Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Ver. 1. HEar ye the Word which the Lord ſpeaketh] Exordium ſimpliciſſimum, ſaith Junius. A very plain preface, calling for attention. 1. From the authority of the Speaker. 2. From the duty of the hearers.
O houſe of Iſrael] The ten Tribes long ſince captivated, and now directed what to do, ſay ſome. The Jews, ſay others; and in this former part of the chapter, thoſe of them that had been carried away to Babylon with Jeconiah.
Vide Selden. de diis Syris.Ver. 2. Learn not the way of the heathens] Their ſinful cuſtomes and irregular religions, (meer irreligions.)
And be not diſmayed at the ſignes of heaven] Which the blind heathens feared, and deified: and none did more then the Syrians, the Jews next neighbours. Of the vanity of judicial Aſtrology, ſee on Eſa. 47.13. He who feareth God needs not fear the ſtars: for All things are yours, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 3.21. Muleaſſes King of Tunis a great ſtar-gazer, fore-ſeeing by them, as he ſaid, the loſſe of his Kingdom and life together, left Africa, that he might ſhun that miſchief: but thereby he haſtened it, Anno 1544. God ſuffereth ſometimes ſuch fond predictions to fall out right upon men for a juſt puniſhment of their curioſity.
For the heathen are diſmayed at them] Therefore Gods people ſhould not; if it were for no other reaſon but that only: See Mat. 6.32. Let Papiſts obſerve this.
Caeremoniae populotum.Ver. 3. For the cuſtomes of the people are vain] Their rites confirmed by cuſtome; their imagery, for inſtance, a very magnum nihil; whether ye look to the Efficient, Matter, Form, or End of thoſe mawmets.
For one cutteth a tree out of the Forreſt] See Iſa. 40.2. and 44.12.—17. which laſt place Jeremy here ſeemeth to have imitated.
Ver. 4. They deck it w…th ſilver and with gold] Gild it over, to make it ſightly: goodly gods therewhile. See Eſa. 4.4.
That it move not] Ʋt non amittat, ſaith Tremellius: that it loſe not the coſt beſtowed upon it.
Ver. 5. They are upright as the Palm-tree] Which it ſtraight, tall, ſmooth, and in ſummo proſert fructus, and beareth fruits at the very top of it.
Ver. 6. Foraſmuch as there is none like unto thee] None of all theſe dii minutuli, theſe dunghil deities, are worthy to be named in the ſame day with thee.
Thou art great] God is great, Pſal. 77.13. Greater, Job 33.12. Greateſt, Pſal. 95.3. Greatneſſe it ſelf, Pſal. 145.3. He is a degree above the ſuperlative. Think the ſame of other his names and attributes; many of which we have here mentioned in this and the following verſes: which are therefore highly to be prized, and oft to be peruſed. Leonard Leſſius a little before his death, finiſhed his book concerning the fifty Names of Almighty God:Ex vita Leſſii. often affirming that in that little book he had found more light and ſpiritual ſupport under thoſe grievous fits of the ſtone which he ſuffered, then in all his voluminous Commentaries upon Aquinas his ſumms, which he had well-nigh fitted for the Preſſe.
Ver. 7. Who would not fear thee, O King of Nations?] Tremble at thy tranſcendent greatneſſe, thy matchleſſe Majeſty, power, and proweſſe? See Mal. 1.14. Rev. 15.4. Pſal. 103.19. with the Notes.
Foraſmuch as among all the wiſe men of the Nations] Who uſed to deifie their wiſe men, and their Kings.
Ver. 8. But they are altogether brutiſh and fooliſh] The wiſe men are, for that when they knew there was but one only true God (as did Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Seneca, &c.) they detained the truth in unrighteouſneſſe, and taught the people to worſhip ſtocks and ſtones, Rom. 1.21, 22, 23. The Nations are, becauſe they yeeld to be taught devotion by images, under what pretext ſoever. Conſiderentur hic ſubterfugia Papistarum. Pope Gregory firſt taught that images in Churches were Laey-mens books. A doctrine of devils.
Ver. 9. Silver spread into plates] See Iſa. 40.19.
Is brought from Tarſhiſh] From Tarſus or Tarteſſus, Ezek. 27.12. from Africa, ſaith the Chaldee. Idolaters ſpare for no coſt.
And gold from Ʋphaz] The ſame with Phaz, Job. 28.17. Or with Ophir, as ſome: Aurum Obzyrum.
They are all the work of cunning men] Quaerunt ſuos Phidias & Praxiteles: but how could thoſe give that deity which themſelves had not?
Ver. 10. But the Lord is the true God] Heb. Jehovah is God in truth, not in conceit only, or counterfeit.
He is the living God, and an everlaſting King] See on ver. 6.
At his wrath the earth ſhall tremble] The earth, that greateſt of all lifeleſs creatures.
And the Nations ſhall not be able] Leſſe able to ſtand before him, then a glaſſe-bottle before a Cannon-ſhot.
Ver. 11. Thus ſhall ye ſay unto them] Confeſſion with the mouth is neceſſary to Salvation. This verſe (written therefore in the Syriack tongue, which was ſpoken at Babylon) is a formulary given to Gods people, to be made uſe of by them in deteſtation of the Idolatries of that City.
The Gods that made not the heaven and the earth] The vanity of Idols and heatheniſh-gods is ſet forth, 1. By their impotency. 2. Frailty. Quid ad haec reſpondebunt Papiſtae? aut qualem contradictoriae reconciliationem afferent?
