrae (whom Herodotus calleth Apryes, and ſaith he was a very proud Prince) as ſome have ſtoried.Lib. 2. in fine.
Ver. 4. Then the word of the Lord came unto me] The Lord is ſaid to come to Balaam, Abimelech, Laban, &c. but he never concredited his word to any but to his holy Prophets, of whom it is ſaid as here, The Word of the Lord came to them.
Ver. 5. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee] viz. With a knowledge not Intuitive only but alſo Approbative. Verba notitiae apud Hebraeos ſecum trahunt affectum.
I ſanctified thee] Infuſing grace into thy heart (as afterwards alſo into the Baptiſts, Luke 1.15.) and ſetting thee apart in my ſecret purpoſe to this ſacred office of a Prophet, as afterwards alſo God did Paul to the Apoſtleſhip, Gal. 1.15.
And I ordained thee a Prophet] Magna ſemper fecerunt qui Deo vocante docuerunt, ſaith Luther. They have alwaies done great things, whom God hath called to teach his people: quod eſt contra eos qui Eccleſiam ruituram putant niſi & ipſi doceant, ſaith Oecolampadius…: This text maketh againſt ſuch as think that the Church muſt needſly ſuffer, unleſſe they (though uncalled) turn Teachers.
Ʋnto the Nations] i. e. Firſt to the Jews, qui fere in Gentiles evaſerant, who were little better then Gentiles: ſo Papagant are called Pagans, Rev. 11.2. Secondly, to forreiners, of and to whom he prophecyed, chap. 44, &c. Thirdly, to people of all times, who may and muſt be inſtructed by this Book: which is ſuch as was highly ſee by, and cited in the Old Teſtament by Daniel, Ezechiel, Nehemiah, Ezra, Obadiah, (who taketh moſt of his Prophecy out of him) as in the New by our Saviour, Matth. 21. Mar. 11. Matthew the Evangeliſt, chap. 2. Paul 2 Cor. 6.1. & 10. Heb. 8. & 10. John the Divine, Rev. 2. & 15.
Ver. 6. Then ſaid I, Ah Lord God] Verbum anguſtiae: The old Latin hath it A, A, A, whereby is noted (ſay ſome) a threefold defect ſc. of age, of knowledge, and of eloquence: but that's more ſubtil then ſolid. True worth is ever modeſt: and the more fit any man is for whatſoever vocation, the leſs he thinketh himſelf: forwardneſſe argueth inſufficiency.
Behold I cannot ſpeak] Heb. I know not to ſpeak, i. e. a right, and as I ought. Tanto negotio tam inſtructum oratorem me non agnoſco. Jeremy was an excellent Speaker, as well appeareth by theſe enſuing Homilies of his, which ſhew that he was ſuaviter gravis, & graviter ſuavis (as One ſaith of Baſil) a grave and ſweet Preacher; one that could deliver his mind fitly, and durſt do it freely. Hence ſome of the Jews judged our Saviour to have been Jeremiah propter dicendi agendique gravitatem & Parrheſian, for his gravity and freedom of ſpeech. Nevertheleſſe Jeremy, in his own opinion, cannot ſpeak: that is, was no way fit to ſpeak. So Moſes is at it with his Who am I? Exod. 3. when as none in all Egypt was comparably fit for ſuch an Embaſſage. It was an uſual ſaying of Luther, Etſi jam ſenex, & in concionando exercitus ſum, &c. Although I am now an old man, and an experienced Preacher, yet I tremble as oft as I go up into the pulpit.
For I am a child] Epiphanius ſaith, that Jeremy was not now above fourteen or fifteen when he began to Prophecy. Samuel alſo and Daniel began very young. So did Timothy, Origen, Cornelius Mus a famous Preacher, ſay his fellow Jeſuites, at eleven years of age. Arch Biſhop Ʋſher was converted at ten years old,His life and death by D. Bern. preached betime, and ſo continued to do for ſixty years or near upon. Mr. Beza was likewiſe converted at ſixteen years old (for the which, as for a ſpecial mercy, he giveth God thanks in his laſt Will and Teſtament) and lived a Preacher in Geneva to a very great age.
God loveth not Quaeriſts, but Curriſts, did Luther.Ver. 7. Say not I am a child] Plead no excuſes, caſt no perils; never diſpute but diſpatch; never reaſon but run, depending for direction and ſucceſs upon God alone, in whom are all our freſh ſprings, and from whom is all our ſufficiency, &c. Paul was a moſt unlikely peice of wood to make what he was afterwards called, a Mercury, Act. 14.11. yet God made uſe of him, Act. 9.13, 14.
