Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Ver. 1. THen ſaid the Lord unto me] In anſwer to my prayer, he replyed, Thou haſt well prayed; ſed ſtat ſententia I am ſet, I am inexorable.
Though Moſes] That Chancellour of Heaven, as One calleth him; who not only ruled with God, but over-ruled, Exod. 32.11.…14. Numb. 14.19, 20.
And Samuel] A mighty man likewiſe in prayer, See 1 Sam. 7.9. called therefore Pethuel (as ſome think) Joel 1.1. that is, a God-perſwader. Theſe two were famous in their generations for hearty love to, and prayers for that rebellious people, and did much for them. But (ſo the caſe now ſtood) if theſe favourites were alive, and ſhould intercede their utmoſt for them, it ſhould avail nothing. See Ezek. 14.14.
Yet my mind could not be to this people] This is ſpoken after the manner of men, q. d. I am implacably inraged, I am unchangably reſolved againſt them.
Caſt them out of my ſight] Tell them that I have utterly rejected them, and I will ratify and realize thy ſpeeches: See on chap. 1.10.
And let them go forth] Or, let them be gone: q. d. I am the worſe to look upon them.
Ver. 2. If they ſay unto thee] As they will be apt enough to do in a jeare.
Such as are for death] i. e. For the peſtilence commonly called mortality, becauſe it is ſo deadly a diſeaſe: Thoſe at Genoa have lately found it ſo. And yet it is here reckoned firſt, as the leaſt and lighteſt of all the four threatened Judgements; which muſt needs be had enough when the Peſt is the beſt of them all. The Turks ſhun not the company of thoſe that have the Plague; but pointing upon their foreheads, ſay, it was written there at their birth▪ when they ſhould dye, and of what diſeaſe. Theſe in the text could as little avoid the deaths they were aſſigned to, as Aeſchylus the Tragedian could his being knockt on the head. For when as he was foretold that he ſhould dye with a ſtroke coming from above,Alian. Val. Max. he ſhunned houſes, and was wont to remain in the open air, but he was killed by a Torroiſe falling from the mouth of an Eagle upon his bald head, miſtaken for a ſtone.
Ver. 3. And I will appoint over them four kinds] Heb. families or kindreds, i. e. quatuor cognata carnivera, dogs, birds, and beaſts being added to the former four evils, ver. 2. quaſi per Auxeſin.
Ver. 4. Becauſe of Manaſſeh] Becauſe of his ſins; Idolatry and bloodſhed eſpecially, wherein the people partaked and perſiſted, and were therefore juſtly puniſhed.
The ſon of Hezekiah] but altogether degenerate: He was therefore the worſe becauſe he ſhould have been better: and yet the worſe again, becauſe he was author publicae corruptelae, a ringleader of rebellion to others, as was Jeroboam.
Ver. 5. Who ſhall be moan thee?] Heb. who ſhall come out of his place to comfort thee? or who ſhall ſhake his head, in commiſeration to thee?
Ver. 6. I am weary with repenting] Patiendo, ac parcendo, I have ſo oft revoked my threats, that unleſſe I ſhould wrong my juſtice, I can do ſo no more.
Deo gratias quod lingua Petiliani non ſit ventibabrum Chriſt. Hieron.Ver. 7. And I will fan them with a fan] Not of Purgation, as chap. 6.29, 30. but of Perdition. Such as that, chap. 51.2.
In the gates of the land] As men uſe to winnow corn at a windy door; where the chaff is blown quite away.
Ver. 8. The widdows are increaſed to me] Or, before me, or in my ſight.
Above the ſands of the ſeas] Hyperbole.
A ſpoiler a… noon-day] Nebuchadnezzar, that choice young man; for ſo ſome render the text; and ſo he was, when he came againſt Jeruſalem, and burnt it; viz. in the eighteenth year of his raign.
And terrours upon the City] Or, terrours, even the City: that is, ſay the Sept. and Chaldee, the Army of the Chaldees, which for their numbers and order of pitching their Tents, ſeemed to be a City.
Ver. 9. She that hath born ſeven, languiſheth] Jeruſalem that ma…r multipara, a fruitful mother.
She hath given up the ghoſt] Heb. ſhe putteth out her ſoul, as Job 11.20. We read of ſome mothers, who hearing of their ſons to be ſlain in battle, have fain down dead in the place.
Her Sun is gone down] See on Amos 8.9. A Chriſtian, when at worſt, can ſing, Non omnium dierum Sol occidit, I look for better daies yet.
Ver. 10. Wo is me, my mother, that thou haſt born me] ſc. In ſuch an age wherein I may not pray for my people, not can preach unto them to any good purpoſe. Buchanan bewailed it, that he was born nec coelo, nec ſolo, nec ſaeculo erudito: Camd. Eliſ.Jeremy lamenteth here for a worſe matter. Surely be might well ſay for his manifold ſufferings;
Littora quot conchas quot amaena roſaria flores,Ovid. Triſt.
Quotque ſoporiferum grana papaver habet:
Tot premor adverſis, &c.
A man of ſtrife and a man of contention] Generally oppoſed and quarrelled, for my free and faithful diſcharge of my duty.Virum arguentem. Arab. This is the worlds wages to godly Miniſters, whom they uſually make their but-mark. But God be thanked (ſaith he with Hierom) quod dignus ſim quem mundus oderit, That I am worthy whom the world ſhould hate. Lutherus paſcitur convitiis, ſaith he of himſelf, Luther is fed with reproaches.