Ver. 12. He hath made the earth by his power] Here we have the true Philoſophy and right original of things: Felix qui potuit rerum cognoſcere cauſas. Almighty God made the earth, the main bulk and body of it. Gen. 1.1. He alone is the powerful Creatour, the provident diſpoſer, the prudent preſerver of all things both in heaven and in earth: therefore the only true God.
Ver. 13. When he uttereth his voyce] Again, when he thundereth (Pſ. 29.3.) it raineth a main, lighteneth in the midſt of the rain (which is a great miracle) and bloweth for life, as we ſay, no man knowing whence or whither, Joh. 3.8. All which wondrous works of God may well ſerve for a Theological Alphabet, and cannot be attributed to any god but our God.
And he cauſeth the vapours to aſcend] See Pſal, 135.7. with the Notes.
Ver. 14. Every man is brutiſh in his knowledge] Or, Every man is become more brutiſh then to know: That was therefore an hyperbolical praiſe given by Philoſtratus to Apollonius, Non doctus ſed natus ſapiens, that he was not taught but born a wiſe man: See Job 11.12. Rom. 1.22. with the Notes. Every man is become brutiſh, for want of knowledge (ſo the words may be rendred) the heathen idol-makers eſpecially; Bruteſcit homo prae ſcientia, ſo Vatablus 1. Every man is brutiſh, in compariſon of knowledge, viz. of Gods knowledge, whil'ſt he goeth about to ſearch into the cauſes of rain, lightening, wind, &c. which God only underſtandeth.
Ver. 15. They are vanity] Vanity in its largeſt extent, is properly predicated of them.
And the work of errours] Meer mockeries; making men to embrace vanity for verity.
In the time of their viſitation] See on Iſa. 46.1.
Ver. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them] God is his peoples portion; they are his poſſeſſion: Oh their dignity and ſecurity! this, the cock on the dunghil underſtands not.
Ver. 17. Gather up thy wares out of the land] Make up thy pack, and prevent a plundering. Reculas tuas & ſarcinas compone.
Ver. 18. Behold I will fling out the inhabitants of this land] I will eaſily and ſpeedily ſling them and fling them into Babylon: ſo God will one day hurle into hell all the wicked of the earth, Pſal. 9.17.
And will diſtreſſe them, that they may find it ſo] Juſt ſo as they were foretold it would be, but they could never be drawn to beleeve it.
Ver. 19. Wo is me for my hurt, my wound is grievous] This is the moane that people make when in diſtreſſe, and they find it ſo. But what after a while of pauſing?
Truly this is my grief, and I muſt bear it] i. e. Bear it off, as well as I may, by head and ſhoulders; or bear up under it and rub through it; wearing it out as well as I can: when things are at worſt they'l mend again. Croſſes, as they had a time to come in, ſo they muſt have a time to go out, &c. This is not patience but pertinaecy; the ſtrength of ſtones, and fleſh of braſſe, Job 6.12. it draweth on more weight of plagues, and puniſhments; God liketh not this indolency, this ſtupidity, this deſpiſing of his corrections, as he calleth it, Heb. 12.5. ſuch ſhall be made to cry when God bindeth them (Job 36.11.) as here.
Ver. 20. My Tabernacle is ſpoiled] I am irreparably ruined: like as when a camp is quite broken up, not any part of a tent or hut is left ſtanding.
Ver. 21. For the Paſtours are become brutiſh] The corrupt Prophets and Prieſts, who ſeduced the people from the truth, were perſons that made no conſcience of prayer: hence all went to wrack and ruine.
Ver. 22. Behold the noiſe of the bruit is come] This doleful peal he oft rung in their eares; but they little regarded it. See chap. 9.11.
Ver. 23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himſelf] He is not maſter of his own way; but is directed and over-ruled by the powerful providence: even this cruel Chaldaan alſo, that marcheth againſt us.
It is not in man that walketh, to direct his ſteps] We know not what to do or which way to turn our ſelves: only our eyes are toward thee. Behold we ſubmit to thy juſtice, and implore thy mercy. This text doth mainly make againſt free-will, ſaith Oecolampadius: and yet the Pelagiam would hence gather, that man can by his own ſtrength walk in the way to heaven: but he muſt be holpen ſay they, by Gods grace that he may be perfect.
Cum ratione ſeu modo. Leniter & diſcretè. Lap.Ver. 24. O Lord, correct me, but with judgement] i. e. In mercy and in meaſure. Correction is not ſimply to be deprecated: the Prophet here cryes Corret me: David ſaith, It was good for me: Job calleth Gods afflicting of us, his magnifying of us, chap. 7.17. Feri Domine feri clementer: ipſe paratus ſam, ſaith Luther; Smite Lord, ſmite me, but gently: and I am ready to bear it patiently. King Alfred prayed God to ſend him alwayes ſome ſickneſſe whereby his body might be tamed, and he the better diſpoſed and affectioned to God-ward. Eccleſiaſtical hiſtory telleth of one Servulus, who ſick of a palſie, ſo that his life was a lingering death, ſaid ordinarily, God be thanked.
Ver. 25. Pour out, &c.] This is not more votum then vaticinium; a prayer, then a prophecy.
And upon the families] Neglect of family-prayer uncovers the roof as it were for Gods curſe to be rained down upon mens tables, meat, enterprizes, &c.