For thou ſhalt go to all that I ſhall ſend thee] Whether Kings or Captives, Lords or Loſels. He preached before Jehoiachim, concerning the office of a King: and threatened him with the burial of an aſſe, chap. 22. and 36. he dealt plainly with the Princes who beat him, and with the Prieſts who ſtockt him, with all ſorts to his great coſt: he was of an heroical and unexpugnable ſpirit: ſo are not many in theſe times, Verbi Dei truncatores & emaſculatores, men-pleaſing Preachers.
Act. & Mon.Ver. 8. Be not afraid of their faces] Look they never ſo big, as did Henery 8. upon Latimer, and upon Lambert, who yet told him his own: as did Stephen Gardiner upon Dr. Taylour Martyr, but had as good as he brought. The majeſty of a man, as alſo his wrath ſheweth itſelf in his countenance: and young men eſpecially are apt to be baffled and daſht with fierce looks.
For I am with thee, to deliver thee] On one ſort or another: thy crown (be ſure) no man ſhall take from thee; thy perpetual triumph thou ſhalt not loſe.
Ver. 9. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth] This was a very great favour and a ſweet ſettlement to the heſitating Prophet. The like viſible ſign for confirmation was given to Iſaiah, chap. 6, to Ezekiel, chap. 2. and 3. and to John the Divine, Rev. 10. how much are we bound to God for his Word and Sacraments?
Behold I have put my words in thy mouth] And in thy mind alſo; together with good courage for the better uttering of them. Fear not therefore though thou be, as thou objecteſt, infantiſſimus & infirmiſſimus; but go in this my might, and Preach luſtily.
Ver. 10. See, I have ſet thee this day over Nations] ſc. With authority to uſe the ſame liberty in reproving their ſins, that they take in committing them. Fear not the higheſt (for I have ſet thee over them) but look upon them as ſo many mice: for what are they more in compariſon of me and of thee, who haſt from me thy miſſion and commiſſion? zeal in well-doing ſheweth a man to be right: like as ſuch are living fiſh as ſwim againſt the ſtream.
To root out and to pull down] i. e. To denounce deſtruction to evil-doers, and then I will effect it. Eliſha hath his ſword, as well as Hazael or Jehu, 1 King. 19.17. and vengeance for the diſobedient is every whit as ready in Gods hand as in his Miniſters mouth, 2 Cor. 10.6. See Hoſ. 6.5. (with the Note) Joh. 20.23. But what a mercy of God to the Church was it, that the ſame day that Pelagius that Arch-heretick was born in Britain, Auſtin the great confuter of that heretick ſhould be born in Afrike? Providence ſo diſpoſing that the poiſon and the Antidote ſhould come into the world together?Dempſter. Hiſt. Scot.
To build and to plant] As a co-worker with God for the good of ſouls, by preaching Chriſt unto them, as this Prophet doth notably in a moſt divine and ſtately ſtrain: ſetting him forth in his coming, Covenant, Offices, Benefits, &c. as the only foundation, and lively root of hope.
Ver. 11. Jeremiah, what ſeest thou?] It was great kindneſs and familiarity thus to parle with him, and to call him by his name.
And I ſaid, I ſee a rod of an Almond tree] Which hath its name in Hebrew from watching, becauſe it watcheth as it were to bud and bear before other trees, even in the deep of winter, and when it is at coldeſt. Hereby, the Prophet is animated though but young; and aſſured that he ſhall have the fruit of his ſo early labours. God careth not for thoſe arbores autumnales, Jude 13. trees which bud not till the latter end of harveſt. The truth of all his predictions is deſigned, though little beleeved by the moſt: the ſpeedineſs alſo of their performance, as ver. 12. and Ezek. 7.10, 11. a good Comment upon this text. The ſins of Gods people, ſaith one, are ſooner ripe then of the heathens, becauſe they have the conſtant light and heat of his Word to haſten their maturity. This was typified by the basket of Summer fruits, and by the Almond-tree in this text. As the Almond-tree,Hieron. Theod. Juſt. Mart. ſaith another, hath a bitter rind but a ſweet kernel, ſo hath affliction ſanctified: and again, as the Almond-tree is made more fruitful by driving nailes into it, letting out a noxious gum that hindereth the fruitfulneſs thereof: ſo is a good man made better by afflictions.
Ver. 12. Thou hast well ſeen] Heb. Thou haſt done well to ſee, i. e. ſo to ſee.
For I will hasten my Word] Heb. amigdalaturus ſum, I am watching upon the evil, to bring in the Chaldeans, as I have threatened. See the like elegant alluſion, Ans. 8.1, 2. Nemeſis à tergo: puniſhment is at the heels of ſin.
Ver. 13. What ſeeſt thou?] By theſe queſtions his attention is ſtirred up, that he may the better obſerve the matter of his preaching, which is here repreſented by a ſecond viſion.