I have neither lent on uſury] i. e. I have neither bought nor ſold (as we ſay) medled nor made with them. I have had as little to do with them any way as was poſſible. Ʋſura praecipuum fomentum litium. I have kept my ſelf cloſe to my calling, and yet I cannot avoid their variance and virulencies. To preach, is to derive upon a mans ſelf the hatred of the world, ſaith Luther.
Ver. 11. Verily it ſhall be well with thy remnant] Heb. if it be not well; q. d. then truſt me no more: thy latter end ſhall be comfortable, Pſal. 37.37. the end of that man is peace, be his beginning and middle never ſo troubleſom.
Verily I will cauſe the enemy to intreat thee well] Or, I will intercede for thee with the enemy. See this fulfilled, chap. 40.4. God can ſpeak for his in the hearts of their enemies, and make their foes to favour them: as many of the Papiſts here did Wickliffe, and after him Bradford.
Ver. 12. Shall iron break the Northern iron and the ſteel?] That is, ſay ſome, ſhall theſe hard-hearted Jews be to hard for me? or, for thee Jeremy, whom I have made an iron-pillar and brazen walls againſt the whole land? chap. 1.18. Never think it. Brighten thee they may but not break thee. The Northern iron is noted for the beſt and tougheſt.
Ver. 13. Thy ſubſtance and thy treaſure] This is ſpoken by an Apoſtrophe to the people, who are here told again what to truſt to, for their national ſins.
Ver. 14. And I will make thee to paſſe with thine enemies] Or, to ſerve thine enemies: for there is a double reading of the text.
Ver. 15. O Lord, thou knoweſt] Jeremy had begun a complaint, ver. 10. not without ſome tang and tincture of humane infirmity. Invalidum omne naturâ querulum. God graciouſly interrupted him and came leaping over all thoſe mountains of Bether, all lets and impediments, to his comfort and beſt ſatisfaction, ver. 11, 12. Nevertheleſſe Jeremy hath not done, but goeth on as before: & humanum aliquid patitur.
Remember me, and viſite me] He was full and ſpeaks thick.
Take me not away in thy long-ſuffering] Whilſt thou beareſt with them, take care of me, that I periſh not by their perſidy and cruelty.
Know that for thy cauſe I have ſuffered rebuke] Se… debitorem compellat Deum, ſuaque adducit merita. He delivers himſelf as if he held God to be his debter: This was not ſo well.
Ver. 16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them] I was well apaid of thy meſſages that came at firſt to me: and of that commiſſion thou gaveſt me to be a Prophet: yea I took no ſmall delight and complacency therein; and having found this hony, I ate it, as Prov. 25.16. but ſince I have met with much bitterneſſe in this wicked world, for my plain-dealing. See Ezek. 3.3. Rev. 10.10. Herodotus writeth of the River Hypanis, that for five dayes journey the water of it runneth clear and ſweet: and then, for four dayes journey further, bitter and brackiſh. The Miniſtry is an honourable and comfortable function, but hath its troubles and encombrances.
Ver. 17. I ſat not in the aſſembly of the mockers] That ſcoffed and mocked at Gods meſſages and menaces. Or, I have not ſat in the aſſembly of thoſe that make merry; ſed ſerius fui, ſpiranſque compunctionem, I came not at feaſts and merry-meetings, ſince I became a Prophet.
I ſat alone] As Moſes in like caſe did, Exod. 33.7.
Ver. 18. Why is my pain perpetual, &c.] Here the Prophet over-freely expoſtulateth with God, as leſſe faithful, or leſſe mindful at leaſt, of the promiſed preſervation: This was in a fit of diffidence and diſcontent, as the beſt have their outburſts, and the greateſt lamps have needed ſnuffers. The Mileſians, ſaith the Philoſopher, are not fools: yet they do the things that fools uſe to do: So the Saints do oft as wicked ones, but not in the ſame manner and degree.
Ver. 19. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord] Or, Notwithſtanding, mans perverſneſſe breaketh not off the courſe of God goodneſſe.
If thou return] If thou caſt out this devil of diſcontent: and (accounting diſtruſt worſe then diſtreſſe) apply thy ſelf chearfully and conſtantly to the work of the Miniſtry,Hic vides non praeſcribi gratiae Dei mentes & annos. I will continue and confirm thee in thine office, notwithſtanding thy preſent frailties and failings. So our Saviour, preſently upon their repentance for their ſhameful forſaking him at his apprehenſion, reſtored his Diſciples to their Apoſtolical function, Joh. 20.21, 22, 23.
Probe vir, hoc nihil ad te, dixi Zwinglius cum in vitia acriter inveheretur.And if thou take forth the pretious from the vile] i. e. The gracious from the vicious, preaching comfort to thoſe, and terrour to theſe; not giving, as he in the Fable did, ſtraw to the Dog, and a bone to the Aſſe, but to every one his proper portion, without fear or flattery.
Thou ſhalt be as my mouth] Speaking as a Prophet of mine, and as I my ſelf would do, if in thy place.
Let them return to thee] i. e. Conform to thee, but do not thou chime in with them as the falſe-prophets do.
Ver. 20. And I will make thee] See on chap. 1.18, 19.
Ver. 21. And I will deliver thee] I will, I will: never fear it man: but go on couragiouſly. Deal couragiouſly, and God ſhall be with the good, 2 Chron. 19. ult.