I ſee a ſeething pot] Heb. a pot blown up. Ollam Ebullitam.This boyling pot is Jeruſalem beſieged by the Chaldeans, and we are the fleſh, ſay thoſe deriders of this Prophecy of Jeremy, Ezek. 11.3. but they found it to be juſt ſo, ſhortly after: and then their profane hearts might well have beſpoke them, as the heart of Apollodorus the tyrant ſeemed to ſay to him, who dreamed one night that he was flead by the Scythians and boyled in a Chaldron; and that his heart ſpake to him out of the kettle,foreign. It is I that have drawn thee to all this.
And the face thereof] i. e. That part of the pot that is next the fire, and heated therewith.
Ver. 14. Out of the North an evil ſhall break forth] i. e. From Chaldea which is North from Judaea; Gregory moralizeth the text thus: mans mind is this pot:Aquilo eſt ſedes diaboli. Aug. that which from the North ſets it on fire is the devil, by inflaming it with evil luſts, and then he ſets up his throne therein; As
Ver. 15. And ſet every one his throne] Judging ſuch as in thoſe very gates had unjuſtly judged others. See this performed, 2 King. 24.4. and 25.4. Chap. 52.
Ver. 16. And I will utter my judgement against them] ſc. By thoſe Northern Princes: bu firſt by thee and Zephany, and Huldah, &c. if haply they will repent, that I may repent of the evil. God therefore threateneth that he may not puniſh.
Who have forſaken me and burnt incenſe] Theſe ſins differ in degrees; and are all found among the Papists.
Ver. 17. Thou therefore gird up thy loynes] q. d. Thou haſt, I muſt needs ſay,Perquam difficile eſt, ſed ita lex jubet. a hard task of it. But hard or not hard, it muſt be done, or thou art undone. About it therefore, and play the man, plucking up thy beſt heart, as we ſay, and acting vigorouſly. Stir up the gifts of God that are in thee, and exerciſe thy talents committed unto thee. Verbs miniſter es: hoc age.
Be not diſmaid at their faces, leaſt] Ne conteritor, nete conteram. Be not afraid of them leaſt I fright thee worſe, to thy ruth and utter ruine. Excellently Bernard, Anranaclaſis.If I deal not faithfully with you, you will be damnified, but I ſhall be damned: Let me ſuffer any thing rather than be guilty of a ſinful ſilence, ſaid that heroical Luther. But Melancthon (his Colleague) was ſo timorous, that Luther was fain to chide him many times: And Calvin (in an Epiſtle of his to John Sleidan) prayeth God to furniſh him with a more noble ſpirit, ne gravem ex ejus timiditate jacturam ſentiat poſteritas, leſt poſterity ſhould rue for his timidity. Calvin himſelf in his laſt ſpeech to his fellow-Miniſters on his death-bed, ſpeaketh thus: When I firſt came to this City (Geneva) the Goſpel indeed was here preached, but things were very far out of order, as if Chriſtianity conſiſted wholly in the caſting down of images, &c. There were alſo not a few wicked fellows who put me hard to't,Melch. Ad. in vic. Calvin. p. 106. ſetting themſelves againſt me to their utmoſt. But the Lord our good God did ſo ſteel me and ſtrengthen me, who am naturally fearful and daſtardly, that I ſtoutly withſtood them, and went on with the work of Reformation; to his glory alone be it ſpoken. Melacthon alſo admired that courage in Luther, that he could not find in himſelf: for beſides many paſſages of his in his Epiſtles that way tending, one time when he ſaw Luthers picture, he uttered this verſe immediately, Fulmnia erant linguae ſingula verba tuae.
foreign.Ver. 18. For behold I have made thee this day a defenced City] i. e. Inpregnable, inexpugnable, the bulwark of truth (as one ſaid of Baſil) ſuch as could not be battered. And of Ambroſe Stilico the Earle ſaid, that he was the walls of Italy. Peter and John are called Pillars, Gal. 2.9. Athanaſius, the Churches Champion, Virg.Ille velut pelagi rupes immota reſiſtit.
Againſt the Kings of Judah, againſt the Princes, &c.] There was a general defection of all ſorts; and Jeremy was to declaim againſt them all, and proclaim their utter deſtruction, in caſe they repented not. Well might Luther ſay, for he had the ſad experience of it, Praedicare nihil aliud eſt quàm totius mundi furorem in ſe derivare. To preach is nothing elſe, but to derive upon a mans ſelf the rage of all the world.Ʋt jam quatuor clementa ferre nequeant. He met with ſome even at Wittenberg where he lived, who were ſo wicked and uncounſelable, that the four Elements could not endure them: So did good Jeremy, &c.
Ver. 19. They ſhall not prevail againſt me] They ſhall not take thy Crown from thee, no nor thy precious life; for thou ſhalt ſurvive them. So Luther dyed in his bed, maugre the malice of Rome, and of hell.
For I am with thee] And what can all the wicked do againſt one Miniſter armed with Gods preſence and power?